What's Behind The 80mph Increase?

For the first time in 16 months the UK Government has done something that at first glance could be described as sensible, and then they go and ruin it all by trying to put a spin on it.
The motorway speed limit will increase from 70mph to 80mph and as the owner of a lead foot on the accelerator, i'm fine with that but they went too far by trying to dress up the reason they are doing it is because it has 'significant economic benefits, worth hundreds of millions of pounds per year'.
The inner cynic says yeah, but economic benefits for who exactly? Tax revenue from fuel sales has been reducing because people are filling up less due to the high cost of petrol so by allowing us to drive faster, which burns more petrol, drivers need to buy even more fuel. Kerching go the Government coffers!
The Department of Environment claim that for every 5 mph you drive over 65 mph, it provides a 7% decrease in fuel economy so driving at 80 mph increases petrol consumption by 21% and with the limit + 10% rule, the unofficial limit of 88mph will mean your petrol tank will be running dry almost a third quicker. Suddenly what seems a good idea becomes yet another Government ploy to make us cough up even more.
Although the move may be welcomed by the majority of drivers, the RAC is not convinced stating: 'Drivers travelling that 10mph quicker might reach their destination sooner, but there is likely to be a slight increase in road casualties'.
The RAC are backed up by the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety who say raising the limit to 80mph would increase motorway casualties by between 5 and 10 per cent, pushing up the average of 150 deaths annually on British motorways by 10-15 people.
So the plan becomes a thinly disguised ploy to make us buy more fuel by allowing us to drive faster in order to raise revenue despite the increased danger. Sneaky these Tories, you have to watch them all the time.