Thursday 29 September 2011

Philip Hammond On Top Form

If he goes on like this (his slot starts 2 min 50 seconds into the clip), he'll end up turning off the traffic lights or something:

My latest blogpost: Philip Hammond On Top FormTweet this! Posted by Mark Wadsworth at 20:42

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8 comments:

Dick Puddlecote said...

The boy done good. Sadly, I think shared access schemes are a bit too radical for him just yet. It's a step in the right direction, though. There is the occasional glimpse of proper true conservative policies in this government, it's just a shame that there's also a lot of bowing to vested interests and pressure groups to compensate.

29 September 2011 at 21:21
Mark Wadsworth said...

DP, bugger conservative, Mr H shows traces of liberalism and common sense. That's what really matters.

29 September 2011 at 22:09
James Higham said...

Let's just make it a round ton and be done.

29 September 2011 at 23:48
Man with a Polish Wife said...

Please don't get too happy too soon. According to the front page of tomorrow's Independent the de facto speed limit in towns will become 20mph.

As any fool will know, (well actual DOT [then] figures), pollution emitted has a peak at just over this speed due to the inefficiency/gearing of car engines at this speed - so much for green measures.

However, and most importantly, 10 miles at 20 mph instead of 30 mph adds 10 min to a journey. However, after one hour on the motorway at 80 mph you only need an extra 8.5 min to drive those 80 miles at 70 mph.

Most people drive much more in town than country - therefore, the trade off isn't even fair.

And of course, the killer blow, as an 80 mph limit is a natural adjustment reflecting realit, whereas a 20 mph limit will have a crippling effect on society if it is enforced: it is the typical speed of a funeral cortege (an apt analogy). Please also note that more recent research indicates that there is 20 mph rage if motorists are made to keep at this speed for more than about a "kilometre" (from memory).

Once again, it seems that bad news is being sold as good. Hmmmmmm.

29 September 2011 at 23:49
Pogo said...

The 20mph speed limit is going to be something of a conundrum... IIRC there is no requirement in any of the construction and use regulations for a speedometer to be in any way accurate, or even register, at speeds of less than 30mph.

As for Mr Hammond - he appears to be yet another scientifically illiterate MP who doesn't know the difference between carbon and carbon dioxide.

30 September 2011 at 00:01
Mark Wadsworth said...

JH, one step at a time, eh?

MWAPW, somebody somewhere has to draw a line between 'residential areas' (where kids might be playing football, where people want to sleep at night etc) where 20 mph is perfectly sensible and 'towns', which is a meaningless term - what about main roads and so on?

And then we get into the whole sorry debate about speed bumps, traffic lights and so on.

P, Mr H knows perfectly well the difference between C and CO2, that's just his impish sense of humour shining through, i.e. he refuses to take the issue seriously and is just baiting the Greenies by dangling the stupid-carrot under their noses to see if they pick it up.

Channel 4 News then allowed a lady from Greenpeace to vent her spleen and she didn't even mention it, i.e. she doesn't have a clue about science, ergo Mr H won that argument hands down.

30 September 2011 at 00:35
Dick Puddlecote said...

Mr Polish: That's the fear. The 80mph limit is trumpeted as coming with heavy-handed enforcement, and the 20mph limit will be a sop to fake charities like Brake, and likely be set in areas which don't merit it.

The nice caress followed by a thump in the rib cage.

30 September 2011 at 00:57
QP said...

There's a lot of blather over the 20 limits. I'm living in one here, it applies to the estate, where there are parking bays on the road, and the shopping area but not to the main routes in and out of town. So I have to drive for about a minute at 20mph then I'm at 30mph. It may be possible to construct a route across town on just 20mph limits but this would be a ridiculously inefficient route to choose to drive that would never let you do it at 30 with all the junctions.

Of course the reality is that nothing has changed apart from some new signs, since even the police themselves have announced that they are not going to enforce it. (And the reality is that in rush hour on the 30mph routes you're lucky to be doing 20mph!). I'd just like bit of common sense and courtesy to be applied though. I have no real issue about people driving at 30mph where they can see a clear and empty route (e.g. late at night) but what annoys me is when I am trying to cross the road to the corner shop and someone goes past me way above the limit - that's just rude in my book.

So in principle I have no problem with the 80mph proposal on motorways - it makes sense since there are no dog walkers, cyclists, horses, etc. to worry about. The only practical issue is the speed difference between restricted heavy vehicles and cars, drivers will have to pay attention a bit more and in this age of smart phone distractions this is getting harder to achieve. The bottom line is though, does a law really exist if it is not enforced?

30 September 2011 at 08:04

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