20 mph blanket speed limits

[GuzziPaul]

I thought 20mph limits had to be self enforcing...

Used to be, but that got dropped a few years ago as no one liked the traffic calming needed to enforce it

[Wossname]

England (and Wales) * has recently increased the speed limit for HGVs on A roads from 40 to 50mph. This was done to reduce the number of impatient overtakes; car drivers are happier to sit behind a lorry at 50 than at 40. Don't know if accident stats show anything useful yet.

* NOT in Scotland or Norn Iron, which is important if you're a lorry driver.

[Horse]

* NOT in Scotland or Norn Iron,

Are car drivers there more patient and tolerant?

[Wossname]

No, but their govts like to show what independent thinkers they are. Especially when they're being independently silly.

Sorry Weeksy - that sounds unnecessarily provocative. It just slipped out!

[Couchy]

Tbh I’m past caring, give me a car with no speedo at all that can only go at the speed limits. I can then drive everywhere foot to the floor and not have to worry about speeding. I already do it on motorways setting my cars speed limiter and it’s far more relaxing

[Scootabout]

Most of London is now 20 limits. I suppose, if forced to cite positives, I'd say you often can't go much faster anyway and the limit generally keeps speeds in the 25-30 range which is maybe better than 35-40, but..
- they are a right pain when the road is one where a higher speed would be perfectly safe;
- they tend to increase the range of speeds at which people drive. In 30s it used to be 30-37, say; in 20s it's 20-35 (or more for the two finger brigade when they know there are no speed cameras). That increases danger, because of the unpredictability, potential tailgating etc.

On the whole, I don't like them. Zones, perhaps, but not in a 300 sq mile blanket area.

[Scootabout]

Oh, and why are local authorities allowed effectively to re-set the national speed limit if they like? Oxfordshire: 50 mph, Surrey, 40 mph (or large swathes of it).

[cheb]

England (and Wales) * has recently increased the speed limit for HGVs on A roads from 40 to 50mph. This was done to reduce the number of impatient overtakes; car drivers are happier to sit behind a lorry at 50 than at 40. Don't know if accident stats show anything useful yet.

* NOT in Scotland or Norn Iron, which is important if you're a lorry driver.

I'm pretty sure the A9 has a raised limit, or parts of at least. It was bought in at the same time as the average speed cameras were installed.

The accident rate dropped purely because of the speed cameras.

[Horse]

No idea, but it is true that the level of acceptable skid resistance varies by road type.

[Horse]

Talking of which, how fast was this ruddy duck going?

20210913_090855.jpg (148.67 KiB) Viewed 118 times

[Wossname]

England (and Wales) * has recently increased the speed limit for HGVs on A roads from 40 to 50mph. This was done to reduce the number of impatient overtakes; car drivers are happier to sit behind a lorry at 50 than at 40. Don't know if accident stats show anything useful yet.

* NOT in Scotland or Norn Iron, which is important if you're a lorry driver.

I'm pretty sure the A9 has a raised limit, or parts of at least. It was bought in at the same time as the average speed cameras were installed.

I can't see how that's possible. How would you know, as a lorry driver, that you can do 50 on this particular stretch of road?

[1913]

I thought 20mph limits had to be self enforcing...

They are statutory, council pressure the police to enforce them on the rich peoples roads around here.

[The Spin Doctor]

I can't see how that's possible. How would you know, as a lorry driver, that you can do 50 on this particular stretch of road?

Am I correct in thinking that if there is a 50 limit posted, it applies to ALL vehicles, and not just cars??

I'm sure I heard that somewhere - possibly from a copper - as a justification for putting 50s in. The apparently lowered limit wasn't so much to reduce speeds as to raise the HGV speed . Under the old limits in England) there was a 40 mph / 60 mph limit split between HGVs and cars that led to dodgy overtakes on busy roads.

[The Spin Doctor]

I thought 20mph limits had to be self enforcing...

They are statutory, council pressure the police to enforce them on the rich peoples roads around here.

I think it means self-enforcing as in "very difficult NOT to comply because of bumps, chicanes and width restrictions".

The road north of Hampstead Heath is 20 - I followed a police car doing 30 along it recently. Most buses seem to hover around 25 as they use it.

The road is wide and pretty straight, and has a cycle lane on the equally wide pavement, so even though there are a lot of pedestrians around who do cross the road, it does seem a pretty pointless limit...

...at least until you get to Spaniards Inn, where the building juts out into the road reducing it to a single lane through the gap.

The irony is that Spaniards Inn happens to be a small enclave administered by a different council...

...who HAVEN'T introduced a 20 mph on their stretch!

So where the road narrows, the limit rises to 30, then goes back to 20 on the other side of the obstruction! Completely mad.

[Whysub]

Oh, and why are local authorities allowed effectively to re-set the national speed limit if they like? Oxfordshire: 50 mph, Surrey, 40 mph (or large swathes of it).

Seems the greater part of North Essex roads (especially the "enjoyable on a bike" ones) have been left as NSL by the council. When I did my bike training with TVP they were having to go further and furter away from Oxfordshire as roads had been down graded to 50mph from NSL's.

Here, some roads have been restricted to 10 KPH, especially alongside beach fronts. Limits on urbanisations are down from 50kph to 30 kph, but seeing the roads are always quiet, it makes little difference.

[The Spin Doctor]

Here, some roads have been restricted to 10 KPH, especially alongside beach fronts.

Red flags available to all vehicle operators at the check point.

[Scootabout]

Talking of which, how fast was this ruddy duck going?

I reckon he must have been going like the quackers