Looks like most Brits like to have their lives controlled by the nanny state government. What is going on? Don't you lot value your freedom & liberty?

Umah, Atlanta , USA

This increased control of the roads is just one more symptom of a much deeper malaise. From all the news I've been reading, and reports I hear from people living in the UK, I fear that the country is lost. Too many there seem to want more government.

You, Briton, who value the freedom to keep and use the fruits of your labo[u]r should leave the country. Let the place sink without taking you along.

Kris, Houston, TX

I have no problem obeying speed limits, but those average speed camera sections of motorways make me petrified to take my eyes off the speedo.

Wesley, Milton Keynes,

Police should concentrate on people using phones whilst driving as not concentrating on whats going on whilst driving a car has got to be far more dangerous than going 5mph over the speed limit!

Paul , Darlington,

Will all of this mean that the Government will do something about the vast number of cars on the road with false registrations? In my four miles to and from work, I see at least half a dozen every day . . . It's missing a huge source of income.

A Perrott, London, UK

So does this mean we're going to be provided with fast, efficient, cheap and clean bullet-style trains in exchange?

Umm....no.

Rob L, Canterbury, UK

Always fascinatng how the supposed-Left always has some excuse for wanting to constrain freedoms. 'New Labour' is aiming for a degree of control over individual behavior that Stalin could have never fantasized.

John Miller, Foster City, CA, USA

Just another way of getting money.

When is it all going to stop?

N Wilson, Bourne , Lincs

Duh, if I'm driving I can watch my speedometer, and know if I'm speeding. How are motorists supposed to calculate their average speed? That could be as distracting as driving whilst putting on makeup, smoking, using a phone, or eating an apple.

Michael, London,

All this will do is fuel the use of stolen and false number plates, which is already on the increase.

Mark, Ely,

This Labour government has been the most anti-car government in history, they all but stopped road building 10 years ago, then blamed us for the increase in congestion, they have raised taxes through fuel duty, congestion charges, road tax, etc.. to the point where driving a car in the UK is probably the most expensive in the world, and then say we have to pay even more taxes and we have more speed cameras than any other country in the world. A car is essential for my job, and driving a car in this country has become a nightmare, I despise this government, time for the 30 million car drivers of the UK to vote this government out, or I'm emigrating.

D Jones, Brimingham, UK

Labour are control freaks that act to criminalise decent citizens who pay their taxes, bring up children properly, & abide by the law. Witness now fingerprinting & photographing innocent air travellers. They allow vast numbers of people to get away without motor insurance, allow people not to pay for TV licences, let illegal imigrants remain in the UK, fail to deport foreign criminals, & allow data to go missing. They grab from us huge fuel taxes & do nothing against utility profiteering. They use false data on passive smoking to ban public smoking, & when they are found out through large scale American studies change their story that they were encouraging people to stop smoking. Now Brown is using false data on plastic bags to support another ban. Labour has form on Iraq, remember weapons of mass destruction.They have created a benefit society who dodge all sorts of payments, while feeding Labour constituencies with more & more of our taxpayers money. Get Labour Control freaks OUT!

Clive Kitchener, Storrington, UK

Paul, from Toronto:

This system has been in use in some other places (like Australia) for about ten years. I was just hoping it wouldn't come to the UK!

Simon Hamilton, Sevenoaks, Kent, UK

im surprised that most of the debat eis focusing on these cameras, has anyone actially considered how ludicrous and dangerous opening the hard shoulder to traffic is?

can anyone answer the follwoing questions-

-suppose i have a rear tyre blowout in the outside lane, what am i supposed to do, where would you like me to go

-supposing there is an accident, where is one expected to stop, i carent stop on the ard shoukder, because there is 70mph traffic behind me

-if and when an accident occurs, even a minor one, where are the emergency services supposed to go?

i carent emphasise enough how dangerous and downright irresponsible these plans are

andrew myers, Leeds, England

"Ah ... poor little petrol heads getting upset because you can't go on breaking the law and killing people with total impunity?
You people make be want to vomit. ...Andrew Dale, London"

Unfortunately Andrew, and this will probably make you vomit more, your argument is fatally undermined by the FACTS

1) Nobody has shown that speed is the major factor in most accidents. It's NOT. That's bad driving, inattention, using the phone whilst driving, etc.

