Non-Believer Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 9 hours ago, Max Power said: It's to do with the fact that the engine has overcome the rolling resistance of the vehicle and requires a lighter throttle opening to maintain 50mph. Cruising at 70mph means the throttle is open wider to maintain the speed normally. Not sure that it works on the island as you are constantly climbing hills, cornering, stopping and starting but you can definitely save fuel out of town. IIRC there was a proposal a number of years ago, during one fuel "crisis" or another, to reduce the UK motorway top speed limit from 70mph (ho ho ho) to 50mph. Again, IIRC, this was going to result in a quoted fuel saving of +40% (not my figures) simply in that 20mph reduction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Flint Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 7 hours ago, sausage said: I quite like an occasional blast across the mountain on a good day with clear roads....I dont like people getting maimed/killed. A suggestion then which might appease both sides of the argument. Why dont they take apply a speed limit around all other parts of the island, coz people dont really need to be driving above 50 or 70mph on other roads where there are houses etc and people going about their daily business. Then just leave the wide open section over the mountain with the unrestricted speed limit. With a bit of policing to discourage the proper knobheads there is little reason why most people cant open up their cars/bikes up there.....and for those that do not like that kind of thing......there is the coast road which would then have a restriction all the way along so they dont have to use the mountain if they dont want to. You've never dealt with the aftermath of a high speed collision, have you? The issue is this; multidimensional road use. Where different types of transport and user ability conflicts, there needs to be a degree of risk management by assessing abd imposing an upper limit. We now have a strategy that says there is a desire to reduce death and serious injury. Death and serious injury is more likely when higher speeds are achieved. So to do anything else than bring in a limit is a contradiction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winnie Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I think the general quality of driving on the island is so much better and safer than the uk which now has speed limit's so low it leads to frustration. I always drive to the conditions, which may be 15 / 20 mph if i see kid's on pavements to 100mph if i fancy a blast on the mountain. The problem with speed limit's is they set them to the worst conditions with early morning traffic in mind. Look at Sulby Straight, which is 40mph, which is absolutley fine if it's raining at 8.30am, but way too low as a limit on a sunny sunday morning at 6am when i'd think 50mph to be perfectly safe. I don't see many people driving 'too fast' away from the mountain, which is the one place i think a limit should be put when the weather is poor. If there is heavy rain, fog etc then stick a 60mph limit on the mountain, but keep it unrestricted in good conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTeapot Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I get all the arguments for a speed limit and yeah broadly agree BUT In a world of constant over regulation and constant nanny state meddling isn't it nice to actually have the de-restricted freedom. It (theoretically) treats you like the free individuals you are supposed to be and marks us out as somewhere special. I don't currently have a car and when I do I rarely go over 70, but isn't it nice to have the choice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 22 minutes ago, Derek Flint said: So to do anything else than bring in a limit is a contradiction. even safer vehicles would reduce death and serious injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Flint Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 6 minutes ago, TheTeapot said: I get all the arguments for a speed limit and yeah broadly agree BUT In a world of constant over regulation and constant nanny state meddling isn't it nice to actually have the de-restricted freedom. It (theoretically) treats you like the free individuals you are supposed to be and marks us out as somewhere special. I don't currently have a car and when I do I rarely go over 70, but isn't it nice to have the choice? It’s that multi dimensional thing, and the state’s positive obligation to protect life. anyway, stand down. Howard says nothing happening, and the Mhoddey Dhoo rep says it will destroy vIsitor numbers. https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/speed-limits-to-be-considered-case-by-case/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Non-Believer Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 1 hour ago, Derek Flint said: It’s that multi dimensional thing, and the state’s positive obligation to protect life. anyway, stand down. Howard says nothing happening, and the Mhoddey Dhoo rep says it will destroy vIsitor numbers. https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/speed-limits-to-be-considered-case-by-case/ In the case of the FOM/MGP, WHAT visitor numbers...? Precious few of the older demographic attended last year and by dint of being older are less likely to need zero speed limit on the Mountain for example? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Duck of Atholl Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 2 hours ago, winnie said: I think the general quality of driving on the island is so much better and safer than the uk which now has speed limit's so low it leads to frustration. I always drive to the conditions, which may be 15 / 20 mph if i see kid's on pavements to 100mph if i fancy a blast on the mountain. The problem with speed limit's is they set them to the worst conditions with early morning traffic in mind. Look at Sulby Straight, which is 40mph, which is absolutley fine if it's raining at 8.30am, but way too low as a limit on a sunny sunday morning at 6am when i'd think 50mph to be perfectly safe. I don't see many people driving 'too fast' away from the mountain, which is the one place i think a limit should be put when the weather is poor. If there is heavy rain, fog etc then stick a 60mph limit on the mountain, but keep it unrestricted in good conditions. The mountain road as an open road just isn't safe enough to be travelled over by Joe Public at 100mph without any specialist training.