{{B}} A
Bernhard Hot, North Brunswick, New Jersey, USA{{/B}}
I am afraid that speed limit reductions of that sort are doomed to fail, even if implemented. We tried that here in the States. The national speed limit was reduced from 60 mph to 55 in the 1970s to conserve oil. Someone noticed that highway fatalities also went down. So when oil became cheap and plentiful again (relatively speaking), some busy bodies decided to keep the lower speed limit. "55 Saves Lives" was the slogan they used to sell the idea.
Only problem was that both cars and roads were engineered to be safe to operate at much higher speeds. No one liked the lower speed limits, it was unevenly enforced, and quite frankly speaking, that road safety was largely ignored. It was widely considered that the government puts the importance of a revenue enhancement ploy for those imposing on the traffic fines. After 20 years, speed limits were raised again, so now most non-urban stretches of divided highway have a 65 limit, higher than the older limit! My bet is that, even if you try it in your country, you won't be able to make it stick, either.
{{B}} B
Mike Bent, Oviedo, Spain{{/B}}
A drive across Germany (where on many stretches of highway there is only an advisory upper speed limit) will reveal that in urban and rural areas on the ordinary road network there is a huge range of speed limits, designed for most eventualities. In many urban areas the limit is lower than50 mph, and in some areas there is even a "voluntary" 30 mph, which many folk (including myself) respect to follow.
However, whatever speed limits are imposed, the traffic regulations should enable a car to cruise in file highest gear possible for that speed-4th gear at 30 mph is a little difficult--in order to keep noise and exhaust pollution as low as possible. At the other end of the scale, fuel consumption increases alarmingly above about 90 mph, so with only 40 years of petrol supplies remaining, why not let's try to eke tins out as long as possible by establishing a 90 mph maximum on motorways and trunk roads? I prefer this idea, don't say that I am crazy.
{{B}} C
Keith Manton, Houston, USA{{/B}}
I have been driving since 1965 (unfortunately, often over speed limits ) in a career that included more than 15 company cars and driving in many countries, covering over 1 million road miles in my life. I became a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists in 1979 because I take driving seriously and my company at the time believed in training its reps who were on the road to do their jobs. in that 40 years I have been involved in one accident ( other than several little bumps from behind) which was a 50/50 head on at age of 21 which I take equal blame for, on a single track road in the mud.
I learnt a great deal from that as I was not speeding at the time due to file conditions. The reason I am still alive and have not killed anyone else is skill, common sense and experience. Lowering speed limits will have no bearing on the unskilled idiot who blasts past a horse in the middle of a country road and kills the old lady doing 30 mph in the other direction. I consider that training and awareness of driving being a skill is what is needed, not lower limits, therefore, it is the local authority to decide what speed limits we should have according to the geography of the special areas. In my point of view, driving skills are the most important factor to avoid traffic accidents, not the speed limits.
{{B}} D
Tim Richards, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire{{/B}}
Living in a rural high peak, I regularly face cars hurtling down the hill at almost twice the 30 mph limit, in a desperate rush to beat the one set of traffic lights that could delay them for a couple of minutes on their obviously very important journey. It is necessary that inhabited areas should certainly have the speed limit reduced to 20 mph, and they should be monitored.
I also agree with increasing speeds on dual carriageways and motorways, with modem cars, there is certainly a reasonable call for an autobahn style motorway system. For a good driver, even if you're not speeding you have less time to react if a child or old person should walk unexpectedly into the road. I'm all for allowing fellow motorists freedom to drive in areas where they are not going to come into contact with people.
·in order to save oil, the national speed limit decreased from 71. ______.
60 mph to 55 in the 1970s?
·he often sees a cars hurtling down the hill at almost 60 mph 72. ______.
because he was living in the high peak of the countryside?
·there is a huge range of speed limits on ordinary road, 73. ______.
designed for most eventualities in Germany ?
·that both cars and roads were engineered to be safe to 74. ______.
operate at much higher speeds?
·it is important for a driver to have skills, sense and 75. ______.
experience to avoid traffic accidents?
·the oil consumption has increased alarmingly, there were 76. ______.
only forty years of oil supply?
·inhabited areas should have the speed limit reduced to 77. ______.
20 mph, and be controlled well?
·no one liked the lower speed limits and we should have 78. ______.
a 90 mph on motorways and trunk roads? 79. ______.
·there is a speed limit of 30 mph, which a lot of 80. ______.
people like to follow in some areas?