2) IF speed was the major cause of accidents, motorways would be the places where the most accidents ocur, but in fact they're the SAFEST place with the LEAST accidents per mile/journey.

3) If the police thought it was a "real" crime to be doing more than 70mph on a motorway, they'd nick every body for it, but they don't. It's just not good politics for the government to come out and admit driving at 80-90 mph in good conditions is perfectly safe.

Clive, Surrey,

Glad I don't live in the UK anymore. Getting too big brother-ish for my liking.

What is not clear is the goal of doing this. Because it's not clear the obvious answer is a cash grab accompanied by the need to CONTROL people.

Trouble is, even if Labour get voted out, the incoming government won't change this law because of the cash.

It's ironic that Motorways were created for faster, long haul traffic. To keep heavy traffic of smaller A roads, protect small towns and improve safety. And, now, with automobiles being better and safer than ever, we are now talking of reducing motorway driving speeds.

It would be okay if they increased to 80mph during off-peak hours in good weather conditions, but they won't.

Terrorists may be a clear and present danger to the country but this government is a much greater threat to everyone's liberty and freedom.

I just hope it doesn't transfer to other countries.

Paul, Toronto, Canada

Law abiding citizens have nothing to fear from any cameras. You don't fall into this catagory however if you speed.....

For those who can't keep an eye on their speedometer and traffic around them I would suggest the hand in their drivers license since they have just admitted that they can't really drive!

Barry, Shropshire,

"All speed cameras do is take money from law abiding people"
Er .. that doesn't make a lot of sense. Surely, if drivers are law-abiding, i.e. keeping to the legal speed limit, they can be sure speed cameras won't be able to "take money from them".
Or have I misundestood something?

D Hackett, Bath, UK

For years goverments have justified speed cameras by claiming that they save lives. Now we are being told that it is ok to drive faster providing that you are willing to pay a toll. These measures are nothing but another stealth tax and will have little impact on the number of deaths on our roads.

James Campbell, London,

Andrew Dale, would you like to state what a safe speed is on a motorway. I'll give you two scenarios - on a busy motorway in the rain, and on a dry, empty motorway with good visibility in the middle of the night. I would remind you that the legal speed limit is the same in both scenarios, so the law doesn't differentiate. I would also remind you that motorways are built at huge cost and have different rules specifically to make travelling at high speed safer, and indeed motorways are our safest roads in terms of deaths and serious injuries per distance travelled.

There is already a de facto 80mph limit on motorways for cars because so many people travel above that and so few are ever prosecuted. Any idea to strictly police a 70mph limit would in my opinion have more to do with revenue raising than safety concerns.

I agree by the way that reduced motorway speed limits should be enforced when the hard shoulder is used, as the safety of the road is thereby compromised.

Cliff Clifford, Yorkshire,

Dave in Reading, I broadly agree with you, but I guess with the thousands in extra revenue that will be generated the government will be able to afford to put more policemen on the beat as well! so everyone's a winner...

Jez, Exeter, UK

Another cynical revenue generating measure. Motorways' capacity would be greatly increased if people used them properly i.e. moving into the left most lane when not overtaking.

Instead, you have the ludicrous situation seen by anyone that used the M4 during rush hour where there is a nose-to-tail queue of traffic in the fast lane and virtually no-one in the middle and left lanes except for trucks.

More police on the motorway regularly stopping people over a period of 3-6 months for bad driving which is not just about speed will make the difference.

Bi-directional lanes will only be of use if people are made to keep to the left.

