20 MPH Neighbourhood Resources

[sheddy]

Should we have a dedicated 20mph (UK) Section ?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Now slow down a minute

 

[toffee]

Should we have a dedicated 20mph (UK) Section ?

That a bit fast for me

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

No point. Everybody will just ignore it.

 

[matticus]

Should we have a dedicated 20mph (UK) Section ?

Ignore the muppets above.

I'm very interested in 20 limits. I confess it's partly due to a couple of near-misses on my estate. That and all the discussion during 2020 of LTN's etc in certain cities; it just seems insane to have a 30mph limit or higher in a residential area. (especially with the narrow windy roads on our estate!)

So crack on

 

[byegad]

While I agree the 20 limit, whenever I see one, is ignored more often than complied with, I think they're a good thing. Too many speed limits, of any value, are ignored as it is, but in over 50 yrs of driving I'd say compliance is slowly becoming the norm. Yes there are some utter fools screaming around, but I still think limits are being observed more often. I think policing is having an effect.

 

[Landsurfer]

Their limits not targets .. I never drive at 30 in a 30 ... always much nearer 20 ... fwit drivers will ignore the 20mph limit as they do the 30 now ...

 

[snorri]

Should we have a dedicated 20mph (UK) Section ?

If you mean adopting the '20s Plenty' scheme for urban areas I say, Yes! , but it has to apply on all of the streets within a geographical area.
In my locality some streets, or even parts of streets, have a 20 limit and the rest remains at 30. This has led to further proliferation of signposts and a general confusion for drivers as to which limit applies to which street.
Speed limiters are becoming more common in motor vehicles and it is much easier for drivers to comply with limits without constantly glancing at a speedometer.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Should we have a dedicated 20mph (UK) Section ?

Power is nothing without control

They are pointless unless enforced, our village is on an A road, is is now a continuous 30 mph for 2.7 miles as it passes through 3 what used to be separate villages, now all joined together.

There are 5 of the speed alert signs which show you how fast you are going, I sometimes stand for 10 minutes when out with the dog to see what will be the fastest I observe on that day. Usually most cars are doing 35-37mph, a lesser number doing 31-33mph, only a few doing under 30mph, normally I'll observe at least 1 over 40mph, but saw a new record the other day 58mph, this is 250 yards before a pedestrian refuge/pinch point where there have already been 3 fatalities, with a junior school another 300 yards past.

So unless there is going to be some form of onsite continuous/periodic enforcement they are worthless & just a waste of money.

 

[matticus]

...

So unless there is going to be some form of onsite continuous/periodic enforcement they are worthless & just a waste of money.

Agree with almost everything there. BUT:
you can't get police to enforce 20mph limits until you've actually set the speed limit to 20mph!

So it's a step forward.

 

[BoldonLad]

Perhaps some knowledgeable person (@Drago ?) could clarify this, but, does Camera and "Radar Gun" technology work accurately at low speeds (eg 20mph)?

I ask because, a couple of years ago, while driving in France, I was stopped in a 30kph Zone, and asked what speed I had been doing (I wasn't speeding, as it happens). It was explained to me that they were conducting an experiment measuring traffic speed with new equipment, which would work in "low speed" zones.

As another aside, 20kph zones are not unusual in French Villages/Towns, this is even slower than 20mph, but, usually, enforced by serious speed bumps.

 

[mjr]

In my locality some streets, or even parts of streets, have a 20 limit and the rest remains at 30. This has lead to further proliferation of signposts and a general confusion for drivers as to which limit applies to which street.

So they err on the side of caution and drive at 20 or less, right?

I don't have to keep glancing at the speedo. Head up displays ftw!

 

[DRM]

In my experience the 20mph speed limits that Leeds City Council have implemented have actually made the speeding problem worse, it seems most think that that the signs actually mean 40 mph, there’s one area with a left hand bend, with a primary school and crossing just after the bend, I’ve been overtaken on that bend whilst doing the allowed 20mph, the vehicles that obey the limit can be counted on one hand, it‘s no good instigating a lower limit, unless the police are involved initially to, shall we say, promote the initiative on motorists who won’t comply.

 

[Archie_tect]

20mph should be compulsory speed limit in residential streets... + on shopping streets and roads serving schools.

In my experience working with various Council Highways Depts when we've done speed checks [using the 2 cables you see separated by 2metres stretched across roads], there is the usual standard distribution curve of people who drive at differing speeds. The main point is that you will get the majority of people driving at or below the speed limit and a proportion who drive consistently 3-5 mph faster than the speed limit, whatever the speed limit is. Anyone driving more than 10mph over a speed limit should be banned and prosecuted wherever they are when caught by Police speed checks.

So, the thinking behind all of this is, it is better to have people driving up to 25mph rather than 35mph.... and it works.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I think non A and B roads outside towns and villages etc should also be reduced to 40 mph. Update all Sat Navs with those speeds and keep non local drivers off the back roads.