drivers spend more time with their eyes closed due to blinking than they do glancing at their speedometers which only takes a blinking second. speed limits are there for a reason so lets just learn to live with the fact.
Blinking takes less than a third of a second, and - more importantly - there's no refocussing required. One of our cars has a HUD, where the speed is projected onto the lower part of the windscreen, but appears as though it's ten feet in front. It's infinitely easier to remain within the limits using that method than when I drive the 4 x 4.
Speed limits exist because of a minority of drivers who would drive stupidly and without any regard to the consequences. Of more concern, however, is the fact that by imposing these limits arbitrarily, they tend to act more as a target than a restriction.
A good example of this is the A470 between Black Cat and Llanrwst. Although it's classed as a 60mph stretch there are very few places where it's actually safe to do that speed. Drivers are therefore expected to use their skill, judgement and intelligence when driving the road.
There are also some interesting trends.
In 2017 there were 4,556 road accidents involving personal injury recorded by the police, a reduction of 365 on 2016 (7.4 per cent reduction). These recorded accidents resulted in 6,202 casualties, which was 651 fewer than in 2016. That confirms the steady decline in road deaths across Wales, yet speed limits during that period remained largely unchanged, the number of road users rose year-on-year and traffic has increased each year since reporting began.
Can we, therefore, seriously be expected to believe that speed limits play a major role in reducing accidents?
What concerns me most, however, is the apparently blinkered attitude people have towards the subject. Some are so sure of their own personal experience that there can be no argument. They know everything there is to know about speed and accidents and no amount of reasoned debate will cause them to question what seems to be a blind faith in what they believe.