The thirty-mile limit has had time by now to make
its impression and there seems to be much diversity of opinion in regard to it. I have had occasion since last week to drive across a good deal of the breadth of England,,and to scour one wide area pretty thoroughly. That the limit is a considerable irritation to the average motorist there can be no doubt. With a modern car on a good road the eye has to be kept constantly on the speedometer, or the 30 miles will inevitably be exceeded—and with perfect safety. .Morecder, in a cross-country journey 30-mile limits of five or six miles in length (two miles or more each side of a moderate-sized town, and perhaps a mile through it) are common enough. Personally I doubt the value of the limit. Certainly I should have driven just as safely without any limit as I did with it. But there will be no serious ground for complaint if the Minister of Transport and local authorities show themselves- reason- able. Rules of thumb—such as deciding speed-limits by street-lamps—rarely work equitably. There are - many long straight stretches in • suburbs where no limit. is needed. These ought gradually to be decontrolled.
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