JOURNEY times look set to tumble as the motorway speed limit rises to 80mph.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond is expected to announce the plan at the Conservative Party conference this weekend, in a victory over Cabinet sceptics Chris Huhne and Andrew Lansley.

Health Secretary Mr Lansley fears the change would lead to a rise in road deaths and Energy Secretary Mr Huhne worries the environment will suffer as drivers burn more fuel at faster speeds.

The policy is part of Tory plans to win the "Top Gear vote" and Mr Hammond said yesterday: "The speed limit is nearly 50 years old, and out of date thanks to advances in motoring technology.

"Increasing the motorway limit to 80mph would generate economic benefits of hundreds of millions of pounds through shorter journey times."

The new limit could be introduced by 2013, but road safety campaign Brake said: "The Government should be looking to reduce deaths on our roads, not making proposals likely to increase them."

And the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety says an 80mph limit would increase motorway casualties by up to 10%.

But ministers argue that improved car safety has led to a 75% fall in fatal accidents since 1965 when the 70mph limit was set.

Speed limits are lower here than in many other EU countries, with France on 81mph. Germany has no restriction on some roads.

Official figures show that more than half the cars on British motorways already break the speed limit and a fifth exceed 80mph, although police tend to only book drivers going at least 85mph.

Voice of the Mirror: Page 8