The caravan conundrum

Aw, me thinks you're a little too integrated perhaps...

 

Didn't I see that there is a proposal to put the motorway speed limit up to 80mph.

Clearly a case of you catching up.

Bring on the 130kmh signs as well. The manufacturers of my car didn't even bother to put mph on the speedo. All rhd cars have both in readiness for the changeover.

 

i haven't heard about the 80mph...all i know at the mo is that learners will be going on the motorways at some point, probably. Though with all government ideas, it's going to drift around for a few years before it's actually actioned i should think. Lord help us if they take the miles away from us, nobody i know thinks in km, not even my learners! lol. When our generation is dead and buried, that might be the time to introduce all that modern jargon

 

The 80mph came out of the Ministry of Transport. They think it would help to avoid "bunching" and as always the UK could earn more money if journey times were reduced.

There was a serious proposal to change over to kmh a few years back until they worked out the cost of changing all of the road signs.

From observation in both places it seems that on the motorways all drivers tend to go at 10 mph above the limit whatever it is.

 

that's for sure. And on town roads, everyone does 40mph, which is hugely frustrating on a single lane 60mph road. Why don't people notice speed limit signs?

 

If anything the government would push for the lowering of speed limits to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emmissions.
OFH - I would be more than happy to move over to driving on the RHS. We are just waiting for the EU grant to pay for all of the infrastructure changes, replacement of all the buses etc. - can you get them moving on stumping up the cash?

 

oh lordy, really w-y? You think it'll happen?

 

Not in the least - but everytime you ask someone who is moaning about us driving on the proper side of the road if they happy for their taxes to pay for us to switch, they are not so keen.

 

I did see that over London last weekend there was smog. Now that is something I thought had disappeared from the UK. That was brought about by the heat and slow moving, even stationary cars, buses and lorries. It is something you can also see around Paris in the summer. I am not sure how you allow people to use cars and deal with the cities problems unless you have a very cheap and efficient public transport system. Fine if you can get a straight route, but to get from Bandit Country to West London each day is not feasible.

The EU have taken a step back from promoting universal standards. One of their spokesmen said it was not necessary for member countries to all have the same standard of measurement. I think we could wait a while for them to change their mind if it means paying out too much.

If a changeover to LHD vehicles was a serious proposition,the pressure to do so would be most likely to come from the car manufacturers. Why make two versions of the same car when one would do?

 

Good point..in that case, it's very unlikely..phew! lol

 

The smog has never disappeared..but now you can fail a driving test for not driving ecologically. Every pupil is taught how to reduce Co2 emissions...not sure they stick to it, but it's a start.

 

It's one of the UK, biggest issues - no government has been prepared to invest in a modern public transport system as there is no votes in it. For me using public transport to get to work is just not feasible, it would take more than twice as long as driving the M1 - M25 - M40....

Universal standards? - Within the EU they cannot even agree on what symbol the decimal point should be - now how ironic is that?

 

hugely ironic! lol You're right though, it's all about the infrastructure, and we don't have it, and it'd cost too many millions with little gain for the political parties..mad really..

 

Sweden changed to driving on the wrong side of the road back in the Sixties. I think that for a period they introduced very low speed limits on all roads until people got the hang of it. I remember they had to convert all their buses too

 

Totally agree with you about the standardisation of driving frenchie! However I think everyone else should switch to the right!!!

 

My experiences in Paris and Rome suggest there is neither right nor wrong - they appear to drive anywhere they choose.

And as for India - in particular Mumbai - chaos rules the roads (and pavements). Strangely enough, though, it seems to work without any bother at all.

 

In Rome - on foot crossing the road we quickly learned you have to go in the skirt tails of nuns. Cars will aim for anyone else but just serve enough n ot to hit a nun

 

I think the point is drivers with caravans do this one or two times in a year and are not experience. We know farmers and truck drivers have problems but they know how their vehicles work.

 

They might know how they work - and they also know how to hold a large queue behind them

 

Cairo is a great place to go and try and figure out the traffic rules and regs!!!! Do not cross the road using pedestrian crossing! these are purely ornamental!!