Marios Patrinos, Reading, UK

labour/brown/ state controlled britain.nothing this government does surprises people anymore.next they will insist a direct government account.where they will controll our money and where it goes. labour are sinister bullies. If only joe public would rise up and said no. Revenge will be sweet in may, and 2 years time. They will lose their seats and their dishonest expense claims,+overpaid salarries.

paul, potters bar, uk

We are living in the 1000 year Reich. Hitler must be proud. or is he still alive.

Genco Abbandando, London,

Rather typical of this government. It has lost the plot on important issues such as the economy, crime and immigration but has hissy-fits about motorists speeding by a few mph, and people overfilling their bins

Richard, Bexhill, UK

Look, let's get this straight. The British government doesn't care about what you think or what you want. The modern British left-liberal elite [The Labour Party, The Conservative Party and The Liberal Democrats] are as far removed from you or your concerns as any ruling elite you care to name from history - be it an autocratic Tsar or a Roman Emperor. They will continue to impose their own politically-correct, anti-family, anti-Christian ideology on you, me and the rest of the people of this country until such time as we rise up and get rid them.

Lance Grundy, Liverpool, Great Britain

I'm thinking of coming back to the UK from Canada and running for the next general election. If you vote for me, I promise to 'get rid' of speed cameras. But seriously, the UK government is just going too far. All speed cameras do is take money from law abiding people and encourage them to break the law by changing their number plates or not registering cars with the DVLA.

D Jones, Ottawa, Canada

Why are we seeking to spend so much money on motorways that are already among the safest roads in the world ? This money would be far better spent and to better effect on our other roads that have much higher accident rates if that was the intent of the proposal.

Every day I drive about 120-150 miles on our motorways, and one simply doesn't see the amount of dangerously excessive speeds that this proposal seems to be attempting to cure. Traffic volumes are now such that, they tend to limit speeds anyway.

It all seems a very curious and inefficient use of tax payers money.

Graham Perry, Harlow, Essex

Yet another un-costed Labour "initiative".
How many companies will be forced out of business because they cannot afford the extra staff and vehicles to cover the territory when all journeys will take so much longer?
Doubt if that thought has even crossed their domination focussed minds as it will not affect them - they will be in the go-faster toll lane with us paying as always.

Danny, Ashford, Kent

One more reason to convince me that the government is penalising the middle Britain, after all they are the only ones gullable enough to pay, complain and not do anything about the problem. Shame that nothing is being done about the breakdown of law and order, the faliure of the judicial system, the outspoken PC brigades that trample on the, silent majority

Unfortunatly we had enough we moved to NZ last year

Chris , Auckland,

There is of course the loophole in the law at the moment regarding averaging camera's. They can only convict if the car stays in then same lane through the duration of the timed run.
Therefore it is simply a case of making sure you pass the first camera in one lane and change lanes before passing the second camera.
Of course it probably won't be long before they close this loophole!!!
And what about motorbikes with no numberplate on the front. They can't be timed as most of these camera's work on the front number plate!!!!
And it will just encourage more people not to register the car to themselves to avoid the fines, making even more illegial cars on the road.

Ian, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

There is of course the loophole in the law at the moment regarding averaging camera's. They can only convict if the car stays in then same lane through the duration of the timed run.
Therefore it is simply a case of making sure you pass the first camera in one lane and change lanes before passing the second camera.
Of course it probably won't be long before they close this loophole!!!
And what about motorbikes with no numberplate on the front. They can't be timed as most of these camera's work on the front number plate!!!!
And it will just encourage more people not to register the car to themselves to avoid the fines, making even more illegial cars on the road.

Ian, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

There is of course the loophole in the law at the moment regarding averaging camera's. They can only convict if the car stays in then same lane through the duration of the timed run.
Therefore it is simply a case of making sure you pass the first camera in one lane and change lanes before passing the second camera.
Of course it probably won't be long before they close this loophole!!!
And what about motorbikes with no numberplate on the front. They can't be timed as most of these camera's work on the front number plate!!!!
And it will just encourage more people not to register the car to themselves to avoid the fines, making even more illegial cars on the road.

