14-07-12, 06:30 PM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18840110
No, Mike Penning, it's vital that drivers (and riders) know that they need to use the road at a *speed* which is "suitable for local conditions"!
There are roads where doing 60mph is perfectly safe, there are others where doing 40mph is entirely *unsafe*, introducing a blanket 40mph limit on many roads will do little to improve road safety because too many non-Advanced motorists simply consider a limit to be "the speed I should drive at" rather than taking into consideration road conditions, the severity of a bend, side turnings, junctions, visibility etc etc etc.
What the Government needs to do is to encourage all drivers and riders to go beyond the basic Test which only teaches the bare minimum of skills for someone to be allowed out in control of a vehicle and get them to take Advanced Training which will teach them to drive appropriately on the roads.
This, coupled with the Insurers offering sensible and substantial discounts for those who have taken Advanced Training will do much more to improve road safety than limits which, for the most part, will be ignored by those who are inclined to speed because they know there's little chance of them being enforced.
Quote:Speed limits on many rural roads in England could be cut from 60mph to 40mph under government proposals.
The reduction should be considered by councils on roads with "many bends or junctions", the Department for Transport (DfT) says in draft guidance.
Some 49% of road deaths in 2010 in the UK took place on single carriageway rural roads with a 60mph speed limit.
Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said it was "vital that speed limits are suitable for local conditions".
No, Mike Penning, it's vital that drivers (and riders) know that they need to use the road at a *speed* which is "suitable for local conditions"!
There are roads where doing 60mph is perfectly safe, there are others where doing 40mph is entirely *unsafe*, introducing a blanket 40mph limit on many roads will do little to improve road safety because too many non-Advanced motorists simply consider a limit to be "the speed I should drive at" rather than taking into consideration road conditions, the severity of a bend, side turnings, junctions, visibility etc etc etc.
What the Government needs to do is to encourage all drivers and riders to go beyond the basic Test which only teaches the bare minimum of skills for someone to be allowed out in control of a vehicle and get them to take Advanced Training which will teach them to drive appropriately on the roads.
This, coupled with the Insurers offering sensible and substantial discounts for those who have taken Advanced Training will do much more to improve road safety than limits which, for the most part, will be ignored by those who are inclined to speed because they know there's little chance of them being enforced.