What MPG are you getting?

[Amarillo]

Really bizzare that anyone could think being overtaken all the time is safer than going with the flow.

I'm not sure that anyone has gone so far as to say that. What I have contested is that driving at ~20% below HGVs' maximum speed is "inconsiderate if not dangerous". People routinely drive at ~20% above HGVs' maximum speed, and that seems to me to be considerably more dangerous.

This always fascinates me about the dangers of bicycles compared to motorbikes. On one you have all the protection of a net curtain with a bathing cap and only as good as the attention of the myopic passing. On the other you are flowing with the traffic with real head and body protection and more visible yet most folk will quote the motorbike as the unsafe option.

Yes, motorcycles are considerably more dangerous than bicycles. It is rare to hear of a cyclist killing someone, although it does happen. Motorists, including motorcyclists, kill cyclists, pedestrians and other motorists on almost a daily basis.

[...]

Mr 44 mph motorway man I have dealt with safety and human factors all my career and will be very direct if I can prevent an accident, injury or save a life so implore you to stop dawdling on motorways and reduce the chance your next - really please think about it.
Im sure we have all seen the tragic consequences.

Here I feel compelled to say that when the traffic conditions allow I usually drive at 60 - 65 mph on the motorway. I do not routinely drive at 44 mph, but defend my right and others to do so which would be both safe and in consideration of other road users, and of course legal.

 

[Legin]

I'm not sure that anyone has gone so far as to say that. What I have contested is that driving at ~20% below HGVs' maximum speed is "inconsiderate if not dangerous". People routinely drive at ~20% above HGVs' maximum speed, and that seems to me to be considerably more dangerous.

Quote
Hgvs are always pulling out to overtake. 1 more isn't going to make much difference.

Yes, motorcycles are considerably more dangerous than bicycles. It is rare to hear of a cyclist killing someone, although it does happen. Motorists, including motorcyclists, kill cyclists, pedestrians and other motorists on almost a daily basis.

Exactly my point point. The hazard isnt the bike its what hits the bike ! What your in and what you do is what limits the effect of the hazard should it materialise. Your not the hazard the hazard is the HGV that squashes you.

[...]


Here I feel compelled to say that when the traffic conditions allow I usually drive at 60 - 65 mph on the motorway. I do not routinely drive at 44 mph, but defend my right and others to do so which would be both safe and in consideration of other road users, and of course legal.

I have just explained why its not as safe as going at the given rate and why even if going at the rate its safer in lane 2 and in particular 3, hit by a car is less consequence than by an HGV even if the HGV is going much slower than the car when your hit. Your response seems to be a sanctimonious one, its my right and legal so I will do it.

 

[westfalia]

60 - 65 mph on a motorway in a cali
steady on a bit man.
hope you have both hands on the wheel at all times,10 to 2 of course

you´ve got to laugh though.

 

[larrylamb]

What was this thread about? I've forgotten.

 

[GrannyJen]

Well, on Saturday I had my usual trip up to see Mum.

I mile on estate roads.
3 miles on rural roads.
40 miles on dual carriageway.
208 miles of motorway.

Driving at the legal limit or maximum safe speed I managed 43 mph

It was dreadful. The posted speed limit for about 50 miles of the M6 is only 50 mph The M60 is a permanent roadwork in progress. Dreadful.

 

[Trebor]

Thanks,

Very helpful.

It's reassuring to know that at 80 the 180 cali can still achieve mid to high 20's. That's much better than my old (petrol) volvo 940! Once did a whole tank between Paris and Calais...... ok ok so it may have been at a couple of miles an hour faster, into a gale, smothered in box and 5 bikes and sloshing full of wine...

Question for me now is to 4motion or not...

Simon

No question . 4 motion every time .

 

[EddieEagle]

Bring on google drive I say, where the gaps, speed and density of the traffic is governed by anything other than human frailty, unreasonable behaviour and / or attitudes.

To try and justify this post will say I achieved 39.7 mpg today on a run to the seaside, down hill there but uphill coming home!

 

[motacyclist]

Thread has gone off topic at 44 mph

All I will say is that when I did my IAM course (on a motorbike) driving/riding slower than traffic conditions permitted was considered a fail. (I passed somehow )

 

[Amarillo]

Your response seems to be a sanctimonious one, its my right and legal so I will do it.