Ian, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Err whats the point. There is no road safety reason for this. Ithought our motorways were amongst the safest roads in the world. What on earth will making most drive at 65 mph rather than 75 mph do to achieve that ?

This government really doesn't get it does it. Most of the population want the low level crime dealt with. We want more policeman on the beat. We want rid of the drunken louts hanging around street corners and shopping precincts. We want to feel safe on our streets. We don't want more stupid measures aimed at making life more irritating for us when we are trying to get on with our every day lives.

This measure is just a revenue gathering exercise. It doesn't even address the issue of illegal drivers , uninsured cars and incompetant motorsts. The return of police on the motorway would be better idea.

Dave, Reading, UK

I can't see any problem. It'll make the roads safer from the morons who drive like they own the road, and kill thousands of innocent people every year. Stick to the speed limit and it won't affect you will it.

Matt, Peterborough,

How many Civil Servants have been employed and for how long to formulate these crazy proposals which it seems that they have managed to "sell" to this incompetent government?

Frank, BONCATH, Wales

A moving central reservation barrier? Who are they trying to kid? How on earth would you make a completely reliable, crash-worthy moving barrier? Imagine the chaos caused when a section of barrier sticks because of the wrong sort of rain / snow / leaves / grit / etc. etc. Imagine the time taken to repair it after it's been crashed in to. Given the miles of motorway they're talking about this could be a regular occurrence. Worse still, imagine the roadworks chaos we'll have to endure for the years it would take to install it in the first place. This is the worst part of an idiotic scheme.

Matthew Barratt, MAidstone, UK

Tony Woods: "Why is there so much effort put into policing the law abiding hard working citizens and so little put into stamping out inner city crimes, street violence and drugs abuse."

Because law abiding citizins are easy targets and generally pay up when they're told to. Real criminals are much harder to deal with.

Personally I'm totally fed up with the New Labour strategy of using criminalisation as a social engineering and revenue generation tool. I can't wait to find work in the US.

Ian, London, UK

Tony Woods - you are not a law abiding citizen if you exceed 70mph on the motorway, at the moment. I can't see a problem with enforcing extant laws. If you have a problem with this, campaign to increase the motorway speed limit - I would vote for you

John Davies, London, UK

Ah ... poor little petrol heads getting upset because you can't go on breaking the law and killing people with total impunity?
You people make be want to vomit.

No doubt you'll be moaning about the cost of petrol next, even though cars use massively more fuel to drive at 80 than 60 - anyone who ever drives over 60 mph doesn't care about the cost of fuel, you just want something to whine about.

If you're not capable of driving at a safe speed, you've no right being on the road, it's as simple as that. I'd be quite happy with every inch of every road being covered by a speed camera - but then I don't break the law.

Andrew Dale, London,

The use of average speed cameras, provided both distance and time measurements are accurate, is a fair and sensible means of traffic control.
Admittedly, some drivers will try to push others along by driving close behind the vehicle in front, but this is a matter that should be policed by officers on site in the traffic flows or, dare I say, with cameras looking at the traffic from the side of the road, AND heavily penalised.

Ray R, London,

Wouldn't the money and manpower for this scheme be better spent reducing ever increasing urban crime even if that is not so profitable?

Ever day I am happier that I quit a sinking ship. (Ex pat)

Tony Eden, Ollon, Switzerland

Can any traffic management expert please explain what happens in a motorway accident gridlock when the hard shoulder is also full of traffic. How do the emergency services actually reach the accident?

Bob, London,

When the motorist start using the hard shoulder on the motor ways and someone breaks down on it ,there will be some bad accidents.I wonder if the government will carry the responsibility for them?

stan white, leeds, england

This is a revenue-raiser flimsily camouflaged as "traffic management" and no-one should be fooled into thinking otherwise. Another example of high-handed policymaking by an unelected , unaccountable quango.

