80mph speed limit to be trialled on managed motorways says Transport Minister
Mon 30 April 2012
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Roads Minister Mike Penning says that the Government is planning to trial 80mph speed limits on managed motorways; sections of the motorway network which have mandatory variable speed limits in force.
Mike Penning said (reported by Local Transport Today): “The Department is carrying out work to assess the potential economic, safety and environmental impacts of trialling 80mph speed limits on motorways where variable limits are currently in place.”
The Minister said that no final decisions had been taken about which stretches of the network would be used for the trials.
The Government announced a consultation on motorway speeds last September, when Philip Hammond was Transport Secretary. (More information here).
Mr Hammond said at that time that the current limit of 70mph is out of date and that the higher limit would give the economy a boost. The proposal was immediately criticised by environmental and safety campaigners who said it would lead to higher carbon emissions and more road accidents.
In a Parliamentary answer to a House of Lord's Question last Autumn, Lord Shutt of Greetland said on behalf of the Government that CO2 emissions increase by around 14% for a vehicle driving at a steady 80mph compared with a steady 70mph.
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