When talk of speed limits has been raised in recent years, nearly without exception the only two topics of concern have been related to safety, or fuel consumption. But some folks in the United Kingdom’s government are taking a look at things from a different angle – economics.
Currently, the U.K. is literally slowing its economy down in comparison to much of Europe by imposing a maximum speed limit of just 70 miles per hour, while many other enjoy limits around 80 mph, or higher (if at all). But Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announced today that the U.K.’s freeway speed limit is being reviewed with economic growth as a major factor of consideration, according to the newspaper Daily Mail.
Hammond discussed today that he believes the “anti-car campaigners” (the movement Leftlane affectionately referred to during the six-part War on Cars op-ed series) have for too long argued that road safety is the ultimate measuring stick when setting speed limits, refusing to increase the limit beyond 70 mph, and pushing for more 20 mph zones in urban areas throughout the Kingdom.
The Transportation Secretary went on to explain that the 70 mph limit was originally added nearly 50 years ago, and cars have since been dramatically improved in terms of their ability o safely travel at higher rates of speed, and also to protect passengers in the event of an accident. Hammond went on to argue that it is time to reevaluate the basis for speed limits, saying, “We need to do this on a pretty rigorous cost-benefit analysis basis. At the moment there are a clear set of criteria for making these decisions.” Adding, “Perhaps we ought to ask if we are using the right set of criteria.”
On the other side of the aisle, some argue that it may be time to lower the speed limit as oil prices continue to rise, citing the fact that optimal fuel economy occurs in the mid-50s range, and that the jump from 70 to 80 mph would result in a drop in fuel economy of as much as 20 percent.
Hammond refuted any suggestions that the government was already actively considering lowering speed limits in order to conserve fuel. He added, “Motorists are facing steeply rising petrol prices. Motorists will work out for themselves that if they need to save some money, if they need to drive more economically, they will drive a little bit more slowly.”
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1.’Government considering…’ view
