50mph speed limit, good or bad?

[Guy Heaton]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-48723302

Maybe a good thing?  Better mpg, more controlled flow, less stress when driving?

 

[zain611]

I'd of think driving fast you'd not pollute as much in a certain area compared to being in stop start traffic? I know they say 50 is the sweet spot but can also say that some cars don't have a 6th gear so are kind of revving high when doing 70mph so possibly using more fuel. 

[jmurray01]

Personally I'm of the opinion that setting off an hour earlier and driving slower is better in ALL aspects compared to running late and speeding at 70+.  Obviously if you own a Mustang or something like that you'd probably disagree but my Passat TDI will happily do 60-65MPG at 50MPH in 6th gear so I'm happy with that!!  It can go fast and does so very comfortably but I just don't see the point in wasting fuel and tyres, whilst decreasing safety.

[Luke4efc]

😂😂😂 it's not about pollution, it's about keeping up the income they've made over all the fines. So in 30 years time when we're all in electric cars they'll revert back to 70mph again because theres now no emissions? Haha I think not.

I'd rather have the extra hour in bed tbh. I dont have time to be dordling around at slow as speeds on the motorway. It depends what you value more; time or money. My time is worth more to me than saving £2.20 because I did 50 instead of 70...

Less stress when driving? If you find doing 70mph stressful compared to 50 then you shouldn't be allowed to drive on a motorway.

[Guy Heaton]

It's not the constant speed but the speed differential.  If you're all doing a set soeed you don't need to be on the lookout for someone doing a drastically different speed.

It could all of course just be part of preparing the way for self driving cars.  A fully specced MK4 Focus has a lot of the kit that a self driving car would need.

[TomsFocus]

Nitrogen Dioxide is created by a lean burn...  Driving faster for a richer mixture would reduce that!   Of course, it would also increase CO2 though, so not all good...  

I think this thread just goes to show the difference of opinion on speed though, which is ultimately what causes accidents.  People joining heavy 70mph traffic on a dual carriageway at 50mph and forcing miles of traffic to slow behind them causing a domino effect is what causes major traffic issues.  It's less of a problem if you only drive fairly empty roads out of peak time but even then driving slowly enough for trucks to have to overtake seems very inconsiderate to me...not to mention far more stressful to have a truck bounding past your right hand side.  I absolutely hate having to stick to 50mph on duallys due to a spacesaver tyre...cannot understand why anyone would choose to do it!  I've also found it doesn't save a noticeable amount of fuel either, I still average 55-60mpg over a tankful regardless of the speeds I've done.

[jmurray01]

I think I should make it clear that whilst the speed limit is 70 that is what I would do!  I would only do 50 if that was the speed limit, but if it was I wouldn't have a problem with it.

I'm not one of those idiots that does 50 on a normal motorway!!