Speed Limits

jambutty · 08-08-2006, 13:03

This contentious issue has raised its head again because the government is considering a blanket lowering of speed limits on rural roads and built up areas and it also has to be said an increase.

First of all the government should understand that the modern car handles much better than the cars on the road when the speed limits were laid down. Secondly the stopping distance with modern disc brakes and tyres is shorter than it used to be. The only constant from yesteryear is the driver.

However the quality of driving hasn’t got much better over the years. In fact some people consider that driving standards have got worse. For example, when travelling on a rural road and approaching a left hand bend any car coming the other way is most likely to cut the corner and appear on your side of the road leaving you with nowhere to go except to allow the car to hit you. The approaching car was obviously going too fast to negotiate the corner on his own side of the road. Some, however, cut the corner as a matter of course because they cannot judge their nearside with any degree of accuracy so swing wide and onto the other side of the road. Too many drivers on narrow and straight country roads do not seem to be able to keep to their own side of the road for the same reason. They seem to be more concerned with not scratching their nearside than having the off side crumpled beyond recognition.

Most motorists consider themselves to be good drivers or put another way there are no bad drivers on the roads today. BALDERDASH! Many drivers are chancers who seem to think that the Highway Code applies to everyone else except themselves. Just stand at any busy traffic lights and see for yourself how many drivers suddenly go colour blind as they approach traffic lights. Red means STOP. Amber also means STOP but only if it is safe to do so. In other words the car behind you won’t try and get into your boot. Green means GO but only if it is safe to do so and if there is a box junction to negotiate there is an exit route. How many drivers when setting off on green look right and left before doing so? How many drivers take a chance that the exit will be clear and set off before it is? Very, very few! Then they get trapped in the box junction and block traffic.

Motorists should remember that a speed limit is not an invitation to travel at that speed but the maximum that is allowed on that road. A driver should travel at a speed that they are comfortable with taking the road and prevailing conditions at the time into consideration up to the speed limit. One person may be comfortable to belt along whilst another may not. However if a driver is travelling at below the speed limit s/he should have regard for those vehicles behind and when possible pull over and let them pass. In general though drivers should ‘go with the flow’ unless it means breaking the prevailing speed limit.

However even modern analogue speedos are not accurate enough to rigorously enforce the various speed limits – hence the leeway. As I understand things as they are today there is a leeway of 10% plus 2 mph for any speed limit. Thus at 30 mph you can travel at up to 35 mph before you are breaking the speed limit. But give someone a yard and they will try and take a mile.

I don’t suppose that there are any “C” class roads these days but all “B” class roads should have a 30 mph speed limit on them. Single carriageway “A” class roads should be limited to 40 mph. Dual carriageway roads in built up areas at 40 mph and 50 or 60 mph elsewhere. As for motorways I think that the current 70 mph is about right. If that limit were raised to 80 mph in reality that would put it at 90 mph before the speed limit is broken.

Finally – am I a good driver? I don’t know that is for someone else to judge but I do know that I’m not a bad driver.

OK! One more finally! The speed bumps and chicanes as traffic calming measures are a menace. Ask anyone who has had the misfortune to travel in an ambulance over speed bumps. I have twice – once with a severe kidney infection and once with a pulmonary embolism where any sort of movement was a very painful reminder of my condition.

Madhatter · 08-08-2006, 14:06

Quote:

How many drivers take a chance that the exit will be clear and set off before it is? Very, very few!

I don't think that reads as you intended jambutty.

Madhatter · 08-08-2006, 14:18

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Motorists should remember that a speed limit is not an invitation to travel at that speed but the maximum that is allowed on that road. A driver should travel at a speed that they are comfortable with taking the road and prevailing conditions at the time into consideration up to the speed limit. One person may be comfortable to belt along whilst another may not. However if a driver is travelling at below the speed limit s/he should have regard for those vehicles behind and when possible pull over and let them pass. In general though drivers should ‘go with the flow’ unless it means breaking the prevailing speed limit

Quote:

Motorists going to slow create more accidents than motorists going to fast.
They cause the people behind to take chances and overtake them. It would help if they pulled over and let people pass that want to overtake if they choose to go so slow. I do.

I don’t suppose that there are any “C” class roads these days but all “B” class roads should have a 30 mph speed limit on them. Single carriageway “A” class roads should be limited to 40 mph. Dual carriageway roads in built up areas at 40 mph and 50 or 60 mph elsewhere. As for motorways I think that the current 70 mph is about right. If that limit were raised to 80 mph in reality that would put it at 90 mph before the speed limit is broken.

c class roads are uncategorised roads. The speed limits stated are ridiculas and would cause havoc on the roads, reducing them to a crawl, as will the governments silly propoasals. They want to make the whole of the stretch of the A5 from the M42 to the M69 40mph. It is interesting that they have built a dual carriage way in the opposite direction to join up with the rip off toll road, and that it will remain at 70 from the M42 to where the A5 joins the toll road. I'd like to know who paid for that dualing, because it certainly wasn't needed until the toll road was built. Bet it wasn't the toll road company.
After the toll road it will be 40 again.

