Totally agree with Wicked. It's all about education and awareness. We all speed, fact! But it's knowing where it's safe to and what roads are appropriate to creep over the limit on, also knowing when to give up! I mean if you're a total twit and drive everywhere at high speeds, it's inevertable that you will cause an accident, be the accident or get caught!
Most drivers I believe have a very poor hazard perception, why is this only done once in your driving life. That's if you passed your test after the compulsory test was brought in. It should be compulsory at different stages depending on your result on the previous test along with an accessment of your driving ability. But even then, most people learn to pass the test, not really how to drive, they just learn a criteria. Afterwards they drive how they like and think they're the best driver on the road and their rules are best. I guess you could never change that.
Going back to the speeding subject, I always make a point of knowing what the speed limit is on the road im driving on by remembering the last sign I saw. If I don't know or aren't sure I will drive at a lower speed until I see a repeater sign. I would never sit at 70MPH (the maximum for any UK road) if I wasn't sure of the speed limit as there is a much higher chance it isn't, then you're definitely fooked!
I agree most speed limits need reviewing, I can understand the 20's in towns, but some of the 40's and even 30's on dual carriageways is just pathetic! And as you say, then 60mph on a single carriageway or country lane, where's the logic? What makes it worse is the 70mph limit on empty motorways, which can also be monitored by average speed cameras, hate those things. They can manage variable lower speed limits why not raise it when appropriate too. And why not advertise the guideline difference between 3 points and a ban. AND why should I receive the same penalty for doing 32 in a 30 zone as someone doing 50 in the same zone for example?