Perhaps I was not clear: I usually drive at 60 - 65 mph on the motorway. In fact the only time I have driven for prolonged periods on a free flowing motorway at the sort of speeds mentioned was on Sicily's empty roads last January: an experiment to test the best fuel consumption of my Beach and to examine the accuracy of the MFD figures.

I do not agree with your assertion that 44 mph is an unsafe speed on a free flowing motorway; if it were particularly dangerous there would be more places with minimum speed requirements. Those places I know where there is a minimum speed limit, such as the Blackwall Tunnel, the limit is far lower than 44 mph - 10 mph.
https://goo.gl/maps/bwCTGXh4LY22

 

[Legin]

I do not agree with your assertion that 44 mph is an unsafe speed on a free flowing motorway; if it were particularly dangerous there would be more places with minimum speed requirements. Those places I know where there is a minimum speed limit, such as the Blackwall Tunnel, the limit is far lower than 44 mph - 10 mph.

Based on your logic because there arent more fixed barriers at cliff tops then its safe to go near the edge when no barrier is there. There should be minimum speed limits on motorways but they dont exist because unlike a maximum speed limit its not realistically enforceable.

There is no legal requirement as you say however if you dont make reasonable progress a driving examiner will fail you. By doing so you create a hazard for other road users and certainly annoy them.

To be clear going 44 mph on a free flowing motorway is less safe than going faster.

 

[Amarillo]

Based on your logic because there arent more fixed barriers at cliff tops then its safe to go near the edge when no barrier is there.

I have walked along many clifftops perfectly safely

There should be minimum speed limits on motorways but they dont exist because unlike a maximum speed limit its not realistically enforceable.

As already pointed out, they can and do exist - particularly in tunnels. Why would minimum limits be harder to enforce than maximum limits? I would have thought it would be easier.

Where minimum limits exist on multilane roads (such as Cyprus above), they tend not to apply to the inside lane, and are quite often lower than 44 mph.

There is no legal requirement as you say however if you dont make reasonable progress a driving examiner will fail you. By doing so you create a hazard for other road users and certainly annoy them.

I note that the Highways Agency recommends their civilian motorway patrol drivers drive at no more than 50mph on the motorway. I wonder why this would be?

To be clear going 44 mph on a free flowing motorway is less safe than going faster.

What is the safest speed on a free flowing motorway? I certainly believe that 44mph is within the range of speeds I would consider safe for a free flowing motorway. However, below a certain speed, I would agree that the hard shoulder, where it exists, would be a safer place to drive in an emergency situation such as the vehicle going into 'limp mode'. Where that 'certain speed' is would be down to road conditions and the driver's judgement.

 

[Legin]

 

[EddieEagle]

Driving on the hard shoulder? Noooo
Highways Agency vehicles are highly visible.
44 is borderline bonkers , unjustifiable and should have a following escort vehicle with warning
IMHO

Too early for but .....wow!

 

[EddieEagle]

Saved a truckload of fuel today,, didn't go anywhere...

 

[Amarillo]

Highways Agency vehicles are highly visible.

So is a yellow Beach.

 

[GrannyJen]

So is a yellow Beach.

No.

A Yellow beach does not have distinctive chevrons, warning lights and authority written all over it.

An obstruction on a motorway to any reasonable person is dangerous and to try and suggest a vehicle coloured yellow is less of an obstruction, sorry Tom, is disingenuous.

If I am travelling at 60 mph in the inside lane, when the rest of the traffic is passing me at a speed of at least 10 mph faster and I meet something travelling at almost 20 Mph less than me then I am hitting an obstruction. I do not care about semantics, pedantry, graphs or local authority mission statements.

I am suddenly confronted by a hazard out of the ordinary. I have to react accordingly. Fine possibly in an ordinary everyday motor vehicle, fine possibly in a Cali or motorhome loaded to the line, hazardous to an HGV, hazardous to me today with a caravan on tow. No problems, we should all be equipped to deal with unexpected hazards...

but why choose to be a hazard in the first place? I think that is the question being asked.

Just because you can does not mean go ahead and be it.

 

[Amarillo]

No.

A Yellow beach does not have distinctive chevrons, warning lights and authority written all over it.

An obstruction on a motorway to any reasonable person is dangerous and to try and suggest a vehicle coloured yellow is less of an obstruction, sorry Tom, is disingenuous.

If I am travelling at 60 mph in the inside lane, when the rest of the traffic is passing me at a speed of at least 10 mph faster and I meet something travelling at almost 20 Mph less than me then I am hitting an obstruction. I do not care about semantics, pedantry, graphs or local authority mission statements.

