20mph limits

[Stig-OT-Dump]

There are 20mph limits round here, albeit advisory. I observe them going uphill, sometimes slightly exceed them on the flat, and bust right through them going downhill.

There seems to be growing momentum in the push towards lowering urban limits to a mandatory 20 mph and the CTC support their introduction - http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopModules/Articles/ArticlesView.aspx?TabID=0&ItemID=130&mid=13641

If such limits were to be introduced, would it be under byelaw with possible provision to make them apply to cycles as well as motor vehicles? Even if it weren't mandatory for cyclists, would I face a moral obligation to limit my speed while commuting, and save my speed for a Sunday ride outside the urban sprawl?

 

[thomas]

I wouldn't feel any moral obligation.

 

[Will1985]

There are 20mph limits round here, albeit advisory. I observe them going uphill

Quite hard not to unless you're sprinting...?

 

[cannondale boy]

If the law happens to be that cyclists having to observe the 20 speed limit then so be it. But i will still be cycling the way i want to cycle even if its over 20...i have never came across one driver that has observed the speed limit, and have made stupid overtakes because they can't be patient enough.

O.k there maybe one driver that has obeyed the limit a learner!

 

[marinyork]

Not especially worried. At the rate my city is putting in resential zones, it will officially take 50 years to complete.

 

[skrx]

There are 20mph limits round here, albeit advisory.

What's an advisory limit? I've only seen (what I assume are) mandatory limits round here (i.e. a 20 in a red circle, sometimes repeated on the road surface, sometimes with a "please go slow" picture drawn by a six-year-old below).

 

[Helly79]

If the law happens to be that cyclists having to observe the 20 speed limit then so be it. But i will still be cycling the way i want to cycle even if its over 20...i have never came across one driver that has observed the speed limit, and have made stupid overtakes because they can't be patient enough.

O.k there maybe one driver that has obeyed the limit a learner!

and the little old dears when they go for their sunday drive

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

What's an advisory limit?

20 in a circle painted on the road in white, 20 in a green circle on a sign with "Twenty's Plenty" written beneath.

I guess my question really is that if a 20 mph limit is put in place to protect vulnerable road users, is it right for a group of vulnerable road users (that's us) to totally disregard it, unless gravity, fatigue or knobbly tyres force us into conformity?

 

[gb155]

There is one on the final mile of my commute, Most mornings I ride along at around 22mph and EVERY SINGLE DAY I get passed by car's like im stood still, So I am not too sure what the point of having more of them is.

 

[marinyork]

There are plenty of other advisory limit signs. There's an advisory 10mph speed limit that runs through the core of the town centre here and a typical vehicle speed is 20 odd.

In answer to the question, it depends what you mean by disregard it. Even if the police were enforcing it with mobile speed cameras (an extremely unlikely circumstance) they wouldn't be handing out fines to cars until they were at a threshold and it'd likely be at least 25. In that context, giving a bollocking to or even handing out fines to cyclists doing 22mph would be deemed a waste of resources.

For the 20 zones round here it has been claimed recently the council want to go other routes such as SPECs cameras. Again to get caught cars would probably have to do a great deal above 20mph to get caught, depending on road conditions. Other ideas are road narrowing.

I've never agreed with 20mph limits for all residential zones as it is on balance I think too slow and I don't agree with the "yeah but it'll lead to a 1mph cut in speeds even if we don't enforce it". I've long thought 25mph standard urban speed is much more appropriate. Whatever speed it is, it should be enforced without road humps all over the place.

 

[thomas]

What's an advisory limit? I've only seen (what I assume are) mandatory limits round here (i.e. a 20 in a red circle, sometimes repeated on the road surface, sometimes with a "please go slow" picture drawn by a six-year-old below).

20 in a circle painted on the road in white, 20 in a green circle on a sign with "Twenty's Plenty" written beneath.

Aren't those mandatory? They've usually got proper signs to enforce them anyway.

Advisory ones are usually on corners where they are tight and you are recommended to do 20mph or less around them....usually in large square boxes with some type of warning and the recommended limit. You don't have to follow those, but if you don't know the area it is a good idea to follow them.

I've never agreed with 20mph limits for all residential zones as it is on balance I think too slow and I don't agree with the "yeah but it'll lead to a 1mph cut in speeds even if we don't enforce it". I've long thought 25mph standard urban speed is much more appropriate. Whatever speed it is, it should be enforced without road humps all over the place.

I'm not for 20mph zones, just because I know when I start driving again they'll really wind me up. Past schools and things, fine, I've no problem, but all over the place is excessive....I'll agree with your first point, but road humps are the worst invention ever! I can't stand them, either in the car or on the bicycle.

 

[beanzontoast]

If 20mph became the compulsory speed round here, personally I'd feel obliged to stick to it too whether or not it applied to bikes. It would seem grossly unfair to expect motor vehicles to adhere to a 20mph limit only for me on my bike to cycle at whatever speed I cared. I think motorists would justifiably see this as another case of cyclists doing whatever they like (pavement cycling, rlj-ing etc).

 

[marinyork]

There's a 20mph limit on my way into town that I stick to rigidly. No motor vehicles do, but offending isn't too bad. I don't see cars doing above 30 often. It's in stark contrast to two other 20 limits I've often been through in my life where people have done anything upto the 40-60mph range through them.

Some speed bumps I do agree with, there's a set they installed on a route into town where it was routine I'd be doing 30mph down the hill and idiots aggressively overtaking and doing 45-50mph down there. Schools, drunks, lots of peds. Totally and utterly inappropriate doing that speed most of the 24hr window. They've also installed another set of speed bumps on a road that has virtually no traffic and has no speeding problem. Just shows you how they'll install them anyway.

 

[thomas]

Some speed bumps I do agree with, there's a set they installed on a route into town where it was routine I'd be doing 30mph down the hill and idiots aggressively overtaking and doing 45-50mph down there. Schools, drunks, lots of peds. Totally and utterly inappropriate doing that speed most of the 24hr window. They've also installed another set of speed bumps on a road that has virtually no traffic and has no speeding problem. Just shows you how they'll install them anyway.

I'd rather they used the extra tarmac and redid roads properly. None of these loose gravel crap, or just filling in pot holes badly. I know that there just isn't the money, but it would be lovely to have roads dug up and built, properly, from scratch...lovely smooooth tarmac -hmmmm.

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

They did a stretch near us - total resurfacing. Less than 600m, cost over £300,000 (plus a lot of inconvenience). How far is your commute?