Ben Smith, Bristol, UK

Why are they afraid to persuade us by showing us the FACTS of the number of deaths and injuries in motorway accidents where illegal speed was a factor? Perhaps because the facts don't support this money raising scam? Time the peasants revolted me thinks.

Paul Gilligan, Carlisle, Cumbria

You can bet your life that MPs, Police and Judge's number plates will be conveniently erased from records.

George Sign, Nice, France

I suspect much of the pressure for tighter enforcement of traffic laws is coming from the anti-roads lobby who, surprise surprise, are actually funded by the rail and bus companies. They will even fund local campaigns against new roads. Their motive is to force us - by congestion, by charges and by penalties - to use their 'public' transport. They would rather the country came to halt than that you should have an alternative to a high priced ticket.

cliff, Berkshire,

This government hates its own people, I'm 50 and I can't walk out at night because of fear of violence/robbery and all they can do is ratchet up the persecution of motorists. I voted labour last time but never again, come on Cameron catch up - theres votes here!

Charles, Romford,

They should install these camers in all towns throughout the UK and stop the idiots who constantly break the speed limit. Get these fools banned and off the road and make our towns a safer place.

D Case, Newquay,

The motorways are getting more and more dangerous every time I drive on them. Not due to people driving too fast, but due to selfish irresponsible drivers that (1) pull into gaps at speed that other drivers are trying to leave for braking distances; (2) weave in and out of traffic trying to pick the fastest lane; (3) sit in the middle lane at a speed that is not deserving of being in the middle lane; and (4) drive too close to the car in front to try and force cars to pull over so they can speed on their way past another car.

Speed is not the issue in any of these instances. Just bad driving. Average cameras will not pick these issues up. What we need is more police cars - unmarked - on the roads that have the right to use their common sense.

Policing should be about safety, not about automatically penalising drivers who are speeding in a safe way.

Nick, Bedford,

Yet more surveillance by the New Labour Stasi

Paul, Coventry,

lunatics again, result ,will be longer journey times and more accidents, eyes glued to speedometers instead of the road. In Italy the speed limits were increased on some motorways which reduced accidents. This government is a total dictatorship ,allbeit an elected one, who have no respect for public opinion in many areas.

s barker, perth,

The problem with getting rid of the morons in power, is that they are replaced by more morons.

What you need is Jeremy Clarkson for Prime Minister, frankly I'd vote the man President - get rid of the lot of em and make JC the sole govenor of the country (world?). Never has a man I disliked so much, been so obviously the answer to the country's need - yes that's right - I don't like him personally, but I'd vote him into office tomorrow, and I have never voted in my life.

paul, Milton Keynes,

If you do not obey the law why should you not be fined? I imagine all these complainers just smile beatifically when held up for 3 hours by another 85mph shunt in the outside lane?

The hard shoulder will only be opened when the road is packed and 50 is the only sensible speed to do. And I worry about people who cannot tell from gear and engine note what speed they are doing without looking at the speedo; if in doubt how about going slower (although not in the middle lane surrounded by empty tarmac)?

Average speed cameras are in use now on the M4 where there is no contraflow, just alleged roadworks (lots of cones no workers).

Simon Bee, Wokingham, UK

If there is to be average speed cameras then car manufacturers should also be required to install cruise speed controls on all new cars.

David Smith, North Shields,

What a nonsense! Using the hard shoulder as a running lane will cause more jams when it gets blocked by a breakdown. And in what way will safety be enhanced when I have to spend half my time looking at the speedo, not the road ahead (and behind, to the sides...) or trying to preempt potential dangers. All this at a time when public finances face massive overstretch and falling revenues. What a waste of time, effort and OUR tax money.

