To be fair they have more room in the EU for wider motorways and better laid out A-roads and by-passes ...
And their Govrnmnt is more likely to invest in the infrastructure and workforce to enable the roads to do their job ...
To be fair they have more room in the EU for wider motorways and better laid out A-roads and by-passes ...
And their Govrnmnt is more likely to invest in the infrastructure and workforce to enable the roads to do their job ...
Turboman
Mab An Gov
Brakes may have got better. But human reaction times, and eyesight, especially in poor weather conditions, haven't.
And nor has the grip of tyres on ice, or spilled diesel.
Bobsticle
De Villes Advocaat
I can’t agree more about changing the motorway speed limits.
In the 60s when it was introduced very few people had cars and even fewer went on the motorway.
Modern levels of traffic should warrant a 50mph limit at the most.
Lots of the Americas have such a limit and it’s commercial transport seems to cope very well over much larger distances than ours.
Those too important to drive responsibly should perhaps take the bus. They will be anyway when the points have mounted up.
It gives those who have taken the odd life time to contemplate if it was worth getting to the next queue that bit faster.
In the 60s when it was introduced very few people had cars and even fewer went on the motorway.
Modern levels of traffic should warrant a 50mph limit at the most.
Lots of the Americas have such a limit and it’s commercial transport seems to cope very well over much larger distances than ours.
Those too important to drive responsibly should perhaps take the bus. They will be anyway when the points have mounted up.
It gives those who have taken the odd life time to contemplate if it was worth getting to the next queue that bit faster.
We do not invest in 'weather' equipment anymore ... snowploughs are used regularly in Scotland and the North ... but they are only needed every 10years or so further South , that's a lot of money sitting idle out of your Council Tax ....
You're giving @Thor1950 an opportunity to say the yanks have a higher speed limit than here.
Bobsticle
De Villes Advocaat
If they didn’t have them at all, those with the chance of a copier paper sale would still be doing 90 up the M1.
Bobsticle
De Villes Advocaat
If everyone did 50 they probably have. It reduces bottlenecks and queues so overall journey times per mile are probably less.
You sound very pro smart motorways. Ive not found them to work yet.
Bobsticle
De Villes Advocaat
Hard to say. Only those with the collated formula from former flow could estimate what it would be like without them.
One things for sure, it will only get worse. Smart flow may keep it on a par for a few years until numbers overwhelm that system and we need to dream up another to keep the freight moving.
Eventually limitation will be the only answer and some users will have to take their turn.
That will probably by financial penalty so the poor will suffer but who cares about them.
They of course will pay more as a consumer to support the freight industries extra costs but without the advantage of being able to travel themselves.
They could always steal a bycycle.
private penguin
Well-Known Member
Or we make the driving test harder. Yes there's a cost, but probably not as great as the cost to the economy as adding journey times to everyone's day.
Personally i think there should be a 3 stage driving test:
1. Before the learner is even allowed to go out on the road, a "CBT" type test on private land at a test centre to prove they can handle the basics of the car. After passing the learner should also be required to log a minimum number of hours (maybe 5) with a qualified driving instructor before being allowed to have practise sessions with a family member supervising.
2. The theory and hazard perception tests
3. A much harder practical test, to include dual carriageway driving (motorway might not be feasible in some parts of the UK) and 60mph country road driving, as well as driving in built up urban areas, etc. All learners should be required to correctly demonstrate both paralell and bay parks.
This would make the road far safer over time, and would also probably reduce the number of kids learning to drive to be just those who actually "need" to be able to drive.
Personally i think there should be a 3 stage driving test:
1. Before the learner is even allowed to go out on the road, a "CBT" type test on private land at a test centre to prove they can handle the basics of the car. After passing the learner should also be required to log a minimum number of hours (maybe 5) with a qualified driving instructor before being allowed to have practise sessions with a family member supervising.
2. The theory and hazard perception tests
3. A much harder practical test, to include dual carriageway driving (motorway might not be feasible in some parts of the UK) and 60mph country road driving, as well as driving in built up urban areas, etc. All learners should be required to correctly demonstrate both paralell and bay parks.
This would make the road far safer over time, and would also probably reduce the number of kids learning to drive to be just those who actually "need" to be able to drive.
private penguin
Well-Known Member
Maybe not on ice (although anyone driving at 90mph on ice needs shooting), but tyres have got better at more normal conditions - e.g. wet roads.
Marmaduke
Well-Known Member
There was a sheepish looking lass riding her 50cc moped down the M11 a couple of weeks ago. She was on the hard shoulder going flat out at 32mph with a police X5 behind her, lights a blaze escorting her to the next junction
Turboman
Mab An Gov
Tread patterns are better at clearing water than they used to be. But still makes no difference in ice, or if you hit a patch of spilled diesel with water on top of it.
There was a sheepish looking lass riding her 50cc moped down the M11 a couple of weeks ago. She was on the hard shoulder going flat out at 32mph with a police X5 behind her, lights a blaze escorting her to the next junction
You mean her 50 cc scooter or did it have pedals?
Marmaduke
Well-Known Member
Humblest apologies for getting my chicken chaser terminology the wrong way aroundYou mean her 50 cc scooter or did it have pedals?
Bobsticle
De Villes Advocaat
A change in attitude can’t be taught by an instructor. The driver has to want to change.
A long and expensive awareness campaign may reap more results. Making something socially wrong has worked for drink driving and seat belts. Perhaps we should pour a little more scorn onto speed and lane discipline.
A long and expensive awareness campaign may reap more results. Making something socially wrong has worked for drink driving and seat belts. Perhaps we should pour a little more scorn onto speed and lane discipline.
mikescuba
Well-Known Member
Yes, they do clear the roads faster here in France when it snows. More manpower is available, plus we get snow every year so it's worth investing in the machinery to deal with it all. Unlike the UK which only gets snow now and again. Christmas eve the snow plows are out as the snow is falling.
