Should motorway speed limits be raised?

At the moment the national speed limit for a motorway is 70 miles per hour but some are now questioning whether this is to slow and asking is this speed limit outdated?

With the modern cars now able to go faster with more stability and safety some people are saying the motorway speed limit should be raised to 80 miles per hour. Some of the driving professionals such as taxi drivers and driving instructors in Leeds have mixed opinions about this as there are reasons for and against raising it.

Members of parliament are also behind this scheme of raising the speed limit to 80 miles per hour, but others say that it would make pile ups longer and crashed more devastating, but what can that extra 10 miles per hour really do?

Experts say that the faster you're travelling the greater the impact when suddenly stopping but speed doesn't necessarily mean that you're more likely to be in a collision. More experienced drivers are able to plan and scan further in front and see danger when it presents itself, however what about the new inexperienced drivers travelling at 80 miles per hour down a motorway? Will they be the cause of this problem if the new piece of legalisation is brought in?

This is what many have doubts upon and some say that motorway speeds are too fast for new drivers, especially as motorway driving isn't even in the driving syllabus. Driving instructors Leeds and in other parts of the UK agree that motorways can be a very dangerous place for new drivers and should be included into the syllabus especially if the speed limits are on the incline.

Some argue that the advancements in technology should cause the speed limits to rise as cars are now safer than ever. However it has been proved that travelling that little bit fast increases the stopping distance of a car by almost 6 car lengths! Increasing the speed limit may mean that pupils are taught differently and told to leave an even bigger gap between them and the car in front, but what about drivers that are already on the road? Should they be retested? Seems a lot of hard work and extra risk for 10 miles per hour more on certain roads some would argue.

This at the moment is just an idea and may be discussed further in the forthcoming years. There are many reasons for and against raising the speed limit and it may be something that no one ever agrees on!