The Government has apparently invented a new way of making policy – an idea is proposed and put forward for legislation and it’s then withdrawn when it is overwhelmed by the public outcry.

This was certainly what happened when they tried to sell off the nation’s public woodlands, and taxes on pasties, and static caravans have also had to be revised. It is to be hoped that the same happens to another poorly-thought-out policy and that is the intention to raise the motorway speed limit to 80mph.

However, unlike the other reversals which depended on public opposition because of self-interest, it’s unlikely to happen this time with a population that has been softened up by an overdose of Jeremy Clarkson.

In this case, a laddish appeal to speed and classy-looking cars, allied to a tendency for living – and dying – in the moment rather than considering the long-term overview, means that many men, and too high a proportion of women, see speed and powerful cars as symbols of success.

With a populace seduced by the power of four-wheel drive, and 0 to 60 mph in a matter of seconds, the Government is banking on a gullible public swallowing the argument that the economy will benefit, without any realistic evidence being produced to support the contention.

Indeed, there could be more congestion on motorways as they can hold fewer cars at the higher speeds, and there will likely be more hold-ups with the increased number of accidents.

Germany has a 75 per cent higher death rate on its motorways than the UK, and this is undoubtedly related to the lack of a speed limit. It follows that an 80mph limit here will certainly mean more deaths, and the estimate is at least 25 each year.

All that apart, there are two other very sensible reasons why the speed limit shouldn’t be increased, and, indeed, there is much to be said for reducing the limit.

It’s very simple – driving faster uses more fuel and it’s estimated that drivers will pay more than £750 million in increased fuel costs, though the Government might approve, as about half a billion will go back to the Treasury in fuel duty and VAT.

The reality of using more fuel is that more CO2 will be produced just at a time when the Government is attempting to reduce emissions, and that is a good enough reason for not raising the limit.

Cars driven at 60mph use up to a third less fuel than at 80 and the result would be less fuel used, less CO2, less congestion and fewer accidents.

Now that’s a sensible speed limit.