Speed limit signs

Buckster

Buckster

Buckster

Soldato
Joined
20 Aug 2006
Posts
9,779
Are start of "National Speed Limit" signs a requirement to be in place or optional ?

I've noticed a couple of instances in Essex - where signage of the speed limit coming the other way (ie into a 40 limit from a 60 or into a 30 limit) has seemingly been updated and improved - larger brighter sign etc

but the National speed limit sign the other way seems to have been missed as part of the update (ie old sign removed as part of the update, but not replaced) - so first you know of it is when you get to a repeater

I think I've also noticed it with a 40 to 30 limit thats recently been changed - but need to check that one - seemed that the 30 limit sign one way had been increased in size etc but the start of 40 the other way I couldn't see

is this by accident - or a convenient way to pseudo increase lower speed limit areas without applying for a formal change ? I guess (??) not enforceable but hoping the drivers don't know otherwise ?

more curious than anything else
 
Just follow the normal rules indicated by the Highway Code. If there's no speed limit signs and regular lampposts, it's a 30. Then the other way around if there are no regular lampposts then it's likely NSL
 
Speaking of road signs, a weird thing they've done at a new roundabout near where I am. Originally it used to be 30 in the village, changing to NSL as you leave. Now they've added a roundabout it goes from 30 to 40 then 60 (not NSL) as you leave the roundabout.

Seems odd to be using a 60 sign instead of an NSL one.
 
Bout time they did it this way to be fair. Can be quite confusing for foreign vehicles on our roads.
 
I would guess that it's better to go slower than the speed limits. If a sign indicated it was NSL in an area where it's actually 40, it would be a different issue.
 
There should definitely be a sign, might be worth dropping a quick email to your council if the sign has been missing for a while? Just up the road from where I work there is about a 700m stretch of road where it goes from 40 > 60 > 40 again, quite pointlessly as you're braking to get back down to 40 by the time you reach 60, but it's all sign posted
 
Edinho said:
Don't be daft. Make it as vague as possible to catch people out. It makes more money you know.
Click to expand...

Yet again I find myself pointing out that:

a) The people paying for the signs are the Local Council.
b) The people the fines are paid to are the Treasury.
c) a and b above are not linked in any way that has anything to do with speeding tickets.
 
Meridian said:
Yet again I find myself pointing out that:

b) The people the fines are paid to are the Treasury.
Click to expand...

Not quite true, unless it goes to court.
For fixed penalties and driver improvement courses (which seems to be 95% of cases) the money goes to the Local Safety Camera Partnership [1] and the Council and Local Authority will get the lion's share between them and they are supposed to reinvest it in road safety and enforcement.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_Camera_Partnership
 
Last edited:
TheVoice said:
Speaking of road signs, a weird thing they've done at a new roundabout near where I am. Originally it used to be 30 in the village, changing to NSL as you leave. Now they've added a roundabout it goes from 30 to 40 then 60 (not NSL) as you leave the roundabout.

Seems odd to be using a 60 sign instead of an NSL one.
Click to expand...

The national speed limit can be 60 or 70 depending on whether it is a single or dual carriageway so the 60 may be correct if it is a single carriageway.
 
I know, just seems odd that they're replaced NSL signs with 60 ones. They're still NSL signs on the other three routes out of the village, just this one particular route now has 60 signs.
 
I remember seeing actual 70 signs on motorway slip roads leading into motorways when I first drove to Scotland. As in a red circle with 70 in and not NSL. Always thought that was pretty weird as I'd never seen it before. Can see them on google maps at various junctions on the A74(M) so I definitely wasn't losing my mind.
 
TheVoice said:
I know, just seems odd that they're replaced NSL signs with 60 ones. They're still NSL signs on the other three routes out of the village, just this one particular route now has 60 signs.
Click to expand...

Because NSL is not 60mph for all vehicles on a single carriageway road. NSL varies depending on not only the road but the vehicle.
 
Yeah yeah '60' ;)

ejjCv.gif
 
Theres a village I pass through on my way to work and as your coming out of it there is a single NSL sign on the opposite side of the road, which is covered in moss and tree branches.

It's hard to spot so it looks like it's 30 in one direction and 60 in the other. Which is what usually happens with the traffic :D
 
Last edited:
Buckster said:
but the National speed limit sign the other way seems to have been missed as part of the update (ie old sign removed as part of the update, but not replaced) - so first you know of it is when you get to a repeater
Click to expand...

Perhaps it might be worth a word with your local highways department suggesting that the replacement sign might have been stolen?
 
DaveyD said:
Just follow the normal rules indicated by the Highway Code. If there's no speed limit signs and regular lampposts, it's a 30. Then the other way around if there are no regular lampposts then it's likely NSL
Click to expand...

i got told it was 40 by my driving instructor :o
*goes off to check the highway code*
 
Hades said:
Because NSL is not 60mph for all vehicles on a single carriageway road. NSL varies depending on not only the road but the vehicle.
Click to expand...

I know. Is there a way to see if a road is classified as NSL or 60 then? Struggling to see why they'd have changed this one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom