Motorway speed limits reduced.

[gus-lopez]

I can't think of any "normal" car that won't pull top gear at 50mph? Most cars will hold a steady 40mph in top.

Really ?
The last 3 I have owned here , none would/will
My current transit will just about go along at 50mph (80kmh) but at the slightest hint of a slope it will drop ou the cruise control.Even if you aren't using it it is right on the bottom of the turbo operation.
The previous mpv, which was ato would only lock up at 80kmh & when towing they recommended that you stayed in 3rd gear at 80kmh. I preferred to tow at 100km/h which not only allowed top gear but lock up as well.
The previous Transit torneo connect would not travel at 80km/h in top it would start to hunt & shake the vehicle to pieces.
The current van when I am travelling in France in the 80 limits I use cruise in 4th , 70 limits cruise in 3rd & 2nd in villages.
Even when I returned from Poitiers in a hire car last year it didn't like 80km/h in top

You get more MPG at 50 than at 60mph... Using less fuel = less emissions. That is the logic.

But only if you do not have to change down the gears . which for me is not possible & nor is it in any vehicle I have owned or even the ones my mate owns & that I use.

I wonder how many people with a manual car and cruise control will just leave in a higher gear and not change down for an incline etc. Leaving the car not in it’s optimum engine speed.

Mine drops out at 50mph in top at the slightest hint of a slope & the design is such so as to prevent damage & also , as you well know, if you are in too high a gear going to slowly you do not have proper control of the vehicle.

Whats pleasurable about being poisoned by exhaust fumes?

Many exhausts emit cleaner air than what enters the intake?

As above even on a flat road at 80km/h (50mph) as far as I am concerned with no turbo available due to being barely in the working range, I do not consider I have complete control of the vehicle & cetainly wouldn't have any engine performance to get out of trouble. It has to be within the turbo range so needs a lower gear..

 

[gus-lopez]

As an aside anyone towing will be struggling to maintain 50 mph in top gear .I do as that is theoretically the limit here when towing but as I stated before I keep it around 90-100 in the Van now.

 

[PeteH]

I can't think of any "normal" car that won't pull top gear at 50mph? Most cars will hold a steady 40mph in top.

I Posted A piece on that earlier, where my automatic would not stay in 6th .and it was costing me 5mpg.

It is but it should be minimised. Until recently no serious attempt was made by most companies to encourage working from home or to make best use of available technology to reduce face-to-face meetings. A friends daughter works for a large International company. She has been in the UK, Amsterdam, and New York in the same week.

There are already serious concerns in the medical world about the effects on mental health. Of homeworking.

This is an experiment thus the outcome will drive future developments, however it only addressees part of a much larger vehicle pollution challenge, brake dust tyre partials also pollute. We are without doubt destroying our own environment, what to do I have little idea, but one thing I do know is do nothing and we must live with the consequence, take dramatic action and live with the financial and social consequences. Road transport and it's pollution is only a very small part of societies challenges, mental health issues and many others driven by our greed and consumption of natural resources are waiting to bit us all.
In my view we have it in our own hands as individuals to find solutions to our behaviours, governments are relatively powerless the sooner we all grasp the nettle the better.

No argument there. Just get all the protesters to lobby the RIGHT governments for a change. You know China, Russia, India. And the South Americans.?

I reckon phased entry on to all motorways will become normal as well

Yes because doing so will help guarantee the wanted result?

I was taught to do that, via the gearbox using the brakes as a last thing.(except for emergency before one of you picks up on it )
[/QUOTE
I had to do a retake of my HGV. When I got the second R-V. One of the things I got picked up on was braking using the gears. Not done anymore. The trainer. Lovely guy. Was a pains to say that moder braking systems. Did not need it. You brake to a stop an then select your start gear!.
After I passed first time. BTW. We where having a chat. And I said to him that was the way I was taught in 1960!. When Lorry brakes where still virtually non existent an P A S a twinkle in the truck designers eye,

 

[scally]

I Posted A piece on that earlier, where my automatic would not stay in 6th .and it was costing me 5mpg.

There are already serious concerns in the medical world about the effects on mental health. Of homeworking.

No argument there. Just get all the protesters to lobby the RIGHT governments for a change. You know China, Russia, India. And the South Americans.?

Yes because doing so will help guarantee the wanted result?

they said the same thing about braking at the speed awareness course. But to stay within speed restrictions use your geatbox. Hence in a 20 mph road you'd be in second gear(in my vehicle) so revs are up , in the area for longer , more polution. At least that's my reasoning

 

[thebriars]

What a load of tosh. The faster the vehicle the higher the wind resistance, the more fuel you use thus more pollution. If its head wind then you gain nothing At 60mph. If its back wind 70-80mph wont make anymore pollution so 70 is a good compromise and low and behold thats what it use to be! Tampering with our freedom of movement is getting extremely annoying.

I'll agree with your first sentence completely. The rest is exactly as you describe, a load of tosh. Surely a 70mph speed limit is tampering with your freedom of movement just as much as a 60mph speed limit.

While you are correct to say the faster the vehicle the higher the wind resistance, the more fuel you use thus the more pollution. However, the crucial bit of science is that wind resistance increases at the square of the speed, it is not linear. Thus doubling the speed from 30mph to 60mph quadruples the wind resistance, which is why one invariably gets a far better fuel consumption when stuck in a 50mph road works zone.

Which then brings me on to another point. While people are complaining about this trial, a similar trial in roadworks found that a 60mph speed limit was almost as effective as a 50mph speed limit in reducing accidents and thus some roadworks now have this higher limit in place.

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[thebriars]

I Posted A piece on that earlier, where my automatic would not stay in 6th .and it was costing me 5mpg.

My Ford will certainly stay in 6th gear at 50mph.

