Pressure groups campaigning under the name No to 80 estimated that raising the motorway speed limit to 80mph could cost society an extra £1bn a year, including £766m in fuel bills and more than £62m in health costs.

The groups, which include the road safety charity Brake, the Campaign for Better Transport and Greenpeace, also estimated that the higher limit would lead to 25 extra deaths and 100 serious injuries a year, as well as 2.2m more tonnes of carbon emissions.

I'm glad they've dropped it

Owning an old 5 speed 'family' car the difference for me between 70 and 80 would be pretty high in terms of fuel economy reductions

I'm glad they've dropped it

Owning an old 5 speed 'family' car the difference for me between 70 and 80 would be pretty high in terms of fuel economy reductions

They are planning on dropping the speed limit in Germany to 120km/h, approx. 70mph, from a 'recommended' 130km/h. Sabine Roth, leader of the Green/B90 party (the one that got beaten up by the authorities in Turkey last week) has been campaigning for the lower limit for years, claiming up to 30% less fuel and less co2 output.

There is certainly a big difference with my car, driving at 120 or less, I get around 6.8l/100km, at 130 it is closer to 7.4.

Though if you are rich enough to be able to afford such a car the extra costs of fuel etc will be insignificant, plus they really do not pay the true carbon costs so really do not care.

A Ford Mondeo diesel will do 240, driving at 150 will get about over 45mpg, constantly accelerating hard to over 200 and braking will drop that to mid 20s.