@Dogbyte
Since you appear to know so much about it, you would know that HGV speed limiters only restrict a vehicles top speed and as such, only reduce the (legal) top speed available by 4 mph. Hardly a cause of more accidents I feel.
Perhaps the year on year increase in cars and associated incompetent car drivers has more to do with it ?
@ Luther Blissett
The speed limiters do not affect the brakes, they are not cruise control (which turns off when the brakes are applied anyway).
I think all cars should be fitted with digital tachographs the same as HGVs, so each driver needs to insert their drivers card before they drive. Then the police have an up to the minute record of your ridiculous driving habits.
If you want to cure the congestion, get the 75% empty cars off the road. How can it be efficient or desirable to need 1.5 to 2 tonnes of metal to transport each person to work and back each day ?
Bloody status symbols and toys, that's all they are. Trucks on the other hand provide a vital service. Nothing you eat or own could be provided to you without being transported at some stage by a truck. And they do it more efficiently than any other means. If you wanted to replace trucks with vans, just bear in mind, you would need 20 transit sized vans to replace just 1 articulated lorry of 44 tonnes.
And they would consume 10 times the fuel for the equivalent load shifted, plus 20 times the wages for drivers, and approximately 7 times the capital outlay to buy from new. And how would your congestion look then ?
I don't think you realise how many artics it takes to keep just one supermarket going for a week. Not supermarket chain, just one shop. Maybe we should go for it and see how you like queuing for food when they can't fill the shelves.