I am suddenly confronted by a hazard out of the ordinary. I have to react accordingly. Fine possibly in an ordinary everyday motor vehicle, fine possibly in a Cali or motorhome loaded to the line, hazardous to an HGV, hazardous to me today with a caravan on tow. No problems, we should all be equipped to deal with unexpected hazards...

but why choose to be a hazard in the first place? I think that is the question being asked.

Just because you can does not mean go ahead and be it.

My gosh and golly Jen. I have very clearly stated that I routinely drive at 60 - 65 mph on the motorway. The only time I did otherwise was on Sicily's nearly empty and excellent motorways last January.

Where I disagree with some others is what is an acceptable lower speed on a free flowing motorway. I happen to think that 44 mph is perfectly acceptable for any vehicle, and certainly close to a recommended maximum for certain types of vehicle e.g. towing a double horse box.

Once again I say: I do not drive at 44 mph on a free flowing motorway, I drive at 60 - 65 mph, accelerating to up to 70 mph to pass slower moving vehicles.

 

[EddieEagle]

I apologise for my previous posts, if you are prepared to go to 70 then you are up there with the ‘legal’ drivers......
Now we have to get you up to speed as the consensus is 85 +.
Go with the flow, blend in to the surroundings . Ah , yellow beach. Um ...
You are never going to blend in

Lots of respect and whatever you do, for taking that epic trip abroad.
We may disagree on how to tackle British motorways yet you have earned the right to travel at whatever pace you decide .

 

[Amarillo]

I apologise for my previous posts, if you are prepared to go to 70 then you are up there with the ‘legal’ drivers......
Now we have to get you up to speed as the consensus is 85 +.
Go with the flow, blend in to the surroundings . Ah , yellow beach. Um ...
You are never going to blend in

Lots of respect and whatever you do, for taking that epic trip abroad.
We may disagree on how to tackle British motorways yet you have earned the right to travel at whatever pace you decide .

What I find truly bizarre is this. A section of motorway I regularly use is the M25 between the M26 and the M23. It is mostly four lanes in each direction, and has variable limits 40 to 70 mph. What is it that changes 40 mph from being an absolute maximum speed one day to, in some people's minds, an unacceptable speed for safe travel? Surely if the absolute maximum for that stretch is 40 mph one day, it is safe and acceptable to travel at that speed the next day when the absolute maximum is 70 mph?

Oh - and just to give you something to laugh about... I got a ticket for exceeding the speed limit on the German Autobahn.

 

[EddieEagle]

No one laughing here...

 

[2into1]

Surely if the absolute maximum for that stretch is 40 mph one day, it is safe and acceptable to travel at that speed the next day when the absolute maximum is 70 mph

Err, let me think.....I feel like I’m on QI, trying to avoid giving the seeming obvious answer.....

Try thinking about the impact of your actions on others? (Did the klaxon sound?).

One day we are all doing 40 together, working as a team. The next day, we are all doing between 56 and 70 except you. We are all being individuals but within a common framework that allows us to co-exist. You are sitting there alone doing 40 to exercise your particular individuality which means everyone else has to move out to pass you, reducing the capacity of the road by 1/3rd or 1/4. Great teamwork Tom! Not at all selfish!

I can’t help another ‘flipping’ project might be beneficial for you Tom. I’m not sure sitting at home at your desk is clearly not doing you any good.

 

[WelshGas]

What I find truly bizarre is this. A section of motorway I regularly use is the M25 between the M26 and the M23. It is mostly four lanes in each direction, and has variable limits 40 to 70 mph. What is it that changes 40 mph from being an absolute maximum speed one day to, in some people's minds, an unacceptable speed for safe travel? Surely if the absolute maximum for that stretch is 40 mph one day, it is safe and acceptable to travel at that speed the next day when the absolute maximum is 70 mph?

Oh - and just to give you something to laugh about... I got a ticket for exceeding the speed limit on the German Autobahn.

. What I find bizarre is your reasoning behind your comments and post.

A Stephen Hawking you are not, I’m afraid.

 

[ArunAlec]

I imagine the OP has probably lost the will to live by now and gone off to buy. Marco Polo!

 

[bigmac77]

What I find bizarre is all this fuss over MPG. Just get in it drive it when it needs more fuel fill it up again. Who cares? Seriously.

 

[WelshGas]

I imagine the OP has probably lost the will to live by now and gone off to buy. Marco Polo!

No, they’re still on hold.