Well, although, up to quite recently, I was doing seventy thousand miles per year, mainly on motorways (without incident of any kind I might add), I obviously bow you your vast experience of your 50mph dashes from one junction to the next (no doubt stopping somewhere on the hard shoulder for a picnic on your way.)

Now, let me tell you something about motorways. Most motorway drivers are actually working, that is, driving for a living. We know how to use a motorway properly. Tacographs do not restrict the speed of HGV's, they merely record the movements speed etc. 50mph or 56mph? Well, it may not make much difference to you, but to an HGV driver it is of real consequence, it could make the difference of getting his load delivered or not. Six hour at six miles per hour is thirty six miles! It takes an HGV a relatively long time and much fuel to accelerate from 50 to 56 mph. Some twat driving in the inside lane at 50mph means that he has to either slow down or overtake. This obviously results in the middle lane being chocked with HGV's – not a particularly good thing for road safety, and all because some self-important twat who does not know how to drive properly think he will show the world how to do it.

Motorway speeds, although astronomic to people who are used to their Sunday drive around the parish in their Austin Ruby, are quite safe. The relative speed between vehicles is quite slow as they are all travelling in the same direction, and even if the driver in front has to brake, providing you have left a sensible distance between yourself and the driver in front there is plenty of braking time because you are not approaching a stationary object,   the car in front is moving forward whilst slowing down. The biggest problem is lack of awareness of a road blockage ahead, or drivers 'undertaking'.

And, for your information, there are plenty of countries that operate a motorway minimum speed.