Cyril Haearn wrote:As for the drivers who get frustrated by others obeying the law: they need psychiatric help.
Whether they need help or not frustration is a factor on the roads and should be taken into account when setting speed limits.
Anything that reduces speed is welcome.
Anything that reduces unsafe speed is welcome.
Sorry, I mean they need punishment, not help! If they are frustrated by others obeying the law, they should lose their licences. No mercy or understanding for these criminals! Maximum speed limits are to do with safety, frustration has nothing to do with it.
My vision is: the millions of frustrated drivers lose their licences. That would solve many problems.
irc: What do you mean by "unsafe speed"?
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120 Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cyril Haearn wrote: irc: What do you mean by "unsafe speed"?
A speed too fast for the prevailing road and weather conditions.
You said anything that reduces speed is welcome. To walking speed? No? Well there is a balance then between speed limits that are too low and those that are too high. I think the current 40mph HGV limit is too low on some roads like the A9 (single carriageway). I think the current 60mph car limit on the A9 is about right. On other roads it may be too high. Lower isn't always better though. Motorways have the highest speeds and the lowest casualty rates. for their function as a national transport link a 70mph limit is better than a 50mph limit.
Cyril Haearn wrote:The talk here is about maxima. Never seen a minimum spped limit sign!
A minimum speed limit sign is a white number on a blue circle. However, so few people recognise it that it's not used in the few places it could apply, such as the Nene Valley Expressway near Northampton. A non-standard worded sign saying something like "no vehicles slower than 25mph" in a red circle is used instead.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Cyril Haearn wrote: irc: What do you mean by "unsafe speed"?
A speed too fast for the prevailing road and weather conditions.
You said anything that reduces speed is welcome. To walking speed? No? Well there is a balance then between speed limits that are too low and those that are too high. I think the current 40mph HGV limit is too low on some roads like the A9 (single carriageway).
... the road with the highest casualty rate in Scotland which sees 200 crashes per year.
Ellieb wrote:& it is argued this is in part caused by people trying to overtake (unsafely) slow moving lorries.
The lorry speed is not unsafe.
The overtaking driver needs their license revoked.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way.No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse. There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Cyril Haearn wrote: irc: What do you mean by "unsafe speed"?
A speed too fast for the prevailing road and weather conditions.
You said anything that reduces speed is welcome. To walking speed? No? Well there is a balance then between speed limits that are too low and those that are too high. I think the current 40mph HGV limit is too low on some roads like the A9 (single carriageway).
... the road with the highest casualty rate in Scotland which sees 200 crashes per year.
Any source for that claim? This report seems to show that the accident rate is lower than average.
Single Carriageways Table 4 shows that accident rates on 13 of the 15 single carriageway sections,between Inveralmond roundabout Perth to Tore roundabout Inverness,are below the Scottish national average. The section of single road at Bankfoot, section number three, does highlight a higher than average accident rate. However, this site has been subject to an extensive junction and road improvement to address right turn conflicts. Since its completion in 2009 there have been no reportable accidents.
Between Perth and Tore, dual carriageway sections compare favourably, as 9 of the 10 dual carriageway sections have an accident rate below the national average rate of 7.77 accidents per 100 mvk.
feefee8 wrote:They're trialling this on the A9 in Scotland at the moment to try and reduce the mad overtakes on that road. You might still end up in a 2 mile long convoy but travelling ever so slightly faster! I think the perceived success must be encouraging a more nationwide raising of the limit.
IF they start reducing national speed limit roads to 40 and 50 mph because (the carte blanche) 60 just isn't appropriate anyway then I have no problem with HGVs etc doing 50 on a 60mph road, it isn't the speed that is so much the problem as we all know, it's the attitude/ability of the driver. If an HGV hits a cyclist at 40 then that makes jack all difference to if it were 50...
I have travelled on the train from the south to Inverness, but I have not been on the A9. In the "south" (Shropshire, Wales, A49, A44, A470 etc) I can not remember being held up by a truck that was obeying the law. On single-carriageway roads it is much more likely that they will come up from behind and try to force me to go faster, althought the view ahead does not permit this.
Anyone got tips here, what driving tactics are appropriate? I can not go faster. Should I pull off and let the terrorist by? The next one ist just behind!
The police must get out there and do many more speed checks so that obeying the law is the norm, not the exception. The police should change sides to earn the respect of law-abiding drivers.
Maybe there are arguments for "relaxing" the law in certain places, but I have a great aversion to increasing motor speeds in any circumstances
Any legislation can not be enacted immediately. In the meantime the police must get out there and punish!
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120 Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cyril Haearn wrote: irc: What do you mean by "unsafe speed"?
A speed too fast for the prevailing road and weather conditions.
You said anything that reduces speed is welcome. To walking speed? No? Well there is a balance then between speed limits that are too low and those that are too high. I think the current 40mph HGV limit is too low on some roads like the A9 (single carriageway). I think the current 60mph car limit on the A9 is about right. On other roads it may be too high. Lower isn't always better though. Motorways have the highest speeds and the lowest casualty rates. for their function as a national transport link a 70mph limit is better than a 50mph limit.
Waking speed! No, just the legal maximum as MAX and not as minimum or standard.
I remember seeing a Waitrose railfreight container at Wick. Couldn't Tesco use the railway?
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120 Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott We love safety cameras, we hate bullies