Some people are quite capable of driving at 90mph on the motorway and be quite safe, these are generally very experienced drivers who are well used to planning well ahead.

The problem is, everyone can be caught out by somebody else doing something quite unexpected, or a momentary lapse of concentration as a result of being very confident in your own ability to react quickly.

Another side effect of people getting very used to doing 90+mph on the motorway is that it results in road rage when somebody in front of them is unwilling to break the law (for example, myself, who is 1 year in to the 2 year "6 points and you're banned/retest" period as a new driver).

As an exmaple of people being too used to doing far in excess of the 70mph limit on our motorways, I had that very thing happen to me one maybe two months after starting driving, I joined the M56 at the top (from the A5117) to head towards Runcorn, and while it is still a dual carriageway, I overtook a convoy of lorries, while still sticking to the speed limit.

During this time, someone screamed up behind me at god knows what speed, and had to slam on his brakes when he reached me (this person clearly unable to see more than 5ft in front of his own car), who then proceeds to flash his lights at me continually until I can pull back in to the inside lane after passing the lorry.

This person then floors it, gets past me, pulls in front of me nearly chopping the nose of my car off in the process, and slams his brakes on, slowing to 45mph, with his hands off the steering wheel, looking at me in his mirror and shrugging his shoulders as though to say: "well you did that to me".

It is people like that who should not be on the road, but by doing far in excess of the speed limit and expecting that everyone should do the same, you leave yourself victim of succumbing to road rage. Slow down, stick to the speed limits, observe road safety rules and you will find the experience much more calming (not to mention improve your fuel economy considerably).

No, he's saying as a new driver, you cannot collect more than 6pts in 2 years, otherwise you have to take a retest, a probationary period if you will. Baring in mind thats only 2 speeding tickets from a ban, and you can understand why it makes new drivers slow down, a very good initiative. As for the driver you mentioned, it is drivers like that who need to be brought to book, and unfortunately a speed camera cannot do that. We need more traffic police on the roads, or assign highways agency powers to deal with these drivers.

The problem with the whole Long Lane thing is a simple one....It makes little practical sense.

Now, I'm as big a critic of speeding drivers as anybody, but I fail to see the logic in having Long Lane, which is basically a long clearway, as a 20 mph zone, when its conditions actually suit a 30 limit.

This silly logic is compounded when you realise that 200 yards away, Alder Lane, which services the same route as Long Lane, is still a 30 mph zone despite arguably being a more residential area, with more parked cars, which often make it a one lane road, which will create more potential hazards.

I'm all for speed limits, but they should be sensible and not just pandering to the sensibilities of the anti car lobbyists.

In my opinion average speed cameras are probably the best answer. As unsightly and costly as they probably are, drivers have no choice but to keep within the speed limit.

I was up around the Cat and Fiddle at the weekend, bikers paradise and they have installed them there, bet that's uspet some of the bikers! Have no idea how long they've been there but should cut down on the number of fatals in that area which can only be a good thing.

Agreed good post.

Quote: Timmy the Koi "Seriously? There's one route of the list then Seriously... yes www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/ ... EPI-122146

Quote: Timmy the Koi "Seriously? There's one route of the list then Seriously... yes www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/ ... EPI-122146

No hope not anyway lol. All new drivers have a 2 year probationary period, if you collect 6 points (two speeding offenses), then you are automatically banned and have to take an extended re-test.

The average speed cameras on the M62 near Leeds at the moment are a tad frustrating.

are they always on or just when they reduce the speed limit ?

Well there were big signs at the side of the road with 50 on them for about 5 miles so I would imagine they were on.

Oh, you mean the yellow ones, i thought you meant the permanent ones like the M25

50 on the motorway does feel quite tedious... no sign of those roadworks ending yet either the last time I went over