20mph residential speed limit (replacing 30mph)

Part of the issue here is that a small minority of drivers feel “entitled” to ignore whatever road laws exist.
Regardless of their driving ability or circumstances at that time, the bigger issue is the example they set for the lemmings out there, who just go with the flow, but often with bugger all ability.

As for 20mph limits, they’re most likely a response to the number of entitled who couldn’t keep to the 30mph limit. So, my thanks to you guys for screwing things up for the rest of us.
 
Just seen the council want to roll out general 20 limit in the town I go for shopping, there is a small bit in the centre where it is justified and some residential streets but not the whole town... not sure it'll accomplish much anyhow as when it is busy traffic doesn't average much above 20 and the small number of people who are bombing it through, which seems to be what is being presented as the reason behind it, will continue to do so until caught whether the limit was 10, 20, 30 or 40.
 
I just drive at 30 still. And keep an eye out for cameras.

I'd say still 8/10 drive at 30 here. Hasn't really changed since it's come in
 
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My other half is from Wales, and we do go back every now and then

Should I treat all 30s as 20s, even if they still say 30?

It was really confusing last time I went back late last year. I was doing 20 everywhere but had people overtaking me/beeping me/driving right behind me.
 
Rroff said:
Just seen the council want to roll out general 20 limit in the town I go for shopping, there is a small bit in the centre where it is justified and some residential streets but not the whole town... not sure it'll accomplish much anyhow as when it is busy traffic doesn't average much above 20 and the small number of people who are bombing it through, which seems to be what is being presented as the reason behind it, will continue to do so until caught whether the limit was 10, 20, 30 or 40.
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The conspiracist in me thinks it'll achieve exactly what they want it to and increase air pollution so they can then roll out clean air charging zones.
I doubt there are many cats that do well at 20 Vs 30.
The Manchester one was rejected after they fitted loads of cameras and signs but then an action group put the research to them and actually the air is plenty clean.
They tried getting a congestion charge through as well previously and that was knocked back, I imagine 20mph might help on that front as well.

I don't mind driving at 20mph but I don't for one second thing it's being brought in for the reasons they say it is.
 
MrRockliffe said:
My other half is from Wales, and we do go back every now and then

Should I treat all 30s as 20s, even if they still say 30?

It was really confusing last time I went back late last year. I was doing 20 everywhere but had people overtaking me/beeping me/driving right behind me.
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Its confusing yes. Especially as many places jump 20-30 on same road and signage is poor.
I believe if you see a 30 now it is 30.

But I'm not totally sure. If I see a camera in a 30 I drive 20 just in case.
 
robj20 said:
The conspiracist in me thinks it'll achieve exactly what they want it to and increase air pollution so they can then roll out clean air charging zones.
I doubt there are many cats that do well at 20 Vs 30.
The Manchester one was rejected after they fitted loads of cameras and signs but then an action group put the research to them and actually the air is plenty clean.
They tried getting a congestion charge through as well previously and that was knocked back, I imagine 20mph might help on that front as well.

I don't mind driving at 20mph but I don't for one second thing it's being brought in for the reasons they say it is.
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I have wondered before as to whether there is intent with the pollution side so as to make a case for future measures. There seems to be a bit of agenda lead type of "accelerationism" going on from certain parties of late trying to kick off radical change via interim measures which purport to improve things but are actually intended to make the situation worse so that it makes more of a case for the changes they actually want.

EDIT: The environmental impact goes beyond air quality though with the knock on effect of reduced lifespan of fuel system components, etc., although you can achieve a reduction in particulate matter from brakes and tyres which is fairly significant.
 
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MrRockliffe said:
My other half is from Wales, and we do go back every now and then

Should I treat all 30s as 20s, even if they still say 30?

It was really confusing last time I went back late last year. I was doing 20 everywhere but had people overtaking me/beeping me/driving right behind me.
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If you see a 30 then it's a 30. All 20s have to be explicitly signed as I believe that the national criteria that any unsigned road with street lights is still a 30

My little village had no speed limit signs for the streets off the main road, but now has a proliferation of 20s everywhere. The fact that most of the roads are barely two cars wide, and one side is taken with parked vehicles kept the speeds down anyway.
 
Mr_Sukebe said:
That’s simply not true
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There are several main roads local to me with the 20 limit (it certainly hasn't just been applied to residential streets) and the journey times along them are noticeably longer, especially when you get stuck behind someone who is so afraid of breaking the 20 limit that they keep braking back down to 15.
 
Alibaba99 said:
If you see a 30 then it's a 30. All 20s have to be explicitly signed as I believe that the national criteria that any unsigned road with street lights is still a 30

My little village had no speed limit signs for the streets off the main road, but now has a proliferation of 20s everywhere. The fact that most of the roads are barely two cars wide, and one side is taken with parked vehicles kept the speeds down anyway.
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Just so risky. It felt like there were mobile speed cameras everywhere the last time I went back, to try and catch you out.


Made town driving pretty stressful. Spent more time worry about speed limit and car speed than looking where I was going
 
Alibaba99 said:
If you see a 30 then it's a 30. All 20s have to be explicitly signed as I believe that the national criteria that any unsigned road with street lights is still a 30
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Not this.
In Wales then if it's not signed then it is 20. That's the point of the law change - that the default speed limit on lit streets is 20 instead of 30.
As you say though, if it says 30 then it's 30.
 
Alibaba99 said:
There are several main roads local to me with the 20 limit (it certainly hasn't just been applied to residential streets) and the journey times along them are noticeably longer, especially when you get stuck behind someone who is so afraid of breaking the 20 limit that they keep braking back down to 15.
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That happened to me today (and many other days) a long stretch of road and someone driving at 14-15 mph, took forever to get through.

Sooner they review this stupid decision the better, and to say it would add 1 minute to a journey, what planet are they on. 20 mph has it's place but that place isn't everywhere.
Plus half the time you have no idea what the speed limit is supposed to be, on one bit of road I travel on there are 6 different speed limits within 1/2 mile, crazy.
 
There is a road in a town I drive through to get to work, Horsecastles Lane Sherborne, which in the last few days has changed from a 40 to 30, probably not unwarranted as the nature of the area has changed in recent years though 40 isn't really a problem if people drive sensibly, partly due to a couple of people campaigning very vocally on "20 is plenty" who are bitterly disappointed it was only reduced to 30. Found out yesterday both had incidents on the road (one on foot, one cycling) which were wholly due to them not paying attention but basically it seems they want to make everyone else have to drive slower rather take onboard the need for them to do better - not a perspective I'd been aware of before in this context.

Unfortunately one of the reasons they've had to reduce it is due to people pulling out of a side road when they've got the traffic lights on red, into the path of other vehicles because the side road has limited visibility...

They've also reduced the speed limit on a section further along that road out of town where there has been several accidents at a junction, which is a sensible change and long overdue IMO.
 
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