Antiquated Motorway Speeds.

[padi56]

Lets take a look at what the motor industry has given us, well alright, sold us over the last four decades, and for once, they have done us proud!
Sometimes you wonder why though...

If you go back to 1965, the national speed limits were introduced and the infamous 70mph Motorway limit was applied.
In this year, we enjoyed watching the diminutive Mini Cooper win the Monte Carlo rally not for the first, nor last time, and Austins venerable 1800 'Land Crab was declared Car of the Year.
Most cars ran on Crossply tyres which could be melted down and made into Teflon for Frying pans. And the only car with Anti-lock brakes would have been the Jensen Interceptor FF, which was built to order at an enormous price. (Owners had to turn the engine off while refuelling as the bugger would consume four-star petrol faster than the pump could supply it...)

An E type Jag was considered the fastest thing you would have a chance of seeing, and although Browns Lane, boasted 150mph, the poor Jag owner would have more chance of receiving a hand-job from Marylin Monroe than surpassing a real 140 MPH...

Although seat belts and Laminated windscreens were available, they were rarer than tap-dancing Dodo Birds, and many pre-'65 cars still retained unassisted drum brakes all round, and had no safety related kit at all.To get things into perspective, things like reversing or fog lamps were an option for £3.

Whooshing back to 2006 now, an average boy racer hatchback will p!ss all over a 'Works' Cooper S, and whats more it has Air bags, Dual circuit power assisted discs, seat-belts with pre-tensioner, Side impact protection, Laminated screen, Safety cell, Halogen headlamps, ABS brakes and a plethora of high technology stuff driven by a computer more powerful than that which drives the Space Shuttle,on the moon mission.
Even ten year old cars probably have most of this stuff, whereas in 1965, when the speed limits were introduced, the average ten year old car was a fEKED piece of memorabilia with rod operated brakes and split screens.

Enough drivel....

So when was the last time you saw a speed limit RAISED!

It's a bloody travesty. An average car would have won races back in the 60's, and will cruise happily at around 100mph all day long, yet despite all the advances in road technology in addition to this, all we are ever seeing is LOWER speed limits.

Whats more, if you DID have a prang in a Morris Oxford, never mind the not having seat belts, there was a three foot long steering column. Designed to impale you before your unrestrained head crashed through the toughened screen. Whereas the worst injury possible in a Mondeo today at 40mph would be a few airbag burns and the word DROF stamped into your forehead for a few days.

Whats the bloody point. Cars are getting more and more boring to drive within the speed present limits, and so the average motorist is FORCED into breaking the speed limits imposed by a succession of useless governments. Or die of boredom driving his 150mph German Superior car at well under half it's potential at best.

This is a bit like being allowed to sleep with Dolly Parton, and being told NOT to touch her t!ts.

Either the manufacturers are going to have to stop offering Dolly's frontal attributes, or the miserable bleeding speed limits are going to have to be raised by a realistic amount.Not only has car technology advanced at such a rate, that had, aviation technology kept up, we'd be holidaying on Mars by now. The national speed limit was introduced by a woman who never held a driving licence in her life, and who bloody hated the motor industry.

Then all we have to do is teach the Elephant Jockeys in inferior cars from hogging the middle lane...