THE Government is being urged to raise the speed limit on motorways to 80mph.

Campaigners for the move claim the current 70mph limit, introduced 40 years ago following a series of pile-ups in fog, has not been shown to have reduced accidents.

Mark McArthur-Christie, spokesman for lobbying group Association of British Drivers, said: ‘With the huge improvements in all aspects of vehicle performance, the 70mph limit only serves to create bunching of traffic, frustration and loss of driver concentration. More than half of all drivers break the limit, which creates a lack of respect for the whole system of speed limits, including those set for valid safety reasons.

The 70mph limit was, and still is, irrelevant to the issue of stopping multiple accidents in poor visibility.

‘These accidents will only be prevented when drivers are properly trained to avoid the pitfalls of driving along a road with few visual reference points.’

Local authorities have been told by the Government to carry out reviews of speed limits on A and B roads by 2012.