Motorway speed limit of 70mph in UK?

A quick trip to Wikipedialand reveals the following:

"From 1930 to 1965, most roads outside urban areas, including motorways, did not have a speed limit. However, in December 1965, after a series of multiple crashes on motorways, mainly in fog, an experimental speed limit of 70 mph was introduced for motorways and all other unrestricted roads and made permanent in 1967 for motorways and dual carriageways with a central reservation (with the limit dropped to 60 mph for other unrestricted roads). It was reduced to 50 mph in response to the 1973 oil crisis, and restored to 70 mph in 1974. The The Automobile Association have called for the limit to be increased."

Until recently, speed limits were almost always set according to the 85%tile rule. In other words, the speed which 85% of traffic doing less than. If you go for a higher percentage, then the limit will be inappropriately high (and therefore dangerous), and if you go for a lower percentage it will be inappropriately low (and therefore ignored). I remembering hearing that most motorways have a 20%tile! The only argument I can see for not increasing the limit is that lorries will still only be doing 56mph, but that doesn't really matter because traffic does over 80 as it is anyway. If you create limits drivers have faith in, they'll respect the limits which are needed. It will also make the limit easier to enforce, as right now enforcement varies from officer-to-officer. If I did 80 and had an accident, could I be charged with excessive speed? Under the current system, who knows? Oh, and for the final time, almost all drivers don't leave their houses with the intention of speeding, they do it because they think that at that moment in that place it's safe. Those that do don't deserve to drive.

According to government legislation the 70MPH speed limit was enforced in 1965 due to a series of bad accidents involving vehicles at higher speeds.

The real reason however is in 1965 a man with a 427 AC Shelby Cobra was spotted doing approx 160 MPH on the M1 (A1/M) and no police vehicle at the time could chase or stop it. Since then we have got amazing police cars capable of 180 MPH and better cars with better crash protection. I say copy france and have 70MPH in poor weather and 90 In good weather. Works there, why not here?!?!?!

I don't know the answer to this , but it may have something to do with Europe, Spains motorway is 120 kph which is about the same and I believe the same applies to France.

A = a crash you survive at 70 mph will kill you at 100 mph

B - you will waste an incredible amount of fuel going that much faster.

It isn't worth it.

mabey saving fuel.

HELLO

IT WAS TO STOP BIKERS DOING THE TON