Remove speed limit from Motorways:

Neewbie_noob wrote: »

Sorry mods if this has been done before:

As a driver, I find it very frustrating to drive behind slow drivers, even on a regional or national road, when the speed limit is 60 or 80 and the person is doing 10 or 15 below the limit. I think that slow driving causes more accidents than fast driving. It should be a rule that if someone is going 10 kph below the limit (and conditions don't call for that) and there are 5 or more cars behind, then it should warrant a 2-penalty point offence.

Don't get me started on motorways though. People doing < speed limit really grinds my gears (pun intended), especially when they do it in the passing lane, and remain completely oblivious to this even when they are flashed from behind. This should be a 4-point offence, or a driving-ban.

Speeds of 120 are too restrictive on motorways, the speed limit should be a tonne (160 kph) in the left hand lane and none in the right hand lane. This is all well and good in an ideal world, but even if there was no speed limit on the motorway * you'd still have the usual drivers, that you get on Irish roads, ie, hogging a good lane with a mile of cars behind them

Discuss

*German style Autobahns, digital speed limits, constantly updated depending on traffic and weather etc.

I do find it funny that everyone seems to have this perception that all german motorways don't have speed limits, as someone who lives here, it is not the case.

Most are limited to 120km or 130km and even lower during times of commuter traffic (the speed limits on motorways can change throughout the day due to electronic signs).

Granted there are some that do have no speed limit but these are by no means the majority and sometimes it is just at times of the day when the roads of quite.
Good system I find but don't even get me started on the traffic jams on the motorways around Frankfurt.

no speed limits motorways in Ireland makes no sense for me.
Most of the cars driven on Irish cars are micras and others with engine 1L or 1.2 or 1.4

even decent new cars like bmw or mercedes are mostly 2L.
So as a result there will be crash after crash, when quick cars will try to avoid micras crusinig at 80 km/h on overtaking lane.

Max Power1 wrote: »

..

Caught by the balls !

I'd be in favour of a higher limit once you're away from the Dublin traffic.

160 km/hr after the M4 tollgate when the people who learned about motorways on the M50 are weeded out.

1huge1 wrote: »

I do find it funny that everyone seems to have this perception that all german motorways don't have speed limits, as someone who lives here, it is not the case.

Most are limited to 120km or 130km and even lower during times of commuter traffic (the speed limits on motorways can change throughout the day due to electronic signs).

Granted there are some that do have no speed limit but these are by no means the majority and sometimes it is just at times of the day when the roads of quite.
Good system I find but don't even get me started on the traffic jams on the motorways around Frankfurt.

You are right saying that no all motorways there are speed-limit-free, but you are bending it to the other side by saying that "Most are limited to 120km or 130km or even lower"

I travel regularly once a year through all Germany (Duisburg to Gorlitz) which is about 800 trip each way, and most of this way is without any speed limits, with expections around bigger cities (Rurh districy, Kassel, Liepzig, Dresden) where indeed there are 120, 130 or variable limits.
But I'd reckon saying that 90% of this route is without any speed limits.

I want to close a long section of motorway for a day. At the weekend maybe

Set up barriers at each end that charge 20-30 euro a pop to go through.

And just let people rock-up and run at whatever speed they want, in whatever they want to. Provided they understand that hey, going faster means more accidents.... and the rest of the RoR isn't suspended. So you're responsible for whatever happens, especially if you stuff it, and watch your insurance carefully.

Useful for the Gardai too because they can test their speed-detection gear.

I'm not sure if it's legally possible, mind.....

MCMLXXV wrote: »

The condition of Irish motorways is very good if not excellent seeing as most of them have only been constructed in the last ten years. I have driven all over Europe and the US and you would want to see some of the tight curves on exits, especially in Belgium and Germany if you think Irish exits are sharp.

Well, the exits on the M18 are pretty darn bad. Worse than most of what I've seen in Germany.

Anyhow, I grew up in an area, where I'd just have to go 30 km to the border before I hit german unrestricted 2 lane motorways.

A few pointers: driving behaviour/education is key. And while a lot of germans are pretty bad for hogging the overtaking lane, too, the best behaviour I've seen is actually in Belgium. They really take care of overtaking at higher speeds, moving out of the the overtaking lane immidiatly and generally not getting in the way of cars travelling faster.

Another point about people pottering at slower speeds than the limit AND ESPECIALLY oblivious to the cars they have behind them: It's more dangerous to travel slow, on cruise control¸in whatever way, form or fashion.

People that travel at faster speeds are more focused on their driving. They have to think ahead and anticipate, what else there is happening. Meaning, they will constantly be aware of what's going on around (in front and behind) them.

People that just potter around at 100 km/h on the motorway, maybe even with cruise control turned on, chatting away to a mate or on the phone or whatever are not taking notice of traffic at all. Meaning in the case of an accident, their reaction time will be even slower than the person speeding. It goes as far, that the french were considering banning phones completely, regardless of having hands free or not. The people pottering around at these speeds also can be so relaxed, that they risk of falling asleep while driving. Hence they're the most dangerous motorists around.

There's another factor, and the average speed of around 130-140 km/h in Germany is proof of that: by removing the speed limit and posting a recommended travelling speed ( 130 km/h in Germany ), you remove the "target speed". You also force people to adjust their behavior for the case, that somebody comes blasting past them at 250 km/h.

The result is, that for the majority of people, the novelty of no speed limit wears off quickly and they keep around the recommended travelling speed, but make sure, they clear the overtaking lane whenever the driving lane is free. People that want to drive faster can do so with keeping in mind, that most people travel at 130 and trucks at 80 km/h. So they are alert to this, prepared to brake if necessary and all is fair and square. The result of that is, that everybody HAS to stay alert, no matter what speed you're doing and the result of that is a lot safer driving.

SniperSight wrote: »

Given that there's a need to have ads on explaining the broken and solid white lines, I don't think an increase or multi limits are all too likely or wise.

The purpose of the solid single white lines are a mystery anyhow. On the continent you either have broken single white lines (allowing you to overtake) or double solid lines (where overtaking is absolutely forbidden). Anything else makes zero sense.

/M

djimi wrote: »

Never seen a fox/rabbit/dog suddenly appear from the side of a country road? Id love to see you deal with that at 100mph...

[Bang]

There, dealt with it.

Victor wrote: »

And trucks that are limited to 80km/h?

Most trucks I see these days are doing 90 - 100kph!:D

I agree with the 'slow' driver argument - someone who just couldn't be bothered & just holds everyone else up unnecessarily is a nuciance. I always keep to the limit, & on motorways keep to 100kph ish - it's easier on fuel in these days of 150c+ per litre. I also keep on the left lane & only use the right lane for passing slower traffic. This is made more difficult by ****ers hogging the fast lane. The current 120kph is fine in my opinion.

I think there should be very harsh pentalies and fines brought in for any found to be holding trucks up, resulting in them over taking.....it's small but things would get a lot less frustrating for everyone on a motorway if that simple guide was followed - Don't join a motor way if you intend on doing less then 85 kph, plenty of other roads avalaible where you can drive at as low a speed as you want.