20 mph limits

[cromwell]

According to the 'I' Paper, 20 mph limits are to be introduced in councils such as:-
Newcastle (Labour controlled)
York (Labour controlled)
Liverpool (Labour controlled)
Bristol (Hung, Labour / LibDem)
and parts of London - although be it noted that the I paper forgot to specify who was running these councils.

I do not mean to trivialise or disrespect the trauma of people who have lost loved ones in road accidents.
But there has been no public outcry for 20mph limits.
This is just something else being introduced by the Vicar's wife party; they know what is good for us and we are going to get it whether we like it or not.

Oh yes - according to a report by the Department of Transport, they don't work, either.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... safer.html

[Rodo]

We are surrounded by them and they are driving us nuts. There are now 20 mph limits here even on some wide roads 4 lanes wide because there is a school two miles further up the other end of the roads.

When I leave my road and travel approximately one mile to get onto a main road into my town or into Preston I have the following, 20mph, 30mph, 20 mph, 50mph, 30mph. It is becoming almost impossible to look at the road one is driving on because your eye is glued to the dashboard to check your speed.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Workingman]

In Portsmouth, the new, lower speed limit applies to all vehicles, at all times, on 94 per cent of the city's streets.

Why for goodness sake? Why all the time?

I do not particularly mind them within, say, a 1 km diameter of a primary school and for an hour before and after during school days. Outside of those limits I see no reason to reduce them.

It's the same with all this tweely named 'road furniture' - speed cushions and the likes - all that has happened is the rat runs have been created to avoid them.

The Europeans are, pardon the pun, streets ahead of us with all this with their variable speed limits depending upon the weather/time of day, and turning minor junction traffic lights to flashing amber during the small hours.

[KateLMead]

More ruddy laws.. Pity the Councils dont get their priorities right. Vote labour and be damned.

[cromwell]

actually the organisation behind this seems to be "Twenty's Plenty For Us" which is run by a cyclist called Rod King. It was set up in 2007 but the first 20mph lobbyists were a group called "The Environmental Transport Association", who started it off in 1999.
I wonder where they get their money from? I really would like to know.

[KateLMead]

Same place as the supposed charity Common Purpose Cromwell..

[TheOstrich]

They are getting more and more common round here - and the only way they can be effectively enforced is by speed humps.

Having to drive a mile or so in a small wheelbase car over the bumps is not pleasant. Additionally, they are not the full width of the carriageway (so buses get a smooth ride), so inevitably if you're in a car, you have to go "lop-sided".

Actually, I've no strong feelings about 20 mph limits, TBH, there are too many fast drivers oin the road these days. Walking to a local soccer match this afternoon, I had to go past one of those flashing speed signs - as I approached it, every car, without fail, got a red flashing sign for exceeding the speed limit (30 mph) - the top speed I noted was 41 mph.

With speed bumps, you simply cannot go above 20 mph without manic acceleration and deceleration inbetween.

But I do agree with Rodo about the plethora of changing speed limits. As I posted on a thread last year, the Hinckley western bypass road sees you going between 30, 40 and 50 mph every 1/4 mile or so. It's difficult enough concentrating on driving generally without the added burden of ensuring you're at the correct speed limit at the correct time.

[Workingman]

Curiouser and curiouser.

Trying to find out about the The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) is like wading through treacle.

It is supposed to be a vehicle breakdown organisation.... yet it only has 5000 affiliate independent garages signed up to cover the whole of the UK with a guaranteed 1 hour call-out. It's board of directors is anonymous apart from Andrew Davis. It is a registered charity (Registered Charity: 1098625) as well as a Ltd company, but the trustees are hard to find. The ETA Trust, a supposedly independent arm, is based in the Isle of Man. Its trustees are not published. The combined HQ is a drop box in Weybridge.

The whole thing looks to be nothing more than a front for a Lobbyists, which begs the questions of who is funding what and why is it being listened to?

[Aggers]

I don't see any point in introducing these 20mph speed limits.

From my observations most drivers will ignore them anyway.

The trouble is that the police are not inforcing the existing speed limits.

It has become the norm for many drivers here to go at 40 or 45 mph in the 30mph zones - and they get away with it.

[pederito1]

Utter nonsense. One should always drive at a speed compatible with the prevailing road conditions which of course includes extreme caution where kids are liable to launch themselves into the road without looking. It happened to me just once, I was going less than 20 when the kid crossed right in front at about the same speed. Luckily he only got a bump on the head and continued running but the police tried to nail me though they did not succeed.