variable speed limits

[obi_waynne]

What are your thoughts on variable speed limits with a view to keeping traffic flowing and avoiding jams?

Do you think they work? Does this depend on the drivers sticking to the indicated speeds? Would you be prepared to go slower if it meant a shorter overall journey time due to avoidance of jams.

 

[pgarner]

in theroy it makes sense but in reality can you really see people sitting at lets say 30mph on an empty strech of road just to stop the jams.
remember that most people on watch the car in front never mind tryin to think what is happening 10 miles away

 

[dpsubaru]

agree with pgarner, think that it doesnt really help the issue and just another way for the police to take more money off you. think the best way is to actually 1) increase the speed limit on motorways/dual carriageways to 80mph 2) enforce better lane discipline instead of focusing on speeding. many people wont agree with this but think that this would work much better in regulating traffic control.

 

[obi_waynne]

Enforcement of the minimum speed limit and raise the minimum limit for cars to 50mph. Or at least force the 2 outside lanes to go at least 50mph where conditions permit obviously.

 

[old-git]

They have these on the M25 around the Heathrow section. People, obviously, don't obey them, BUT they do alter their speed slightly and this has the desired affect of improving flows (backed up by reams of data). It doesn't take much of a change to have a noticable affect.

 

[EmKayThree]

I think the only reason why there are jams and such is because PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE. People don't know the rules of the road.

SLOW PEOPLE
get the hell out of the fast lane, you can't been be doing 65 in that lane. This causes the people in the fast lane to switch to the other lane and cut people off, thus causing that person to brake, and such. It's just a big chain reaction.

But we can't just blame it on slow people either. Drivers don't check their blindspots when switching lanes, seldom signal.

Drivers are not polite to one another.
Merging.
People don't like letting people merging onto the freeway in. Just let them in. And when the merger does get in, the person that is behind the merger is like, "F-that." So he goes to the left (not checking blindspot, no signaling), cutting someone off causing them to smash on their brakes with all others behind to brake also.

Same thing goes with people trying to exit.
No one wants to let them exit. Therefore we have someone that's driving slow because they are going to miss their exit because some PUNK won't let them in the lane. Or EXITERS, plan ahead and get in there before hand, not 1/20th of a mile before your exit.

Space Cushion.
We have this for a reason, TO STOP ACCIDENTS. Stop tailgating, and there will be no need for over braking, you will see that you will need to slow down preventing the adrupt stops.

Sorry for the long post, drive safe.