If 70mph is the top speed on our roads....

[chainsaw_masochist]

You're missing my point CSM which is ... The majority of the incidents I have seen on motorways have not been speed related and I would (personally) sooner be driving on an Autobahn in Germany where driving speeds are pretty consistent (and higher than here) rather than here where some people drive at 100mph and others drive at 50mph ... It is the differential that cause most accidents here IMO ... And Pratts of course!

How are you actually able to determine the cause of such an 'incident'? My own experience of accidents on motorways simply entails being locked in a line of traffic, which slowly concertinas towards the said accident spot, by which time plod & co will have usually cleared the motorway of any carnage. I would have thought other drivers would be equally oblivious as myself as to the particular cause.

I really believe that we have some of the worst drivers I have ever seen in this country and they all seem to appear on the motorway when I'm there

As I said earlier, I am not one to worship at the statistics altar, but your view is scarcely underpinned by the records.

 

[tim west]

....isn't it time that cars were manufactured with smaller engines and a top speed of 70mph? This will result in less speeding, less fuel used, lower emissions

I doubt it, people will still cane the car to get it to go as fast as possible using up fuel unnecissarily

 

[nickso]

....isn't it time that cars were manufactured with smaller engines and a top speed of 70mph? This will result in less speeding, less fuel used, lower emissions

I doubt it, people will still cane the car to get it to go as fast as possible using up fuel unnecissarily

and add superchargers and turbos to get more out of them.

 

[jefoss]

the 58mph quote, im sure nowadays that is not a good speed, with the leaps in technology.and im sure its not for every single car, for eg a nissan micra and a bmw 7 series, if they both run at 58mph that is meant to be the best speed?

test need to be done, so if anyones got a 7 series bmw, (in good nick) let me have it for... say 6 months and ill run it on the motorways (i do a lot of motorway driving anyway) at various speeds and then one of you guys can have the micra and do likewise and we shall see what the best mpg is on both cars.


actually could i have it for a year?

 

[joe-90]

I just found this at an interesting site I've never seen until now:


"The most fuel-efficient driving speed is in the highest gear at about 50 mph. At the moment, the speed limit on motorways is 70 mph although this is rarely enforced so many drive at 80 mph. The difference in fuel consumption between somebody driving at 50 mph and 70 mph is over a third, and between 50 and 80 is 42%. Reducing the speed limit to even 60 mph could save enormous amounts of petrol, a cost benefit for drivers and energy benefit for the country. Of course this speed limit would have to be enforced (and why are modern cars built capable of speeds of 150 mph or more?)"


The site looks interesting (to me).



http://wolf.readinglitho.co.uk/subpages/efficiency.html

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

More people are killed while sitting in stationary vehicles on the hard shoulder and then being struck by a truck which has wandered onto the hard shoulder.

Recent campaign on the radio stated you were more likely to be killed in an accident on rural roads than on the motorway.

But who knows, we just get fed the little bits of info that they want us to have.

 

[Steve]

Yesterday afternoon, I had the unfortunate journey to Southport to do, from Doncaster (wish she'd move closer!). Across the penines, rochdale, manchester, lancashire and up to merseyside. Now the surface spray on the M62 was terrible and it was dark, so I rarely got above 60mph due to visibility issues. I used surprisingly little diesel for the 108 mile journey.

On the way back today, I did about 80mph for most of the motorway journey, I used noticably more diesel.

And out of interest, weekends on the motorway are very relaxing, compared to during the week. All those paperclip salesmen off the road at the weekend.

 

[Thermo]

ok heres one for the mathmaticians. What is the most fuel efficent amount to have in your tank. ie if you have a full tank does the extra weight make the vehicle heavier and therefore less fuel efficent?

 

[megawatt]

CSM, I though it would have been obvious from what I posted ...

The key bit was

The incidents I have seen

i.e. I saw them happen.

 

[joe-90]

Thermo.

As little as possible if you start and stop a lot. Doesn't really matter if you are keeping a constant speed.

 

[joe-90]

CSM, I though it would have been obvious from what I posted ...

The key bit was

The incidents I have seen

i.e. I saw them happen.

I've never seen an incident 'happen' - and i doubt that you've seen many either.

 

[esra_ptrap]

Do you have any factual reason to call Mega a liar Joe?

 

[joe-90]

Do you have any factual reason to call Mega a liar Joe?

Do you have any to the contrary?

 

[megawatt]

Do us all a favour and delete the insulting poster not his posts.

 

[Shutpa]

Do us all a favour and delete the insulting poster not his posts.

I agree and I didn't even read them. If a poster is constantly abusive and has to have posts removed time after time, surely there must come a point when enough is enough, and his or her membership of DIYnot is withdrawn. I will put this to [email protected].