New UK prime minister is open to British Autobahns
Smart Motorways
Politicians have been meddling with Britain’s highways for years, and not always in a way that makes motorists happy. Thus, so-called Smart Motorways were created, where the hard shoulder is used as an additional lane. We have a similar concept in the Netherlands, but the British find it confusing, partly because variable speed limits often apply. But that’s not the worst part. It turns out that the lane is regularly not closed when a car breaks down… Anything but safe and therefore a thorn in the side of Truss, who calls these “smart highways” a failed experiment.
British Autobahn?
While ending smart highways seems like a good move, it’s not the juiciest news. Indeed, in the final debate between Truss and her rival for the premiership Rishi Sunak, the removal of the speed limit came up. That’s the better stuff!
When asked by a Conservative Party member during the leadership debate if she would consider abolishing the mandatory speed limit and letting drivers decide for themselves how fast they want to drive, Truss said she was willing to look into it. We have never come this far in the Netherlands. There is currently a general speed limit of 70mph (112 km/h) in the UK. Earlier, Liz Truss favored the increase to 80mph (128 km/h).
Introduction still a long way off
Unfortunately for those who love speed, an actual removal of the speed limit is still a long way off. For example, the condition on some stretches of the British road network still leaves much to be desired and is therefore not yet suitable for popping over without a speed limit. The proposal will also undoubtedly draw fierce criticism from environmentalists and various road safety unions, among others. Still, it’s nice that the British motorist can continue to dream for a while.
