20mph residential speed limit (replacing 30mph)

[413x]

So this is a hit topic this side of the border. Mainly affecting south Wales I think. But other areas too.

From (next week?) we have been told to assume where 30 was is now 20..unless told otherwise.

This is being done under for safety.


My opinion..
I'm against this myself.

A few reasons
-As a "suburb" dweller it will add time.
-I think it's unnecessary in commuter areas, I get it in inner city areas.
-illegal. Scooters/bikes will be faster than cars
-cycling...

Cycling
As a ebike cyclist also, 20mph is only 5mph above the 15.5mph limit on legal ebikes.
This (imo) will cause same issue you have when lorries overtake each other. The passing time will be huge! Or maybe even impossible.

How many drivers are going to want to sit at 15mph waiting for a space, often no space, to overtake Vs trying a dodgy overtake.
Id rather cars overtake at 30, (fast), than dawdle and spend several seconds parallel to me, cutting in too early etc.

This is why it's fine where there's cycle lanes - No issue. But here? Where there are none? Not so good.

Anyone live in one of these 20 areas who can counter or agree with this?

For myself, it's just another negative about living in the suburbs. Cardiff is getting very anti car, which is fine, but public transport in this area is terrible. I just don't go into town anymore. (need to move)

 

[Spleen Sauce]

Already changed to 20 in almost all areas in the Vale now. Already hate it. Feels glacially slow. I don’t mind if there’s a school or it’s a super built up area, but some of the roads near us that have changed to 20 don’t even have a house on it - makes utterly no sense.

 

[200sols]

The blanket nature of this is ridiculous.

 

[Haze]

Does it really add time though? One thing I have learnt about driving fast, is sometimes I am only getting somewhere a few mins faster, would not be end of the world if I didn't

 

[200sols]

Does it really add time though? One thing I have learnt about driving fast, is sometimes I am only getting somewhere a few mins faster, would not be end of the world if I didn't

Well it adds 50% more time in all previous 30 zones

 

[413x]

Does it really add time though? One thing I have learnt about driving fast, is sometimes I am only getting somewhere a few mins faster, would not be end of the world if I didn't

We will see. I think it will. But I will track it.
My automatic car doesn't like it. It revs higher than at 30. Obviously a gear lower.

It won't add as much as the dramatic facbook posts say. But it will add time in less stop/start areas.

 

[413x]

The blanket nature of this is ridiculous.

Absolutely. It was fine as is. Outside schools, inner city areas with lots of pedestrians.

Our little road where the pavements are wide, a few people walk up and down? No. Not needed.

 

[Nasher]

Many are already 20, but is pretty much unenforceable. Even with average speed cameras it won't catch people since with junctions your average speed is probably going to be less than 20 even on a 40mph road.

It will cause more local pollution and noise because some cars will need to be in 2nd gear.

 

[413x]

Many are already 20, but is pretty much unenforceable.

There will be people going 30 as before, I suspect there will even be people overtaking those going 20.

I've heard reports that the evidence for safety is dubious. Ie, it's not a slam dunk life saver.

 

[Semple]

Pretty much all residential areas where I live are 20. Doesn't stop people doing 30 in them still.

In reality it doesn't seem to make much difference.

 

[Firegod]

I was laughing at the ridiculous braking stats they gave on the news for 20 vs 30 mph as a reason. I had to brake from 30mph other day as a set of lights ahead changed to red. I stopped safely and quickly within a short distance. Easily within 10m. I'm sure they were saying on the news it was 23m to stop from 30mph. I disagree with that. Sounds like they're using stats from the 1970s!

Stopping distances | Brake

Find out more about the link between vehicle speed and stopping distances

www.brake.org.uk

 

[dlockers]

I'm for it on the basis it's sensible enforced. When it's 30 people do 40. When it's 20 people do 30.

Anyone clearing doing 40 will now get nailed, and rightly so - that's too fast for most residential streets.

 

[Diddums]

Hahaha noobs


60 or gtfo

 

[Nasher]

I was laughing at the ridiculous braking stats they gave on the news for 20 vs 30 mph as a reason. I had to brake from 30mph other day as a set of lights ahead changed to red. I stopped safely and quickly within a short distance. Easily within 10m. I'm sure they were saying on the news it was 23m to stop from 30mph. I disagree with that. Sounds like they're using stats from the 1970s!

Stopping distances | Brake

Find out more about the link between vehicle speed and stopping distances

www.brake.org.uk

They are based on old drum brake distances I think :/

A modern car can stop in a tiny distance from 30mph.

A lot of accidents on residential roads are situations like people/out of control kids stepping out from behind parked cars right Infront of someone, the driver never sees them coming. Pedestrian's fault but it still goes down in the stats as them being run over. Even a self driving car wont avoid that.

 

[413x]

They are based on old drum brake distances I think :/

A modern car can stop in a tiny distance from 30mph.

A lot of accidents on residential roads are people stepping out from behind parked cars right Infront of someone

Which is what the safety is probably for.
But isn't it natural selection?

 

[sovietspybob]

I was laughing at the ridiculous braking stats they gave on the news for 20 vs 30 mph as a reason. I had to brake from 30mph other day as a set of lights ahead changed to red. I stopped safely and quickly within a short distance. Easily within 10m. I'm sure they were saying on the news it was 23m to stop from 30mph. I disagree with that. Sounds like they're using stats from the 1970s!

Stopping distances | Brake

Find out more about the link between vehicle speed and stopping distances

www.brake.org.uk

Im sure that's true, isn't the braking based on a Ford Anglia?

BUT if a new car stops in say half that distance from 30 it'll still stop in a considerably shorter distance from 20.

 

[Nutty667]

A blanket 20mph limit is stupid.
Expand the amount of 20mph roads like near schools, narrow parked on roads etc. sure, no problem with that.
It will lead to more pollution as running in 3rd gear is less efficient. You might be at similar revs to 30mph in 4th, but on the road 50% longer.

 

[Steeps]

20 is the limit, not the target. I'm going to enjoy driving around at 15-18mph to make sure I am safely within the limit applied to the road and I am ready to stop at a moments notice if a child runs out.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

As if anyone in Wales will follow it.

20mph on many 30mph stretches is ridiculous. I get it in particularly built up areas. Plenty of 30 stretches aren’t.

 

[inogen]

As someone who was hit twice by cars when I was kid and someone who has barely driven over 20 ever on residential roads, probably because of that, I'm all in favour.