AN insurance company has stated that Spanish government environmental proposals to cut motorway speed limits to 50mph and town speeds to 25mph should be adopted in the UK.

Aug 15 2008 Ian Johnson

AN insurance company has stated that Spanish government environmental proposals to cut motorway speed limits to 50mph and town speeds to 25mph should be adopted in the UK.

The company, yesinsurance.co.uk, says the move would be as much in the interest of road safety as energy-saving.

It adds that contrary to popular belief, cutting speed limits will not necessarily lead to a significant increase in journey times, because of a corresponding reduction in bunching and heavy braking which traditionally disrupts traffic flow on motorways.

The Spanish proposal is designed to cut the country’s dependency on imported oil by 10 per cent.

In the UK, the company would like to see the 70mph and 60mph limits reduced to 50mph, with 5mph reduced from each speed limit below this level. 

It estimates that this will save drivers around 15 per cent on their fuel bills, whilst at the same time cutting road deaths and injuries by up to 20 per cent. Also, of course – but they don’t say it – it will save dramatically on insurance claims.

But will it ever happen? The cause of road safety is a worthy one and it might save many lives caused by reckless speeding. But our motorways are highly suited to 70mph and a vast amount of investment has gone into making them such. And the recklessness could still persist despite lower limits.

Personally I think this idea is years ahead of its time. Perhaps in the future when many may be driving electric cars with little high speed potential the decision may well be made for us.