in praise of Rod King

[dellzeqq]

every cyclist, indeed, every person living in the UK owes a debt to Rod King. The driving force behind the Warrington Cycle Campaign and their hilarious 'Facility of the Month' pages (now a paperback) and the founder of 20' s Plenty For Us, Mr. King will soon be able to do what very few campaigners (let alone cycle campaigners) can do and declare 'Victory is Ours'.

20mph speed limits have gone viral. Towns as far afield as Portsmouth and Middlesborough, Brighton and Rochdale have set 20mph limits on their streets. Islington is now poised to '20' every street under their control. It isn't a question of whether your town will 'go 20' but when.

The great thing about Rod is that he doesn't stop smiling. He's an entertainer as much as a campaigner, but an entertainer who has marshalled an impressive body of evidence that would convince anyone other than a person in an advanced state of petrol-induced psychosis that 'going 20' makes towns and cities safer and cheerier places. He's a lesson to all of us who think the world can be improved - it's far better to offer those you seek to persuade a brighter, happier tomorrow than to shriek about how bad it is today. Rod's style isn't an affectation - in the picture below he's getting his daughter to the church on time. That's my kind of wedding..........

So - when those '20' signs go up in your neck of the woods, tip your hat (or helmet, if you insist) toward Warrington, and thank the chap whose vision and sunny outlook helped to bring it about!

http://www.20splentyforus.org.uk/index.htm
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/wcc/news.htm#20MPH
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...ts-as-new-laws-sweep-the-country-8434292.html

 

[CopperCyclist]

Out of interest - anyone ever seen a 20 zone being actively checked by police or any other speed enforcement types?

 

[CopperCyclist]

Are you suggesting that's a reason not to have them Coppercyclist?

Definitely not. However, I'm not sure I've ever seen many actually obeying them - the vast majority by me certainly don't.

And just before anyone suggests it - I don't drive a car that's calibrated to allow me to give speeding tickets!

 

[StuartG]

There is a seminal research paper (which you should be able to google) which shows the effect of the existing London 20 mph zones. KSIs appear to be down over 40% and higher amongst the more vulnerable. This stems from average speed reductions from 27 to 17 mph. This arises not from direct police enforcement but from passive (sleeping) policeman.

Worth a read. I was a doubter beforehand but it appears to be a solid piece of work.

The major problem is the cost of putting in the speed restraints by local authorities going through drastic budget cuts. Of course if the 80% of motorists could have a Damascusian conversion to actually obeying posted speed limits then law abiding cyclists (and motorists) would not have to suffer the discomfort and share what should be an unnecessary cost.

 

[dellzeqq]

Definitely not. However, I'm not sure I've ever seen many actually obeying them - the vast majority by me certainly don't.

And just before anyone suggests it - I don't drive a car that's calibrated to allow me to give speeding tickets!

they work in the sense that people drive more slowly.

I was in a car on the M4 today. The majority of cars travelled at over 70. In 30mph zones many cars travel at over 30. In 20mph zones many cars travel at over 20. But...the margin over each speed limit is about the same. Hence the reduction in casualties.

 

[pshore]

Out of interest - anyone ever seen a 20 zone being actively checked by police or any other speed enforcement types?

Yes, it has happened in Cambridge, although now on the back burner until signage is improved. Initially they'd put up 20mph repeater size signs.

http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/cambridge-20mph-policing-not-cllr-priority.html

 

[MacB]

This arises not from direct police enforcement but from passive (sleeping) policeman.

They work but I would rather drivers attention wasn't diverted to negotiating speed bumps, chicanes, rumble strips and the like. As you rightly mention they are costly as well, particularly as technology is our friend here. In car limiting technology controlled by zonal signals, so as you pass into a given area your speed limitation is reset.

We've had this dance discussion on here before but I now think that insurance costs are going to be the big driving factor. We've already seen steps taken on policies being granted provided there is use of in car black box tech....it won't be long now.

 

[Nebulous]

Definitely not. However, I'm not sure I've ever seen many actually obeying them - the vast majority by me certainly don't.

And just before anyone suggests it - I don't drive a car that's calibrated to allow me to give speeding tickets!

In Aberdeen/ Aberdeenshire and possibly the rest of Scotland as well there is a 20mph zone, which is light controlled outside all schools. My wife recently saw a mobile camera van stationed beside one of our ones.

 

[Arthur]

There are a couple of villages that I go through each morning that are now 20 mph controlled, with sleeping policemen at about 100 yard intervals. It has brought the average traffic speed down to 25 - 30 mph, as opposed to the 40+ mph vehicles used to do when they were 30 mph zones. Not perfect, but a definite, and very noticeable, improvement.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Out of interest - anyone ever seen a 20 zone being actively checked by police or any other speed enforcement types?

Most forces, iirc, refuse to enforce. Make of that what you will.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Horsham had the first 20mph town centre zone in the country. Suggesting this might be expanded to the residential streets of the town has seen me abused, shouted at, threatened with violence and spat at.

Boy they love their cars around here.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

To be fair to the police, this was not a simple refusal to enforce but a practical inability to enforce. It's only in the last 12-18 months (IIRC) that speed guns has been approved for use evidentially at speeds below 30mph.

Not what the High Panjandrum of Sussex Police said. He did not say "unable" he said "not prepared" to enforce.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Ah - then give him a kicking for me.

I think the more than somewhat feisty lady who is head of the 20's Plenty Campaign for Chichester has worked him over a treat already!

 

[Spinney]

I always assumed that the real (if unstated) intention of 20 mph zones was to make the traffic drive below 30 mph (as a couple of other folks have mentioned).

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I always assumed that the real and stated intention of 20mph zones was to make traffic drive at or below 20mph and, as a result, civilise our streets.