Aridiculas situation where roads that should be 60 are reduced to 40, because the government doesn't want to spend money on them making them safe for the amount of traffic that they now have to handle. Junctions are another major cause of accidents and this is only because of an increase in traffic causing people to take risks, roundabouts and traffic lights would solve this but a speed limit is cheaper.

chav1 · 08-08-2006, 16:44

we already have reduced speed limits of 20mph on a lot of residential streets

anyway perhaps they should teach people how to cross a bloody road safely rather than have a go at the motorist

i do beleive that a driver shoud be vigilant and there are genuine cases of bad driving when somone gets run over but a driver can not predict some prick jumping out in teh road for fun to startle the motorist and teh motorist should not fear reprecusions if one of these idiots gets hit and killed

instead of speedbumps etc why not put cattle railings or electrified barbwire along all the pavements so that pedestrians with the lower levels of inteligance can be hearded to safe crossing points along the road

in america they have jay walking offences where a pedestrian has to cross the road in a safe manner "to simplify the law" and we shoudl have it here

Neil · 08-08-2006, 18:16

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Originally Posted by chav1

we already have reduced speed limits of 20mph on a lot of residential streets

I think most residential areas should be

chav1 · 08-08-2006, 19:18

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Originally Posted by Neil

I think most residential areas should be

i agree side streets should be 20mph it annoys the hell out of me when kids are playing outside their homes and some idiot tears down the road at 30 plus

entwisi · 08-08-2006, 20:12

Oi chav, off the teh's if you dont mind!

chav1 · 08-08-2006, 21:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by entwisi

Oi chav, off the teh's if you dont mind!

excuse me i have suffered teh effliction for a few years now but unlike some lazy sods i am trying to correct THE problem

keyboard speeding leeds to "teh " so sloooooow down

jimmi5bellies · 09-08-2006, 22:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by chav1

instead of speedbumps etc why not put cattle railings or electrified barbwire along all the pavements so that pedestrians with the lower levels of inteligance can be hearded to safe crossing points along the road

in america they have jay walking offences where a pedestrian has to cross the road in a safe manner "to simplify the law" and we shoudl have it here

PMSL

SPUGGIE J · 09-08-2006, 22:37

Next thing you know we will all be on leads under the control of a lollipop style dude.

The speed reduction does work especially outside schools which up near me have a digital style flashing one that is a bit hard to miss.

jimmi5bellies · 09-08-2006, 22:40

You have got to laught though at the foreward facing speed cameras ...especially if you are on a motorbike

entwisi · 10-08-2006, 05:27

Unfortunately there are few truvelos about and the sneeky sods are now putting teh odd specs camera facing the rear of teh vehicles so you can't get away with them either.

Debbie J · 10-08-2006, 05:54

As a learner driver, my instructor wont allow me to drive over the speed limit on any roads. I have lost count of the number of drivers who have beeped their horns, driven on my bumper and gesticulated at me to speed up. Luckily I'm a bit older than the average age learner and don't let them worry or upset me. I have had to do 4 emergency stops because cars coming out of side streets have decided they don't want to be behind me & have jumped out in front only to find the road blocked, or the lights on red.
I do find it a pain that on some roads I know I could go faster safely but on others It would be better to go a wee bit slower especially in the wet.

As for pedestrians their lives would be made so much easier if drivers would indicate, correctly, the direction they wish to take. The highway code says you should use your indicator to tell others which way you intend to go. All too often drivers don't bother, leaving us poor walkers to guess which way a car is going.

SPUGGIE J · 10-08-2006, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Debbie J

.As for pedestrians their lives would be made so much easier if drivers would indicate, correctly, the direction they wish to take. The highway code says you should use your indicator to tell others which way you intend to go. All too often drivers don't bother, leaving us poor walkers to guess which way a car is going.

That is my daughters bigest gripe when crossing at the Earls Gate roundabout the lack of indicators. She does her own version of road rage and I wont stop her because there have been several occasions that we have crossed and a moterist who gave no indication of W.T.F they were going gave use some.

jackyalex · 10-08-2006, 10:59

i noticed when i was last in accrington that there are more speed cameras,well up here in county durham youd be lucky to find any ive never seen one,we have mobile speed cameras (traffic police) but ive never seen 1 and ive been all over county durham,in accrington there everywhere,so why 1 county and not another,they do cut down people speeding,