20mph residential speed limit (replacing 30mph)

Here’s a question for those complaining about 20mph limits, ie did you keep to 30mph limit over say the last couple of years?

Pretty much yes. 30 "feels" like a sensible speed safety/realistic compromise.

20 just makes me rage. Even bikes often go faster. Takes an age to overtake a bike going 15 at 20mph
 
In answer to that question, yes I did. My speed along the main road from my village to the motorway was never more than a couple of mph (Indicated) over the limit. And when in the residential streets in my village normally around 15-20.

Part of the problem is that i've spent the last 30+ years driving in 30 limits, and can do so without frequent use of the speedometer. It's going to take a long time to unlearn that, and I find that if I don't use the instruments my speed naturally goes back to 30.
 
In answer to that question, yes I did. My speed along the main road from my village to the motorway was never more than a couple of mph (Indicated) over the limit. And when in the residential streets in my village normally around 15-20.

Part of the problem is that i've spent the last 30+ years driving in 30 limits, and can do so without frequent use of the speedometer. It's going to take a long time to unlearn that, and I find that if I don't use the instruments my speed naturally goes back to 30.
It's an issue that should as we go on become better especially with limiters.
I drive with mine on 90% of the time, one less thing to be thinking about.
 
If or when England reduces the alcohol limit will people ignore that based on what feels sensible?

Only if you can get away with it. Same as the 20 zone.
If there's a camera you have to go 20.
If the till person asks for ID.. You won't be able to buy it.
 
It’ll become somewhat confusing when they change some back to 30.
They'll sign the few that will change, and if people default to 20 when they aren't sure then no one will get fined.
I'm amazed at the fuss it's caused. I've not met anyone that actually lives on these roads complaining, which is ultimately who this should be for.
I have been on a few where it seems unnecessary but there was already provision for LAs to keep them at / revert them to 30.
 
Oops. I'm wondering if all the 20 signs plastered everywhere in my locale are because it was one of the test areas and so predated the change in the law.
It might be, or they might be roads without sufficient street lights?
I live on a signed 20, but that's because it's not lit sufficiently to be covered by the national limit. It would have previously been signed 30 or been a 60 road.

Some places haven't taken the 20s down everywhere either. Perhaps to reinforce the change?
 
It's an issue that should as we go on become better especially with limiters.
I drive with mine on 90% of the time, one less thing to be thinking about.

You set the limiter for each speed limit change? or you one of the few with a car with the ability to dynamically set the limiter to the detected speed limit.
 
Tut, peasants that drive cars without HUDs ;)

I have a HUD on some vehicles but I don't have an analogue speedometer guage HUD on anything I own - I actually find a digital speed readout whether on the cluster or HUD takes more focus away from other things - I guess at a subconscious level it is quicker getting a reference for how close and in what direction your speed is to a limit from a moving needle than a number.
 
You set the limiter for each speed limit change? or you one of the few with a car with the ability to dynamically set the limiter to the detected speed limit.

I do. Just one click. Takes far less effort than thinking about modulation of the throttle pedal, particularly so if you go up and down hills.

IMO it’s also more polite to other motorists, as it eliminates the potential for wandering up and down speeds on say a motorway.
 
I do. Just one click. Takes far less effort than thinking about modulation of the throttle pedal, particularly so if you go up and down hills.

IMO it’s also more polite to other motorists, as it eliminates the potential for wandering up and down speeds on say a motorway.

For the roads I drive it would be a complete faff making sure it was set at the right speed each time, partly due to driving a range of vehicles each with a different implementation as well so I don't have it down to muscle memory on any one vehicle. Some of the roads I drive within a mile go like 60, 40, 30, 50, 30, 60, etc. as well.

Personally have never had a problem keeping a constant speed on dual-carriageways or motorway aside from the occasional hill - the CVT on the Qashqai can need a bit of attention going up hills so speed doesn't drop out. Most vehicles I drive sit nicely at 60 or 70.

Wouldn't say no to having a speed warning activated by the current detected limit though, for some reason none of my vehicles have that feature despite having the current speed limit indicated on the dash which is surprisingly accurate.
 
For the roads I drive it would be a complete faff making sure it was set at the right speed each time, partly due to driving a range of vehicles each with a different implementation as well so I don't have it down to muscle memory on any one vehicle. Some of the roads I drive within a mile go like 60, 40, 30, 50, 30, 60, etc. as well.

Personally have never had a problem keeping a constant speed on dual-carriageways or motorway aside from the occasional hill - the CVT on the Qashqai can need a bit of attention going up hills so speed doesn't drop out. Most vehicles I drive sit nicely at 60 or 70.

Wouldn't say no to having a speed warning activated by the current detected limit though, for some reason none of my vehicles have that feature despite having the current speed limit indicated on the dash which is surprisingly accurate.

Its a right faff on hire cars in residential areas where the speedlimit jumps around.

One of the more annoying things about the 20 here is how much it does junk around. Many times it'll go 20-30-20 with no really reason why.

