Couriers to be affected by slower motorway speed limits
Date: 29 October 2007
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Courier drivers are expected to be affected by new 40mph motorway speed limits that will be brought in at peak times.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed that gantry-mounted speed cameras will enforce the new limits, which are designed to curb congestion and cut emissions.
This plan comes as the DfT looks for innovative ways to cut traffic jams, with congestion expected to rise by as much as 28 per cent by 2025. Other measures include hard shoulder running, which will let couriers and other freight haulage drivers use the hard shoulder as a regular driving lane at busy times.
Of the changes, transport secretary Ruth Kelly told the Times: "It's about trying to encourage a regular flow of traffic rather than stop-start conditions. It reduces emissions and many people would prefer it to taking land to widen a road."
Reducing the speed limit was found to result in faster average journeys because vehicles are not so likely to brake sharply, which causes traffic jams, although this argument appears to fly in the face of logic.
Other measures that the DfT may consider include introducing different speed limits for different lanes on the motorway.
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User Comments
time someone at the dft got out of their ivory tower and did a days work for a change. I would be happy to let one accompany me for a day. Could you suggest this on my behalf, a copy of their reply(no doubt declining) would also be appreciated. Come back Barabara Castle!!
Posted By: JOHN RUSHTON on 31/10/2007 17:34:43
i agree some of these people had to drive the miles we do things might be different .but i doubt it 1st stop people hogging the central and fast lanes doing 50 to 60 mph plus jumping in on intersections hopeing you will slow down or push some one else out of the way there is no tolerence on our roads i think there is different lane speeds in germany which work well could be wrong
Posted By: mic brearley on 02/11/2007 18:05:26
restricting hgvs to inside lane over long busy stretches of motorway seems to have a positive effect on traffic flow in europe. Id like to see the same thing done in uk.
Posted By: mike smith on 05/11/2007 12:11:38
I travel thousands of miles a week on motorways and spend my time being constantly blocked by middle lane idiots that just sit there at set speeds with head fixed in one position that payes no attension to mirrows traffic around them as long as they are alright sod everyone else, Just last night i was towing a trailor on the M4 being held in the inside lane by an idiot doing 45 in the middle lane with a mile of clear lane on the inside after flashing her 6 times to move over i took her on the inside she never had a clue why i was flashing her she just carried on in the middle lane. the solution- Motorway training tests, use the motorway signs to tell vehicles to keep to the left unless overtaking, instant fines for fog lights in rain,hogging lanes,get rid of all the road blockages and the stupid mountains you have to clime over to enter a road and the damaging speed humps, and Ken Livingstone, just by doing that will reduce the emmissions by tons due to free flowing traffic, all this i
Posted By: Stephen Fenny on 07/11/2007 06:34:07