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trmpton Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 9 minutes ago, The Duck of Atholl said: The mountain road as an open road just isn't safe enough to be travelled over by Joe Public at 100mph without any specialist training.. Yes it is. Plenty of people top 100mph up there most days (when weather allows) without any incident at all. You don’t need specialist training to drive a modern and well maintained car at 100mph on the Mountain Mile or plenty of other places. The percentage of times someone tops a ton and it results in a crash will be minuscule. I must have topped 100 thousands of times In cars and on bikes up there over the years and the same applies to loads of other people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Duck of Atholl Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 5 minutes ago, trmpton said: Yes it is. Plenty of people top 100mph up there most days (when weather allows) without any incident at all. You don’t need specialist training to drive a modern and well maintained car at 100mph on the Mountain Mile or plenty of other places. The percentage of times someone tops a ton and it results in a crash will be minuscule. I must have topped 100 thousands of times In cars and on bikes up there over the years and the same applies to loads of other people. We'll have to disagree on this one. I would say though that closure of the mountain road through accident is not an uncommon occurrence despite what you say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Flint Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 54 minutes ago, Non-Believer said: In the case of the FOM/MGP, WHAT visitor numbers...? Precious few of the older demographic attended last year and by dint of being older are less likely to need zero speed limit on the Mountain for example? Nobody actually NEEDS derestriction. Its a bit of fun, nothing more. That needs to be balanced over the prevailing public safety risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Flint Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 9 minutes ago, trmpton said: Yes it is. Plenty of people top 100mph up there most days (when weather allows) without any incident at all. You don’t need specialist training to drive a modern and well maintained car at 100mph on the Mountain Mile or plenty of other places. The percentage of times someone tops a ton and it results in a crash will be minuscule. I must have topped 100 thousands of times In cars and on bikes up there over the years and the same applies to loads of other people. I disagree. If it was that easy the police wouldn't spend weeks training emergency responders to travel at high speed. It isnt necessarily just about going fast. Its more about the multi dimensional interface with other road users, prevailing conditions etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winnie Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 4 minutes ago, The Duck of Atholl said: We'll have to disagree on this one. I would say though that closure of the mountain road through accident is not an uncommon occurrence despite what you say If the roads are dry with good visability then 100mph is perfectly safe on the right bike / car providing the rider / driver is competent. If the conditions are right, why would there be an accident?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIchard Britten Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 1 minute ago, winnie said: If the roads are dry with good visability then 100mph is perfectly safe on the right bike / car providing the rider / driver is competent. If the conditions are right, why would there be an accident?? Because fate has decided to hit your windscreen with a flying bird, or you sneeze, or your wheel decides to burst or 1 of an almost infinite number of reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feelslike Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I don't particularly want them to introduce a speed limit on the mountain road but should they decide to, I'd rather it be in-line with UK A Road limits, so 60mph. Sitting in traffic is a drag and can be extremely frustrating, depending on the speed. If it's consistently moving at 50-60mph, that is reasonable. I would like to think that if there was a limit, the people that dodder about at 40mph would drive closer to the limit? If you're driving that slowly because you aren't comfortable going faster than that, you should get the bus, or go on the coast road where there are far fewer places where 50mph is possible/legal. I'm happy driving faster, I love the drive over the mountain, and I would definitely miss it but if it got everyone going the same speed and resulted in fewer incidents, I wouldn't oppose it just because I'm losing the 'right' to go 100mph if I want to. I honestly do find that people in a queue, who are happy to sit there going slower than I'd like to go, are paying less attention to the road. Some people almost swerve off the road because they just aren't paying attention to the fact someone else might want to go 70mph past them, or they cut corners without checking what's happening behind or alongside them - which is absolutely deadly in TT week. People can't be trusted to drive properly, either those who go too fast to react to prevailing factors; or those who drive like zombies with their rear fog lights on with a queue of 40 people behind them; or those who drive at 40mph when the conditions just do not warrant it. The higher the speed, the worse the result of a collision or incident and that's an inescapable fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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