As to the motivation, well they will generate lots of tax revenue to waste on some other hair-brained useless scheme. But there is one agenda that we haven't yet seen discussed: the govt will manage to get road use reduced and thus congestion will become a thing of the past. All hail the Great Gordon - he is about to abolish traffic jams. Why? Well, it is clear: they want to have every driver banned for multiple speeding offences.

nigel somerville, abingdon,

Put these in and there'll be so few drivers left with a valid licence that we'll have to get in a load of foreigners to deliver our goods, do our jobs etc... and will we see ALL policeman (on and off duty without blue lights) lose their licences too?

Time to get out of here, the governments gone mad!

Tom, Lichfield,

Every citizen is now automatically considered a terrorist threat or a criminal of some other type. In the eleven years this group of incompetent control freaks have been in power : taxes have risen and the tax system become so complicated even accountants barely understand it; crime has gone up; a significant minority of our schools don't do their job; our hospitals have become places where you go to get sick; doctors have been paid more to do less; our pension system has been destroyed. Oh yes - and I forgot - we're spending a fortune on a war that we got into because our PM was economical with the truth. Let's hope that people at the next election can see that anything has to be better than this.

Chris, London,

Our local geniuses have just started erecting these cameras along one of Northern Irelands busiest routes. Between Belfast and Bangor there are about seven or so of these monstrous great yellow poles. It's a bit of a waste of taxpayers money though as there are around about 18 sets of traffic lights on a 10 mile stretch, so the trafic, in rush hour at least, never gets above 50mph! When the revolution comes, I suspect the nimrod that concocted this money skimming plan will be the first against the wall!

stug, belfast, UK

Fine but lets have realistic speed limits. Under ordinary conditions why not 90 mph which modern cars can do safely?

Andy, shrewsbury,

I suppose Kelly has to something to justify her company car.

GMF, Aberdeen, UK

It's hard to balance rules for millions of people. They all need to be enforced so that everyone can use the motorway in the same way. I think some rules could change but for as long as that is not done we should stick to the current rules. I admit I speed occasionally but will never moan about getting caught and fined (so far that has happened only once). I know I am breaking the rules. What I do moan about are the rules.

I find it ironic that ppl who moved out of the UK to countries where the roads are emptier and wider but the speed limits in most parts of those countries are even lower than the UK have commented.

Barry, Shropshire,

Why is there always enough money for cameras when they can't afford to resurface potholed diesel covered suburban roads? Surely adding miles of cameras and then offices filled with computers and lights will cause an increase in the carbon footprint? What civil servant will be incharge of turning on the cameras at busy times and who will accidentally forget to turn them off at night? Is it even their intention to turn them off?

I agree with the idea of using them to help traffic flow in busy periods but like CCTV it'll end up being used to force cash out of honest people.

SS, Chelmsford,

pity they dont put so much effort into taking knives and guns off the streets

DAVID FENN, luton, uk

Yet another "safe and lawabiding" motorist say he needs to constantly peer at the speedometer to ensure he is not breaking the limit - please keep these incompetent drivers off the road, or buy them cruise control if they really cannot perform simple coordintation functions.

Ken, St Leonards,

The plan to increase the member of enforcement cameras to ‘average’ speed measurement and control” appears to me as being for the purpose of making money. And for having a moving barrier to open and close the right hand lane making it a bi-directional, sounds so stupid to me. This would increase the risk of accidents with drivers never being sure if they are driving the right way. There are to many drivers that ae not 100% thinging of their driving. It is eveident to me that larger vehicle which are restricted to 56 mph (?) should remain in the left hand lane. Often one finds a lorry ‘trying’ to overtake another, but only 1 or 2 mph faster. This takes up a masive amount ot time and motorway space holding up the traffic behind.
Last thing, I often drive on A and B roads because they are often quieter, quicker and more interesting to drive.
Dennis, Norwich

dennis freeman, norwich,

Prehaps there will be a free loan to all motorists to install a heads up display to all cars? Will the expected millions in revenue actually go into improving a shoddy transport network? Or help pay off the trillions that the Iraq war has cost the global economy? You decide, it's time to put this Government on its bike.

