The world slowing down is not necessarily a bad thing, especially it helps with safety and air pollution. With that in mind, the Highways England project wants to examine what effect slowing down motorway traffic by just 10 mph (16 km/h) might have on the air we breathe.
A new 60 mph (96 km/h) limit will be imposed for at least 12 to 15 months, displayed on roadside signs and enforced 24/7, as reported by AutoExpress.
If you continue to carry on doing 70 mph (112 km/h), you will risk a £100 fine to go with three penalty points on your driver’s license.
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The limit will be tested out on the M1 (between junctions 33-34), the M6 (junctions 6-7), the M602 (junctions 1-3) and the M5 (junctions 1-2). Each of these patches is roughly 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long, but if the trials are a success, the new speed limit could be further enforced.
This scheme has been put in place as a direct response to Britain’s NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) levels, which have been linked to roughly 40,000 premature deaths in the UK per year – a very troubling statistic, especially when considering how motorway traffic has gone up by nearly a quarter in the last two decades.
The Highways England project will also test emissions barriers in order to prevent pollution from reaching residential areas situated near motorways.
It will be interesting to see what’s going to happen should Britain’s motorways begin employing 60 mph (96 km/h) speed limits on additional stretches of road. On one hand, governments need to try everything in order to lower pollution levels. However, we wouldn’t be surprised if many motorists would struggle with the notion of having to drive that slow.
