Drivers in Scotland want 80mph motorway speed limit

72% of Scottish drivers believe the current motorway speed limit should be raised. 81% of those believe the new limit should be 80mph 78% believe, if the new limit is set at 80mph, the police should enforce the law more strictly.

Scotland's drivers may be struggling to find fuel to put in their cars in the wake of the recent protests, but 72% of Scottish motorway drivers have admitted they want to see the 70mph national speed limit raised.

And the findings come as Glasgow-based Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership introduced two mobile camera sites between junctions 11 and 13 of the M74, the first use of cameras on a motorway outside roadworks in a bid to enforce the 70mph limit.

But the controversial move has come at a time when the vast majority of cars on Scotland's roads are capable of safely travelling at 80mph on our motorways instead of the current 70mph limit.

"There is no question that in good weather, at a safe distance from the car in front, a limit of 80mph is a safe speed," Jim McGill, editor of thecarmag, Scotland's only motoring magazine and which carried out the survey, said.

"What has to be taken into consideration is that modern cars have better brakes and safety systems and can be driven safely at higher speeds.

"The 80mph figure has been the unwritten common law limit for almost a decade now and, at least until recently,you were highly unlikely to be pulled over for doing anything up to 85mph."

So what do Scottish motorists feel about motorway speed limits? We at thecarmag spoke with 1000 drivers as they took a break at a number of service areas on the M74 and asked them for their views.

Asked whether the current motorway speed limit should be raised, 72% of drivers said a resounding yes while 81% of those stated they believed the limit should be raised to 80mph. But in a move which is sure to encourage safety organisations, 78% of those quizzed believe that if the motorway limit is raised the police should enforce the law more strictly.

Does that mean more cameras? Probably, but if the number of detectors are to be increased on Scotland's motorways then the police must adopt a reasonable and sensible approach and take steps to move themselves away from the position where they are criticised for implementing the measures simply to generate income. It must become clear that safety is the primary reason for enforcing speed restrictions.