Speed limits

[Dave2002]

It seems that Wales is going to revise its 20mph speed limit policy, just as Scotland is trying to impose 20 mph limits on every small settlement.

It occurs to me that there isn't a definite need to keep speed limits to multiples of 10, so why not compromise and have 25 mph limits in some areas?

In parts of Scotland there are now very confusing places where the on the road markings say 30mph, while the newly refurbished signs say 20mph.

One [very poor, IMO] reason for having low speed limits is because limits are not enforced. Thus the thinking seems to be - "set the limit at 20mph, and most people won't go above 30" - though maybe it's not that at all but some sort of job and resource creation scheme for makers and installers of road signs.

OTOH we "all know" that motorists are stupid, and won't drive at an appropriate limit for the road conditions - so putting in a 60mph limit [which is actually the limit in most of Scotland, and also in much of England too] does not mean that is a target to be aimed at.

There is not much which can be done with truly stupid or uncaring people, such as someone I heard of recently driving at over 75 mph in a 20 mph zone in an area I used to live in and know well, and destroying an almost stationary vehicle in its path, or some around here in Scotland who were stopped at over 120 mph in a 30mph zone in the middle of the night.

[french frank]

There is not much which can be done with truly stupid or uncaring people, such as someone I heard of recently driving at over 75 mph in a 20 mph zone in an area I used to live in and know well, and destroying an almost stationary vehicle in its path, or some around here in Scotland who were stopped at over 120 mph in a 30mph zone in the middle of the night.

I think it's a sort of bravado. There's a traffic light system at a crossroads near here and today (not unusual) a cyclist shot past a line of stationary cars and sailed over the lights, weaving round pedestrians who were crossing. "Because I can and I get a kick out of it" presumably.

[pastoralguy]

Our very modest Vauxhall Corsa has a speed limiter which I set at 22mph whilst driving around Edinburgh. It’s incredible how irritated certain drivers get when they see the car in front of me zoom away at 30mph whilst I plod along at 22. Of course, I usually catch up with them at the next set of lights but that doesn’t appease those behind me. And it’s not the usual suspects who get annoyed at me such as taxis and white van drivers. It’s usually mummies in Audis and BMWs who are ferrying their children to their fee paying schools. I had on incident where a woman with three children flashed, honked and gesticulated at me whilst I doggedly stuck to 22mph. She was even less happy at the next set of traffic lights where I unaccountably stalled and we missed our turn at the lights! I felt terrible…

[Dave2002]

I think it's a sort of bravado. There's a traffic light system at a crossroads near here and today (not unusual) a cyclist shot past a line of stationary cars and sailed over the lights, weaving round pedestrians who were crossing. "Because I can and I get a kick out of it" presumably.

But at least cyclists don't usually kill people - though it does happen - because of speed or loss of control. Cars, motor bikes etc. certainly can.

[Nick Armstrong]

Our very modest Vauxhall Corsa has a speed limiter which I set at 22mph whilst driving around Edinburgh. It’s incredible how irritated certain drivers get … I had one incident where a woman with three children flashed, honked and gesticulated at me whilst I doggedly stuck to 22mph.

Yes … I have a system that I set to adhere to 20mph in central London (although the car is capable of ten times that). It’s quite extraordinary how often I’m the slowest vehicle on the road Why do these people not get caught?!

(I’m rigorous about it as an unexpected copper + tripod camera in a most unlikely spot got me at 29mph accelerating off lights last autumn … fortunately leading only to an online speed awareness course as it was my first infraction for 15 odd years).

[Serial_Apologist]

Yes … I have a system that I set to adhere to 20mph in central London (although the car is capable of ten times that). It’s quite extraordinary how often I’m the slowest vehicle on the road Why do these people not get caught?!

(I’m rigorous about it as an unexpected copper + tripod camera in a most unlikely spot got me at 29mph accelerating off lights last autumn … fortunately leading only to an online speed awareness course as it was my first infraction for 15 odd years).

Panorama on BBC1 tonight ave one reason which might apply in cities too - namely that traffic enforcement systems are just not working at all in quite a number of motorway locations where (in this case) designated as "smart motorways", ie have no hard shoulder. As is so often the case with CCTV not working or being switched on, commonsense-defying and denying idiots an average 5-year old could have told either designed, built, or decided on these schemes in the first place.

