Just seen government proposing 40 mph on country roads - where I live we already have new 50mph signs just about everywhere

At this rate I might as well get a push bike

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18840110 Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

youd still get stuck behind a caravan  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

 Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

We have a section of road very close to home, the A666, between Darwen and Bolton, wide, fast and twisty.
There have been many fatalities over the years, 5 in the last few months, 4 in a 30 zone and one in the 50 section.

In all cases the accidents have involved excessive speed, I am talking 70+ speeds, in one case the car clipped a barrier, and landed some 100 yards further down the road, cutting speed limits is NOT the answer, it only causes frustration for everyone.
Sadly, many councils have policies to reduce road speed limits according to accident statistics, we now have a stretch of the A666 that is 30mph, the road is about 4 lanes wide and travelling at 30mph means you have some idiot right up your arse or if you are of a certain ethnicity common to these parts, just hammer down the middle with total disregard for anyone else on the road, safe in the knowledge you have little chance of being pulled.

The limits need looking at, possibly higher on motorways and arterial roads and real enforcement need to be in place, not a scamera.

At the end of the day does a £60 fine and 3 points mean much

Yes, let's try something different, let's have an enforcement company to take care of people breaking the law. This way the majority of drivers will not be penalised for the idiots who use their cars as a form of weapon to harass and intimidate others. We could give them a name such as "police" and these, although not above the law, could use these enforcement powers to have a society in which we would like to live.
I know, this is far too radical!!

Can I also say, the last few cars that have been right up my a??e have been (surprisingly not the BMW or Audi) but Police, who have then passed me breaking the speed limit. No flashing lights, no sirens and as I have continued to follow them, obviously no emergency. You couldn't make it up!!

This does not bother me one bit! In rural glos you will never see a police car on a country road so it won't matter. They don't have enough officers for the town let alone the country side

They really annoy when they get there facts wrong to! Cars are safer than they were when speed limits were set back a long time ago. Also one news channel said half of deaths last year occurred on roads with 60mph speed limits or above! Making it sound that speeding was the cause when it clearly was not, most of them were probably drink drug related or driving without due care and attention!

As has been said many times - speed doesn't kill, bad driving kills. MY 09 GS manual in Lago Grey, Wood Co arm rest and side bumper strips - now sold.

MY 15 SD4 SE Auto Orkney Grey with colour coded Bumper Door Mouldings

tenet wrote:

As has been said many times - speed doesn't kill, bad driving kills.

So a lower speed limit makes the numpties think (I use the term loosely here, of course) "This is slow so it must be safe, therefore I can devote even less of my attention to the road and can concentrate more on radio fiddling/ MP3 selection/ children chastisement/ conversation/ burger eating/ shake drinking/ satnav watching/ cigarette lighting/ notepad writing and such like activities that are really important when (supposed) to be in control of a deadly piece of machinery".

At 40mph they will hardly ever need to look out the windows at all. Perhaps we should make it less? Say 10mph and then they can just rely on screens and computers entirely. I would suggest the return to the requirement for a man carrying a red flag to preceed motor vehicles, but I fear it wouldsadly not work as they would quickly loose track of which flag they were following and end up at the wrong destination! Everyone can spread it - Anyone can catch it. Stay home - the life you save can be your own!

Just to look at it from a different angle, I drive slowly on country roads because
1 I can't see round the bends
2 there are usually no pavements, so pedestrians use the road
3 you can't see the cyclists/horse riders/pedestrians because of the bends
4 the "locals" driving like maniacs who haven't seen another road user for weeks so assume there won't ever be one (and I've pulled these people out of the hedge, driven them home, called the emergency services for them a few times in the past).

I happily ride a bike in London because the traffic is slow and there are bus lanes and cycle lanes to keep the traffic away from me. I would be too scared to ride my bike on many of the country roads I know.

Got to remember there are other people on the road, even if they are second class citizens (ie people who don't drive a Freely).

I stick to the speed limit however stupid I think it is hence my clean licence

However I am constantly put at risk by idiots overtaking me - usually in the new 20, 40 and 50 limits because they are frustrated by them  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

On a push bike "you'd still get stuck behind a caravan"

But you'd be able to overtake the tractor holding the caravan up................ Ours - 2008 Stornoway Grey HSE Auto
Tricia's - 2006 Royal Blue Beetle Cabriolet Auto
Mine - 2014 Vespa GTS 300 Super Sport Matt Black
Ours - 2007 White Bailey Pageant Champagne

no tractor = no weetabix = no power to pedal at all At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Good point - couldn't live without Weetabix for breakfast (especially nice when admiring the view from the caravan window...........)

On a serious note, I hope your lot win the battle over a fair price for the milk to go on the Weetabix  Ours - 2008 Stornoway Grey HSE Auto
Tricia's - 2006 Royal Blue Beetle Cabriolet Auto
Mine - 2014 Vespa GTS 300 Super Sport Matt Black
Ours - 2007 White Bailey Pageant Champagne

Chicken milk

I think the fight is in the hands of consumers to stop buying cheap imports, unfortunately a large part of the population probably have no idea where milk comes from.