In preparation for the veteran car run

Saturday, 05 November 2011 09:04

On Saturday 14 November 1896, 33 pioneering motorists set off in a variety of innovative 19th Century horseless carriages, from the Metropole Hotel London, to the Metropole Hotel Brighton to demonstrate and promote the capabilities of the motor car invention.

The wide variety of participating motor cars included electric, steam and internal combustion engine propulsion technology. In addition, they celebrated the new road-act of that year which increased the speed limit from 4mph to 14mph and abandoned the need for a man on foot waving a red flag, to precede each motor vehicle.

Today as we near the Veteran Car Run at the weekend the The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport Mike Penning is in discussions with committees about raising the limits on motorways to 80mph. Penning says, "The existing limit has been in place since the '60s. We will weigh up safety and environmental aspects against enforcement-although we all know that 70 mph is not being enforced-and how increasing the speed limit to 80 mph would help the country to grow in infrastructure. We will look at the balance in those areas."
The topic of raising the speed limit comes at a time when the country is trying to regain its strength in the economic downturn. It was Stephen Mosley, (the Conservative MP for the City of Chester) who had initiated the point that; "The maximum motorway speed limit in several European countries, including France, Italy and Germany, is currently greater than 80 mph." and had instigated the question of raising the speed limit to Penning.

On last year's Future Car Challenge amongst the winners were: for most Economic Small Passenger EV - TATA Indica Vista Electric, most Economic & Environment Friendly Sports HEV - Honda CR-Z Hybrid and for best F-Cell Hydrogen Vehicle - Mercedes-Benz B-Class, F-Cell.

Once again we are seeing the electric car make the celebrated journey, although back to front, it raises the questions and of course the limits to what we can achieve to improve the way in which we utilise travel in our automobiles. By Lara Platman

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