[Quarky]

Let's not forget in these days of high cost of insurance and repairs, that if there is an accident, and you're over the limit, your case is considerably weakened.

Our Sainsbury's has a very large car park, with 5 mph limits prominently displayed all over. Nobody observes the notices (have you ever tried driving at 5mph? ) However if there is an accident, you can't blame the car park! There was an incident the other day where a lady driver shouted at someone loading their shopping "I had to do emergency stop to avoid you!" A fair assumption she was doing more than 5 mph, probably 20 + .

[smittims]

All this makes me glad I decided to stop driving at the end of the last century!

I think at one time there was only one speed limit: 30. I think the idea was to keep it simple, hence the round figure. Having several different limits for different places (as they do on the railway) can be confusing, as motorists are not expected to have the 'route-knowledge' rail drivers have.

[Retune]

But at least cyclists don't usually kill people - though it does happen - because of speed or loss of control. Cars, motor bikes etc. certainly can.

Yes, all classes of road user include a minority of idiots, but the bigger and faster your vehicle, the more damage you can do. Cyclists will of course be familiar with drivers who overtake close enough to ruffle your sleeve or push you into the gutter, or overtake and slam on the brakes, or pull out from the kerb / emerge from a side street without registering the bike in their path, etc. And that's just the unthinking stuff, not the active aggression that's all too common.

[Dave2002]

Yes … I have a system that I set to adhere to 20mph in central London (although the car is capable of ten times that). It’s quite extraordinary how often I’m the slowest vehicle on the road Why do these people not get caught?!

(I’m rigorous about it as an unexpected copper + tripod camera in a most unlikely spot got me at 29mph accelerating off lights last autumn … fortunately leading only to an online speed awareness course as it was my first infraction for 15 odd years).

What have you got?

I was sent a message by snail mail last year as I passed a policeman showing a concerned citizen/Neighbourhood Watch person how to use a speed gun, and apparently I was over the speed limit in an area I'd never been in before. I would have argued that the speed limit sign was invisible if there'd been any more to it, but as there clearly wasn't any action to be taken it wasn't worth replying to the missive.

[oddoneout]

Let's not forget in these days of high cost of insurance and repairs, that if there is an accident, and you're over the limit, your case is considerably weakened.

Our Sainsbury's has a very large car park, with 5 mph limits prominently displayed all over. Nobody observes the notices (have you ever tried driving at 5mph? ) However if there is an accident, you can't blame the car park! There was an incident the other day where a lady driver shouted at someone loading their shopping "I had to do emergency stop to avoid you!" A fair assumption she was doing more than 5 mph, probably 20 + .

Not necessarily. If you are doing 5mph and a pedestrian steps out in front of you, the response will be(one hopes) an emergency stop to prevent a collision, since even at minimal speed the imbalance between a human and half a ton of metal is enough to cause damage. If the person being shouted at was loading shopping it suggests that the encounter was in that human meet car category(possibly not looking while walking with shopping) rather than a previous car on car one.

[pastoralguy]

I’ve always felt that a supermarket car park is one of the most difficult environments in which to drive. Lots of people who are distracted with shopping trolleys and possibly small children. It’s amazing the number of people who seem to want to drive at 30mph in these environments!

[oddoneout]

I’ve always felt that a supermarket car park is one of the most difficult environments in which to drive. Lots of people who are distracted with shopping trolleys and possibly small children. It’s amazing the number of people who seem to want to drive at 30mph in these environments!

And whatever speed they are going at at least half of them won't even be looking where they are going, but for a parking space...

[smittims]

I have two different memories of Supermarket car parks.

I once had a job driving around the country, and I soon found that, in an age when it isn't comfortable simply to stop your car on the road to eat your lunch, a supermarket car park is a very entertaining place to sit and observe humanity in all its curious antics.

On the other hand , after my father had to give up driving I used to pick him up and take him shopping. He insisted on using a small Co-op with a nasty little car park full of angles, where there was always someone backing out in front of you .

[gradus]

I find the way that some cyclists ignore traffic lights or mount the pavement to avoid them very dangerous and I don't understand why the police seem to utterly ignore them, when did this become ok? Riding a bike in London used to require that you obey traffic lights.