Motorway temporary speed limits

[Skilid]

Is it just me, or does no one seem to stick to these?

I was on the motorway the other day and the overhead gantries went from 60-50-40 as there was an obstruction in the road in the left lane, so they then also put a big red X over the first lane. Therefore, I move into lane 2 doing 40mph and everyone starts speeding past me and getting right up my chuff. 95% of the people were just carrying on at 70mph. When we got round the bend there was a police car parked behind a broken down car in lane 1, straight after that it went back up to 70 again, and so did I.

I was under the impression that if there was a digital sign with a speed limit (with no red circle) then it was an advisory limit, but if there is an overhead gantry with a speed limit and a red circle then it was mandatory.

Surely all these people would get tickets, no?

 

[Kaeo]

Only if there's a camera? Most people seem to totally disregard any sort of speed restriction unless there's a camera. There's a part of the A1 near to where I live where there's a bridge with a little dent in one of the barriers and a 40 limit for about 300 yards around it. Been there for about 5 months, never repaired, everyone ignores the restriction.

 

[Skilid]

Only if there's a camera? Most people seem to totally disregard any sort of speed restriction unless there's a camera. There's a part of the A1 near to where I live where there's a bridge with a little dent in one of the barriers and a 40 limit for about 300 yards around it. Been there for about 5 months, never repaired, everyone ignores the restriction.

I can understand ignoring those, as it's just down to the councils imcompetance, however there was a genuine obstruction in the road in this case. I always stick to them because you can't always see if there is a camera or not.

 

[lordrobs]

Red circle I pay attention, no red circle I just drive to the road and traffic conditions up to the normal limit.

 

[danlightbulb]

If motorway gantry speed limits were applied using common sense then I'm sure there would be more compliance. I have often been travelling down the m6 and the posted speed is 50 or 40 yet the motorway is practically empty. Often it then returns to full speed a few miles down the line. Doing 40 on an empty motorway feels ridiculous.

 

[Kaeo]

Yeah I find it irritating when they implement them badly then give you the 'cus rules' nonsense.

 

[Justintime]

I swear they forget to turn the limit back to normal sometimes. I know about staggering and all that but at 3AM ?

 

[Puzzled]

If motorway gantry speed limits were applied using common sense then I'm sure there would be more compliance. I have often been travelling down the m6 and the posted speed is 50 or 40 yet the motorway is practically empty. Often it then returns to full speed a few miles down the line. Doing 40 on an empty motorway feels ridiculous.

I think they sometimes do that to try and smooth out traffic flow due to an incident (or past incident) further up.

The ones on the m42 mind that seem to go up and down every gantry make no sense to me.

 

[bainbridge]

National speed limit signs on the overhead gantries near me in Bristol trigger the cameras at high 70s (a couple of people in work got fined).

I wish when it was very quiet you could go up to 100mph if the gantries were unlit and then if the nsl illuminated then it was back down under 70mph.

 

[ShivP]

Red circle I pay attention, no red circle I just drive to the road and traffic conditions up to the normal limit.

What does the red circle entail?

 

[tom_e]

What does the red circle entail?

Traffic signs must comply to regulations https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/traffic-signs-signals-and-road-markings if there's no red circle then it's not an enforcable upper speed limit.

 

[ttaskmaster]

I swear they forget to turn the limit back to normal sometimes. I know about staggering and all that but at 3AM ?

Why not at 3am?
Sometimes there really are people in the road, doing works or clearing something up and the last thing they need is a car thinking they have an empty 3am road and hooning past them at 70mph (honest gov)... Sometimes they're even clearing up the last 3am hooner!

 

[LizardKing]

They are automated and controlled by conditions ahead, so it may be 40mph but a few miles down the road there could be a huge collision or simple the back end of some rolling congestion that has dispersed by the time your reach it leaving you scratching you head! By design they hold the limits lower longer than they perhaps need to.

Usually the only human intervention is when there is a sub 40mph limit imposed.

Give them a few years to build some proper models of traffic flow and they will likely be less "random"

 

[TNGL]

Traffic signs must comply to regulations https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/traffic-signs-signals-and-road-markings if there's no red circle then it's not an enforcable upper speed limit.

So based on that, would I be right in saying the above is not an example of an enforceable upper speed limit?

 

[robj20]

So based on that, would I be right in saying the above is not an example of an enforceable upper speed limit?

Correct, cant be done for speeding, could still be done for other things though such as dangerous driving depends why they're lit.

 

[Nasher]

Why not at 3am?
Sometimes there really are people in the road, doing works or clearing something up and the last thing they need is a car thinking they have an empty 3am road and hooning past them at 70mph (honest gov)... Sometimes they're even clearing up the last 3am hooner!

Road workers at 3am...lol

Your lucky if you see them at 3pm.

 

[TNGL]

Correct, cant be done for speeding, could still be done for other things though such as dangerous driving depends why they're lit.

Cool, thanks for that. I can't believe I didn't know this.

 

[Glanza]

Came up the M1 yesterday through the new smart bit and they had 60 setup with red circles on all lanes, didn't stop people flying through faster than that I can only imagine the amount of money those cameras must be pulling in when they enforce the limit.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Road workers at 3am...lol
Your lucky if you see them at 3pm.

You probably won't see them unless you're following the reduced speed limit... or until you hit them at that "70mph, honest gov".
Come out with us for just one night - You'll be shocked at how often people speed through VERY obvious road works... and horrified at how fast they're actually going!!

 

[Semple]

Is it just me, or does no one seem to stick to these?

I was on the motorway the other day and the overhead gantries went from 60-50-40 as there was an obstruction in the road in the left lane, so they then also put a big red X over the first lane. Therefore, I move into lane 2 doing 40mph and everyone starts speeding past me and getting right up my chuff. 95% of the people were just carrying on at 70mph. When we got round the bend there was a police car parked behind a broken down car in lane 1, straight after that it went back up to 70 again, and so did I.

I was under the impression that if there was a digital sign with a speed limit (with no red circle) then it was an advisory limit, but if there is an overhead gantry with a speed limit and a red circle then it was mandatory.

Surely all these people would get tickets, no?

I suspect it's already been said, but most are just the information signs advising you of the current limit, so have no camera on them.

If motorway gantry speed limits were applied using common sense then I'm sure there would be more compliance. I have often been travelling down the m6 and the posted speed is 50 or 40 yet the motorway is practically empty. Often it then returns to full speed a few miles down the line. Doing 40 on an empty motorway feels ridiculous.

Exactly...

I swear they forget to turn the limit back to normal sometimes. I know about staggering and all that but at 3AM ?

This...

I get really fed up when obstructions have been clear and traffic is moving freely, yet they've forgotten to reset the signs. You'd have thought a lot of this would have been automated by now, check the average speed during a section, if it's at the limit or above the limit then there's clearly no congestion and the limit should be upped or cleared.