Pete Furtek, Ostrava, Czech Republic

While the concept seems good, its flawed. All it's going to succeed in doing is frustrating motorway drivers, even though, as someone else has said already, that it the safest place to go a little bit faster - if traffic is moving 5 or 10 mph faster, and you're keeping up, and keeping your distance, its no more unsafe than doing the limit really.

What we have already, is a system that seems to work okay, but it's as if "okay" isnt good enough, so all this talk of using the hard shoulder as a lane, and bi-directional flow in other lanes will just complicate things further: the more complicated things get, the more frustrated drivers will get, and the more likely they are to put their foot down on rural roads, on which, they're far more likely to end up in a ditch.
Chances are, if someone is going to get caught on a motorway speeding, they deserve it: and if you dont get caught, chances are you're a sensible driver. A generalisation of course, but not altogether untrue.

Dom, Stafford,

We all paid for these roads through our taxes, reading this another way they are actually reducing the road capacity for most of us, by taking away capacity to create a two tier toll motorway that only the David Beckhams of this world will be able to afford to use. A priority lane for the rich who won't even pay close to the real build cost of providing an additional lane to the M6/M25/M40 etc. Subsidied congestion free travel for the rich, is this what new labour now represents?

Adam Jarvis, UK, UK

Why are we seeking to spend so much money on motorways that are already among the safest roads in the world ? This money would be far better spent and to better effect on our other roads that have much higher accident rates if that was the intent of the proposal.

Every day I drive about 120-150 miles on our motorways, and one simply doesn't see the amount of dangerously excessive speeds that this proposal seems to be attempting to cure. Traffic volumes are now such that, they tend to limit speeds anyway.

It all seems a very curious and inefficient use of tax payers money.

Graham, Harlow, Essex

why do we need to reduce speed in the poverty lanes and increase it in the Lexus lane? That doesn't sound like your trying to improve traffic flow, it sounds like you're trying to force people into the toll lane.

Tony, Hull,

If the hard shoulder is being used as a lane, where the heck are you supposed to go if your car breaks down??? It'll cause massive frustration for everyone in that "lane" and the next as they have to pull round your car.
I do a lot of motorway driving, and have seen shunts happen when a driver is caught unaware by queueing traffic at a junction, this plan will make that sort of accident much more likely.
It really doesn't sound safe.

Sarah W, Loughton,

This won't help. All that will happen is that people will drive faster on other roads, including country lanes etc. because they need to get it out of their system; this will in fact make the roads a generally more dangerous place. The motorway is the safest place to drive a little bit faster and personally, I'd rather they did it on an open stretch of road. If the government genuinely wants to make the roads a safer place, they should get the police out there catching people tailgating and undertaking and ensure that they are PROSECUTED. It would also be nice if they could do something about the stupid people throwing cigarettes out of car windows!

Sam Nicholson, Basingstoke,

The Conservatives introduced speed cameras and at the time promised they would not used on motorways, yet it wasn't long before they appeared on the M4.

Now we have this, - its just obscene.

AndyN, Reading,

Freedom is more than just a word. Chip, chip, chip, just a little bit at a time so no-one really notices, and before we know liberty will be a thing of the past, and our every action and thought will be controlled from above.

Is that what we want?

Bev, Bucks, UK

The reason behind these scheme MUST be to make money, as there is no "problem" that these are the solution to.

I drive on the M25 every day, between Junctions 9 and 12. Most of the journey (10 to 12) is already subject to variable speed limits and "spot" speed cameras.

This keeps the traffic at the desired speed (and I have no problem with its use when the motorway is really full).

Hence, we already have a system that
a) controls the speed
b) works

Therefore, the only "need" for this new system - which can only deliver the same result - MUST be that it generates more revenue.

Clive, Surrey,

They just don't get it. What we want is crime off the streets not off the motorways. Why is there so much effort put into policing the law abiding hard working citizens and so little put into stamping out inner city crimes, street violence and drugs abuse. Why is it always the hard working middle classes that seem to be the focus of law enforcement? Is it just because we pay up and shut up?

