Petrol Prices - time to take action

[Gerry Attrick]

Quite correct.
When I drive the family small hatchback I always stick to the motorway/Dual Carrigeway speed limit not because of any saintly dedication to authority but simply because it saves money, the environment and I simply cannot be bothered constantly checking 'back up the slip roads' in the mirrors.
My licence is too valuable to loose, one observation is that we are, even at 70mph, invariably the slowest vehicle (HGV's Buses excepted) on the roads, everything comes flying past because just about every pleb and his uncle has heavier, bigger, faster, thirster cars than they require.

A couple of years ago I used to do quite high mileages in a (very) old Land Rover which threatened to self-destruct at anything over 50mph, so I used to cruise at 50 on motorways. It was the most relaxing way of driving. Always in the left hand lane, everything passed me and I did not have to fight for road space.

 

[Night Train]

A couple of years ago I used to do quite high mileages in a (very) old Land Rover which threatened to self-destruct at anything over 50mph, so I used to cruise at 50 on motorways. It was the most relaxing way of driving. Always in the left hand lane, everything passed me and I did not have to fight for road space.

This is why I like night driving. Hardly any traffic and I can drive economically in lane 1 without any stress or agro.

 

[upsidedown]

The day will come soon when lard arses will have to ditch their 1992 Astras with booming exhausts and 'Krooz' stickers and have to try to cycle or, god forbid, walk, the 3/4 of a mile to Aldi/Cash Convertors/Bargain Booze/job avoidance centre.

 

[Night Train]

I'm looking forward to the time when velomobiles are common place.

 

[jonesy]

This is why I like night driving. Hardly any traffic and I can drive economically in lane 1 without any stress or agro.

An observation, for which I can provide no quantitative evidence!: my impression is that when traffic flows on motorways and dual carriageways are comparatively low, so that everyone can drive at the speed they choose without having much effect on anyone else, there seem to be proportionally more car drivers below 70mph than when traffic volumes are high but still freely flowing. I suspect that a lot of drivers are actually quite happy to go at 60-70mph, but feel under pressure to go faster when there is lots of other traffic coming up behind, or lots of lorries in lane 1.

 

[Fab Foodie]

An observation, for which I can provide no quantitative evidence!: my impression is that when traffic flows on motorways and dual carriageways are comparatively low, so that everyone can drive at the speed they choose without having much effect on anyone else, there seem to be proportionally more car drivers below 70mph than when traffic volumes are high but still freely flowing. I suspect that a lot of drivers are actually quite happy to go at 60-70mph, but feel under pressure to go faster when there is lots of other traffic coming up behind, or lots of lorries in lane 1.

I agree with this observation. When there are less cars there seems to be an over-all lowering of speed.
One reason might be that the odd car travelling at 90mph would stick-out like a sore thumb, whereas when the whole of the outside lane is doing 90 then the shoal mentallity kicks-in and you are relatively less likely to be caught.
(I confess to being a reformed 'road warrior' and travelling at waay over the limit always felt more comfortable in a pack).
The other thing is that an empty motorway is less stressful which allows people to relax and then they realise that driving at 70 is pretty pleasurable.


Like Crackle I've found Cruise-control a big benefit, especially on avarerage-speed-camera sections... allows greater concentration on the road. Our new wagon does not have cc and have to say I miss it... a lot.
I have thought that even a simple warning system could be valuable (that does not control the velocity), i.e push a button at the speed you don't want to go over and it gives an audiblewarning when you stray over the limit. Would cost pennies to fit to new designs.

 

[girofan]

Why stop there?

If those people send it on and it carries on a few more times, we could have THREE HUNDRED BILLION people involved.

They'd listen to that.

Smoking Joe - high prices will only affect the economy by removing the articially low price we have been paying for fuel over the last 40 years or so.

THREE HUNDRED BILLION people. WOW!!!! That's the Chinese taken care of then, what about the rest?
Smoking is right about the economy. If fuel costs rise then everything else increases in price! Companies refuse to absorb the hit, they just pass on increases to the end user.

 

[Night Train]

An observation, for which I can provide no quantitative evidence!: my impression is that when traffic flows on motorways and dual carriageways are comparatively low, so that everyone can drive at the speed they choose without having much effect on anyone else, there seem to be proportionally more car drivers below 70mph than when traffic volumes are high but still freely flowing. I suspect that a lot of drivers are actually quite happy to go at 60-70mph, but feel under pressure to go faster when there is lots of other traffic coming up behind, or lots of lorries in lane 1.

I have found this and I think a part of it is the competitiveness of a lot of people and the perception of being held up by 'the traffic'.

In heavy traffic I will also sacrifice economy to maintain traffic speed for safety but when I am on my on on a deserted motorway I can end up hill climbing at 40mph as it isn't bothering anyone else.

 

[walker]

this same email goes round every year, and has done for as long as I can remember, and does anyone take note?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I have thought that even a simple warning system could be valuable (that does not control the velocity), i.e push a button at the speed you don't want to go over and it gives an audiblewarning when you stray over the limit. Would cost pennies to fit to new designs.

Some of the trucks I used to drive had a variable speed limiter built in. Push the button at the speed you don't want to exceed and it won't go over that speed. When you want to switch it off, floor the throttle or hit the button again. I never understood why Safespeed never campaigned for the fitting of these devices to cars.

 

[MrGrumpy]

so this government is hellbent in driving us of the road ( no pun intended) however when is the 19th century public transport going to catch up too modern day? Train times, which is my ownly feasible way to get to work if not cycling have never changed, I work weekends like alot of folk now however for some reason Scotrail seem to think we all start mid morning ??

 

[User482]

so this government is hellbent in driving us of the road ( no pun intended) however when is the 19th century public transport going to catch up too modern day? Train times, which is my ownly feasible way to get to work if not cycling have never changed, I work weekends like alot of folk now however for some reason Scotrail seem to think we all start mid morning ??

How is it doing that? Fuel duties have barely increased at all over the last few years.

What I would like to see is increased fuel duty being used to vastly improve public transport.

 

[Globalti]

This man says fuel is still too cheap: http://www.slate.com/id/2191491/

 

[simonali]

Could always move to Venezuela where petrol is 0.7p/litre.

 

[Night Train]

We need more investment in better transport options for all people and for all types of journeys without using fossil fuels. That needn't mean no cars but cars that are clean and efficient and running on something else, renewable electrics or humans perhaps. Goods transport that makes best use of the systems for differing types of goods, bike parts could travel more slowly then food for example. Passenger transport that is more flexible and 'free to the user' being paid for by taxation and using centrally run organisations who can cross subsidise to maintain service rather then only running the profitable routes.