Road safety: UK set to adopt vehicle speed limiters

[stavros]

Additional reductions now by other means are good of course, but we should avoid implementing too draconian a set of measures to stop people from most of their driving for the sake of partially reducing pollution when it is all but certain it is going to happen anyway within a little more than a decade, and all but eliminated altogether within a generation or so.

OTM. Let's not make avoiding ecological collapse too painful.

Dropping the sarcasm, one could argue that what is seen by some as draconian is necessary as a result of very little being done by policy makers in the thirty years since the empirically-backed theory of climate change first got mainstream exposure.

 

[T & P]

OTM. Let's not make avoiding ecological collapse too painful.

Dropping the sarcasm, one could argue that what is seen by some as draconian is necessary as a result of very little being done by policy makers in the thirty years since the empirically-backed theory of climate change first got mainstream exposure.

Historically that’s been the case, but imo the tide is changing rapidly. More and more cities around the world are introducing charges to drivers of non-electric cars in urban areas, and some are banning them altogether.

In London the ULEZ comes into effect partly this month, and in full within the N & S Circular boundaries next year. That’s going to make a massive difference. The threshold is properly strict and even my paltry 12 year old 50cc scooter falls foul of the new limits. Even though it’s fine mechanically I am ditching it for a newer model as a result (and I don’t mind either). Tens of thousands of far more polluting vehicles will no longer drive in London.

And in car-mad cities like NYC and Madrid, private cars are to be charged for entering the city centre, and in Madrid’s case non-electric cars are being banned altogether with a few exceptions.

 

[Mr Retro]

Need to speed to 'get out of a situation' is one of those delightful pistonhead delusions, conveniently forgetting that they themselves created the situation in the first place.

I needed speed to get out of a situation 20 odd years ago. I was slowly overtaking a car on my inside, in the dark, on what I thought was a dual carrageway. We were going around a long curve and a car came against me. That car in the right and me in the wrong lane. I had to accelerate into the gap while both the car I was overtaking and the one coming against me braked. It all happened in an instant. I was fully at fault but being able to accelerate into that gap saved us.

It was NYE and we were travelling to West Cork, my car full of friends. I still get nightmares of what might have been. I gave up the car not long after and didn't drive for 20 years until getting my license again 2 years ago. Not solely because of that admitedly but it was a factor. I never drive above the speed limit. I do however drive a car capable of high speed in an instant becasue I know it can get me out of a situation.

 

[stavros]

Historically that’s been the case, but imo the tide is changing rapidly. More and more cities around the world are introducing charges to drivers of non-electric cars in urban areas, and some are banning them altogether.

I hope that makes a significant difference, both directly and in terms of influence.

Are there any reliable stats on the mileage and fuel usage of non-metropolitan driving and that in the rest of the country? I'm wondering about both because whilst urban driving is undoubtedly less efficient, with the stopping and starting, I would strongly suspect that the distance travelled is far greater outside the big cities is far larger.

 

[editor]

So congestion schemes can actually make things worse.

Jams have been made worse on dozens of major roads in England by a project to tackle bottlenecks, bosses admit.

Evaluation of the first year of Highways England's (HE) £317m programme showed rush hour benefits but delays at other times.

The A5 and A49 junction in Shropshire, parts of the M6 in Merseyside and M40 in Oxfordshire were the most affected.

The RAC said it was "very disappointing" but some schemes had led to fewer road casualties.

The pinch-point programme was started in 2011 to relieve congestion, stimulate growth in local economies and improve safety.

Jams 'worse' despite congestion schemes