Ie.. Its not like it suddenly changes to residential = 20. It seems random a lot of the time
 
For the roads I drive it would be a complete faff making sure it was set at the right speed each time, partly due to driving a range of vehicles each with a different implementation as well so I don't have it down to muscle memory on any one vehicle. Some of the roads I drive within a mile go like 60, 40, 30, 50, 30, 60, etc. as well.

Personally have never had a problem keeping a constant speed on dual-carriageways or motorway aside from the occasional hill - the CVT on the Qashqai can need a bit of attention going up hills so speed doesn't drop out. Most vehicles I drive sit nicely at 60 or 70.

Wouldn't say no to having a speed warning activated by the current detected limit though, for some reason none of my vehicles have that feature despite having the current speed limit indicated on the dash which is surprisingly accurate.
The ID.3 had adaptive cruise with speed limit awareness, so it would follow the speed limit or car in front, it made using it much less of a faff since you enabled it once and it did what I wanted as it transitioned between limits.

I find people on motorways will drift in speed up to 5+ MPH over time, which is why I often get annoyed that you are creeping by someone, with a 2-3mph delta and suddenly they speed up 5mph, so I drop back in behind them, then they slow down by 5mph, so I move out, and the cycle repeats..



I'm amazed at the fuss it's caused. I've not met anyone that actually lives on these roads complaining, which is ultimately who this should be for.
Its very dependent on the area.

My old village (well it's 2 villages with a main road running through), most houses are not on the main commuting/thoroughfare road, they are all down side roads). I popped in last weekend to see our old neighbours and universally in the area the speed limits have been causing havoc, there is a local action group who have garnered support for the petition and they don't seem happy.. This is a 30/50/NSL gone pretty much to a 20/30, there are 2 small 40 sections, but as mentioned below, people are

Some of the issues they've voiced on top of the normal complaints:
1. Just time wise, many now have to spend £80 per child per week on extra child care, they can no longer drop their kids off just before 9AM and get to work by 9:30 in neighbouring towns, it's taking around 20 minutes longer on a 30 minute trip.
2. 20 is closer to 15/16 mph since you go by the slowest vehicle, and some peoples speedo's are unwillingness to do the actual limit since its 'not a target' almost feels like malicious compliance.
3. The 40/30 sections are also clogged with people doing 15/16 mph as they ignore the limit change, so you have a good stretch which if they ignore the next section in to the countryside is quite a long way.
4. There has been a noticeable uptick in people pulling out unsafely, last second when there isn't a safe gap, probably because they don't want to wait until the end of the long queue of traffic.
5. Cyclists are more at odds in terms of being overtaken, they will undertake cars on the declines as doing >20 is easy, and cars then (slowly) overtake on the inclines when they slow, and that comes from cyclists themselves..
6. Pedestrians are also chancing it more crossing the road, they don't wait for a safe gap, they just walk between the cars doing 15/16 mph
7. MPG has markedly suffered, not sure if just non optimal gearing, i.e. most people are in 3rd/4th especially with so many doing quite a bit under 20, rather than top gear, or if its the constant modulation of a train of slow moving cars.

I experienced the delight of being stuck in a 20+ car convoy behind someone doing very much <20 and saw some pretty dangerous overtakes by a handful of cars that after 3 miles had had enough..
 
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I find people on motorways will drift in speed up to 5+ MPH over time, which is why I often get annoyed that you are creeping by someone, with a 2-3mph delta and suddenly they speed up 5mph, so I drop back in behind them, then they slow down by 5mph, so I move out, and the cycle repeats..

Yeah I hate that - on dual carriageways and motorways far too many people will slow right down to 60 on hills as well, then on the opposite slope if there is one suddenly speed up to like 75 which is a pain when overtaking them unless you put your foot down.
 
I find people on motorways will drift in speed up to 5+ MPH over time, which is why I often get annoyed that you are creeping by someone, with a 2-3mph delta and suddenly they speed up 5mph, so I drop back in behind them, then they slow down by 5mph, so I move out, and the cycle repeats..
that can be them/me optimising fuel consumption on rolling hill.

5. Cyclists are more at odds in terms of being overtaken, they will undertake cars on the declines as doing >20 is easy, and cars then (slowly) overtake on the inclines when they slow, and that comes from cyclists themselves..
you are right - experience cars sitting on my shoulder waiting for a gap and then crawl past too close.

....

cyclists speeding was on r4today this morning demanding legislation to apply same speed limits (20mph) as motorists
with recent controversial case https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...-prosecution-after-fatal-collision-with-pens/
on older prosecuted case - surprised by 6x braking distance with only rear brake.
Scotland Yard has released footage showing its detectives testing the braking distances of a legal bike and an illegal 'fixie' used by Alliston after his conviction.

The tests, carried out on a wet road, showed that the Olympic-style track bike without a front brake stopped from a fixed point after 62ft - six times longer that the standard road bike's stopping distance of 10ft.
 
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20mph a cyclist is probably going to hurt more than a car. Soft plastic bumper and large thin metal surface area on a car, or a solid skull and thin metal bars on cycle.
 
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