There have been proposals to reduce speed limits in built up areas to 20mph and 50mph in countryside (I'm guessing they mean brining the national speed limit down). Apparently changes to the driving test are going to be introduced where the candidates will be asked to drive without any directions from the examiner (I don't really see the point in this at all) and if you take a "pre-qualification course" you can sit a shorter theory test (oh wow). Full story here I can't see the point TBH, traffic can move slowly as it is without slowing it down more. The real problem is people don't use appropriate speed, just because the road is a 30 doesn't mean you have to go 30 at all times. Ok, outside schools I can sort of understand, but then again, that's only going to be a problem in the morning at at 3:30. At which point there is so much traffic outside some schools that it's hard to go above 20 anyway, and even if you could, if you saw a ton on school kids around most drivers would slow down a bit and pay more attention. I think they're going this the wrong way, the main issue IMO is with the magistrate courts not being harsh enough on idiot drivers. If you go down a 30mph road on a bike and the police stop chasing you because they're going 80mph and decide it's too dangerous to continue (as my girlfriends brother did) then you should be banned, not have a slap on the wrist. The changes to the car test seem utterly pointless too, if you're going to change anything about the theory test then make it that some of the retarded questions are not in there anymore (like for example, what is the legal top speed of a mobility scooter). As for the actual practical test, I don't see the point of making the candidate drive without directions, it doesn't make you any more able to drive.
From what I've read elsewhere, the drop to 50mph only applies to single track (not single carriageway) roads, I don't think it's a blanket drop. Similarly, I only think the 20mph limit is for side roads, not main roads. tbh, I don't think the drop in accidents has much to do with speed limits and speed cameras, I personally think it's more to do with the advancements in both car safety and medical technology, especially the skill of ambulance staff. Still, that's just my opinion. I'm sure someone else will be along to disagree with me