Tony Woods, London, UK

Time to get rid of ths government - can we hear from Dave that he'll repeal all this nonsense?

Ian Burgess, Bristol,

Great! So now, instead of watching the cars in front of me, behind me and on the neighbouring lanes, I'll be watching the speedo!. So how, please, this is expected to get me safer?

Mariusz Kuklinski, London,

Why ??
I can see no other reason than to generate revenue.

Ian , Portsmouth, UK

Would the last one to leave the country - please switch out the light

Richard, Bucharest,

Enforcing variable speed limits is a good idea when the motorway is overcrowded. However when the motorway is running fine, the speed limit should be 80mph (whether enforced or not).

Banning lorries from any lane except the outside lane / any they need to continue travel to their destination (where the split at a junction doesn't occur to the left, but the right) would help immensely, as might this bidirectional-lane system - but I wouldn't like to be the driver of a car in the far right lane when the barrier pushes me into the middle lane :-)

How do they plan on ensuring that other vehicles don't use the toll lane in between toll checkpoints? I wouldn't recommend erecting a giant barrier between the toll lane and the regular motorway, as then you'd only need some lorry doing 40mph down the toll lane to screw everything up.

Colin Haywood, Cambridge, UK

I agree, Fred, but you must realise that "these morons" have now been in power so long that most of the adult population now regard "Big Brother" as a TV show. They don't know any better.

John Bulcock, York, UK

Motorways were designed for fast, reliable travel. If speed limits are reduced in such a manner as this, what is the point
in having motorways?
Most people are killed or injured in accidents on rural roads
where drivers drive too fast on roads that are not designed for
speed. Motorways are, so if anything, the speed limit should be increased.
Pedestrians are not normally found walking on motorways,
but they are found on ordinary roads. Leave the motorways free
and let people drive their cars at their own speed, like the
Germans do.
Oh, and by the way, its not about saving lives. Its about gaining
yet more money out of the British taxpayer.

james, lady lake, usa / florida

When is the UK public going to stand up and say ENOUGH to this nonsense? Do we not live in a free country? As much as I love England, if this big brother monitoring and removal of freedoms continues, I will join the list of people to move out.

Robert C, London,

I am 21, drive for work (mostly motorways) and not a big fan of speed cameras in general. Yet, I see that when I, alongside everybody else drive at 50 (M42), traffic moves much more smoothly and the car uses almost 40% less fuel.

Although it is understandable that this improves traffic flow, sooner or later, the only purpose they will serve is to generate cash.

Billions of road tax money never went to the right projects and there is no trust in this government with its schemes anymore.

Saad, Birmingham,

Did you notice the "average speed AND control."

Yup, they are even experimenting with top speeds capped to the local limit by comparing the cars position, via it's GPS system, to a map with speed limits on it.

Your vehicles engine management system will be adapted to allow remote access, and you simply will not be physically able to exceed the speed limit. DfT have actually done this on a motorcycle.

I should say tho, as much as I hate them, this wasn't a NuLab idea, but a Civil Servants idea.

Mark Bullen, Kiama Downs Aus, Ex UK

So glad I don't live in the UK any more. It must be a nightmare!

Edwin, Bucharest,

i don't understand why it is necessary to reduce the speed limit, turn a hard shoulder to a running lane and then to charge user using running lane which the limit is 70mph. what is the government trying to achieve there? is it to get more money from the road users by lowering speed limit and catching them on camera plus the fee for running lane at 70mph, or to control traffic? personally it feels more like the former to me.

sw, cambridge, England

I emigrated from the UK six years ago partly for this reason -- the advancement of Big Brother -- and wouldn't come back if you paid me. When on earth are people over there going to learn and get rid of these morons that are in power?

Fred, Orlando, FL, USA

Oh great. More taxes.

Thalia, London,