Hmmm- NZ seems to want to do the opposite

[Bassmatt]

The Department of Transport is to launch a consultation on increasing the speed limit on England and Wales' motorways from 70mph to 80mph.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15116064

[Bassmatt]

More

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said the current limit, introduced in 1965, was out of date due to "huge advances in safety and motoring technology".

[riffer]

British motorway is a vastly different proposition to NZ's Open Road. Our State Highways are analogous to UK's B-Roads. Also, to paraphrase Ralph Nader, a significant proportion of NZ road users are unsafe at any speed.

[Bald Eagle]

introduced in 1965, .

we'll catch up in another decade maybe

[Bassmatt]

British motorway is a vastly different proposition to NZ's Open Road. Our State Highways are analogous to UK's B-Roads. Also, to paraphrase Ralph Nader, a significant proportion of NZ road users are unsafe at any speed.

So British roads were better 45 years ago than ours are now?

[pritch]

British roads were possibly better in 1965 than they are now. Their government has cut funding for maintenance of B roads and the condition of some is declining both markedly and rapidly.

My brief experience of British motorways indicated that they are a much more serious proposition than those around Auckland. Wellington's would only approach joke status and we have no others worthy of mention.

[Bassmatt]

So British roads were better 45 years ago than ours are now?

Oh,I can answer my own question
I forgot about our fairly new 4 lane highway with concrete median barrier north of Tauranga :
80 km/h limit

[Berries]

I've not seen Auckland motorways but I don't suspect they are up to the same standard. With so few motorways here the drivers are not up to the same standard either. While the UK will I am sure raise the legal speed limit on motorways closer to the de facto speed limit of 80-90mph they won't lift it on A and B roads. Most of the state highway network here fits somewhere between the two, predominantly B roads down this way.

Unfortunately the huge advances in vehicle safety and technology have not been matched by improvements in the road infrastructure in NZ meaning they will never lift the speed limit here. As the title suggests, it is more likely to be dropped from 100km/h either nationally or on the best bits for riding a bike.

[Urano]

130kmh is the widely adopted limit nowadays in europe.

didn't even know uk has a lowest one...


i find 130 fair: moreover consider that here in italy you can go roughly to 140 and still have no fines. it's well enough.

[Bassmatt]

So far the opinion seems to be our roads are second rate if not third rate.
Why do tptb expect a first rate road toll?

[riffer]

So far the opinion seems to be our roads are second rate if not third rate.
Why do tptb expect a first rate road toll?

Because if they publicly announce that they realise that we have shitty roads and we can't really expect a decent road toll, then the road toll will most likely go up.

Haven't you ever learned about goal setting? Or self-fulfilling prophecies?

[Morcs]

Difference is UK motorways are quite vast, and part of the reason in comparison to say auckland motorways is the sheer distance of just road. with no intersections, on ramps, off ramps etc..

the M6 for example, is 373kms long, with only 45 junctions, so on average theres over 8km between exits - makes a huge difference when you havent go cars increasing / descreasing speed, changing lanes getting on and off every km or two,

[cheshirecat]

One thing they could sort out is that roads in Euro (at least) are graded ie a grade A road has say a limit of 70mph, meaning its built for doing max speed limit ie 70mph. Here as I found out, the fact a road is called State Highway 1 means diddly squat. One of my earliest misconceptions was asuming a road called SH1 was of A grade throughout. I think this trips a few foreigners.

[Metastable]

For you guys that have to drive on the Kiwi divided motorways on a daily basis, what do you think of the 100kph speed limit?

From my experience in NZ, the divided Motorways especially those in Auckland, but noticeable in Wellington and Chch seem incredibly SLOW at 100kph. Especially ..... after being on your state roads doing the 100ish limit. I say 100ish, because it is often hard to even get to the limit.

Dunno, I think if you have a divided roadway with paved shoulders 120 - 130 kph is a very reasonable and safe speed to travel.

[george formby]

For you guys that have to drive on the Kiwi divided motorways on a daily basis, what do you think of the 100kph speed limit?

From my experience in NZ, the divided Motorways especially those in Auckland, but noticeable in Wellington and Chch seem incredibly SLOW at 100kph. Especially ..... after being on your state roads doing the 100ish limit. I say 100ish, because it is often hard to even get to the limit.

Dunno, I think if you have a divided roadway with paved shoulders 120 - 130 kph is a very reasonable and safe speed to travel.

"Lane Discipline" needs to be added to the NZ motorway users vocabulary regardless of how good the motorway is. Some jerk in the outside lane sitting at 75 kmph in their Hi-ace is the king of the road, sadly.

Motorways in Europe & the UK do not operate a slalom system.