 

[gus-lopez]

My Ford will certainly stay in 6th gear at 50mph.

& mine will but if you suddenly need to get out of trouble & accelerate rapidly it won't do it in 6th whereas in lower gears you'd be far safer.

 

[Gromett]

& mine will but if you suddenly need to get out of trouble & accelerate rapidly it won't do it in 6th whereas in lower gears you'd be far safer.

Try defensive driving. I have never needed to suddenly accelerate... Ever.

 

[thebriars]

& mine will but if you suddenly need to get out of trouble & accelerate rapidly it won't do it in 6th whereas in lower gears you'd be far safer.

With 175bhp and an auto box, it seamlessly changes down with plenty of acceleration. Not a problem.

 

[tonyidle]

Try defensive driving. I have never needed to suddenly accelerate... Ever.

Nor me - ever. In fact I can still count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've had do an 'emergency' stop. In/on any vehicle.

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[Camdoon]

As an aside anyone towing will be struggling to maintain 50 mph in top gear .I do as that is theoretically the limit here when towing but as I stated before I keep it around 90-100 in the Van now.

Never been too far over 80 in mine but when you need to push on like that be careful for speed cameras.
Was in a city centre at the weekend in a quiet side street awaiting my son collecting his keys when I spotted a traffic warden and went over to speak to him. He explained that no matter how long you were stopping you had to pay as the council wanted to eliminate cars and pollution in the area. I explained that it was a one off event as students were moving in that weekend and he replied that's exactly why he was there. So I drove around the block until my son re-appeared with the keys.

 

[scally]

Never been too far over 80 in mine but when you need to push on like that be careful for speed cameras.
Was in a city centre at the weekend in a quiet side street awaiting my son collecting his keys when I spotted a traffic warden and went over to speak to him. He explained that no matter how long you were stopping you had to pay as the council wanted to eliminate cars and pollution in the area. I explained that it was a one off event as students were moving in that weekend and he replied that's exactly why he was there. So I drove around the block until my son re-appeared with the keys.

polluting the atmosphere no doubt. Do they loose their common sense when donning that uniform or is it that type that apply for the job, I wonder..........

 

[DIY campervan]

I'll agree with your first sentence completely. The rest is exactly as you describe, a load of tosh. Surely a 70mph speed limit is tampering with your freedom of movement just as much as a 60mph speed limit.

While you are correct to say the faster the vehicle the higher the wind resistance, the more fuel you use thus the more pollution. However, the crucial bit of science is that wind resistance increases at the square of the speed, it is not linear. Thus doubling the speed from 30mph to 60mph quadruples the wind resistance, which is why one invariably gets a far better fuel consumption when stuck in a 50mph road works zone.

Which then brings me on to another point. While people are complaining about this trial, a similar trial in roadworks found that a 60mph speed limit was almost as effective as a 50mph speed limit in reducing accidents and thus some roadworks now have this higher limit in place.

Yer the quote freedom of movement is really from a grudge with hull city council re imposing cycle lanes by reducing drive lanes and blocking off short cut. Likewise with a lot of cities in the uk currently but i didnt digress into that lol. I just feel where being restricted more and more and a drop in speed limits on motorways is another version Of that restriction of movement. Germany barring around some cities the speed limit is as fast as you like because thats the whole point of a motorway! Also 56 mph is roughly the optimum top gear speed as your vehicle is designed in that gear to be the most economical. Thats where resistance plays a part as you cant shift to a better gear but the resistance increases expidentially by multiplication not Pro rata But thats governed by variables like gross weight, roof rack loads, and wind speed coupled with the direction your travelling in so 10mph aint gunna make much difference! Also just having windows open uses 10% more fuel or airon on. Its depends on age of engine and how well its maintained with fuel, oil air filters, oil changes etc. My van failed its emmissions until i changed the filters etc. Plus with dpf filters they glog up if the vehicle diesnt get high rev motorway mileage causing bad emission. Police safe driving thats the key!! Too many chancers on the road. Also stop planning permission for building houses inthe prevailing wind line of fire. Its always punish the motorist and i fear for campervans and motorhomes in the future. Peoples retirement plans of travelling will be out the window next

 

[gus-lopez]

Try defensive driving. I have never needed to suddenly accelerate... Ever.

you're lucky then.
Braking ,stopping isn't enough in many instances.

Not a problem.

You think. It's amazing how long lockdown takes when you've a split second to react. I was taught to be in the correct gear in advance.

 

[Gromett]

you're lucky then.
Braking ,stopping isn't enough in many instances.

If you are having many instances of having to take avoidance actions then you are not driving defensively.

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[kevenh]

DIY campervan
I believe 56mph (90km/h) is just an arbitrary speed picked out of the air for comparing vehicles' fuel economy.
It's been used for decades and does not take into account: -

1. engine size
2. gear box ratios
3. final drive
4. work on aerodynamic efficiency
5. improvements in engine & gear box oil
6. improvements in tyre compounds
7. advances in engineering

any thing else?
Well, the road surface has had some engineering effort but pot holes?

 

[P Jones]

My opinion is that it is too late. Everyone is talking about climate change, but there is no effort to really make a difference. So the human race is probably going to end. When? That is the question? Unless there is a significant invention that brings clean energy I doubt we have 100 years.

sorry sir but im going to live for ever,so just get gas up and go, on the road agen, head down a-- up ok,pj.

 

[Apache]

Problem is, after Iraq2 where Tony Blair categorically TOLD us that Saddam had WMD, then dieselgate and numerous other situations where the people have been lied to, it will take me some convincing to believe that the outcome of the trial will be anything except what the Politicians want it to be.

The results will be read in a number of ways to suit the agenda.

I’m with you on that. I don’t trust any Politicians anymore