Reducing the speed limit on Country Roads

[pdq1]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18840110

Isn't this one of the most sensible ideas yet?

[Bambiagain]

Yes. Although to read the comments under the article in the Daily Telegraph it would seem I'm in the minority with this view. Having ridden horses around country lanes for much of my life I was scared witless by maniac drivers too many times. (One of them being my ex husband, who thought it was funny to terrify horde riders, dog walkers and anyone who dared to be on the road.) Too many country roads simplly aren't suitable for fast driving.

[paddywak]

Nice in theory, but like a lot of these laws virtually impossible to enforce. The only people who would obey the new limits would be the ones who follow the rules now, the idiots would still drive as if the law doesn't apply to them, and there aren't enough coppers to cope with serious crime let alone petrol country lanes trying to catch speeding motorists.

[Hopkirk]

About time some sense was brought into this.

[paddywak]

Just down the road from where I live is a Junior School on a fairly busy road used by HGV's and buses as well as your normal traffic at certain times of the day one side of the road is full of school run cars parked along maybe 400m of the road.Last month they put flashing lights and reduced the speed limit to 20mph at school times the lights being switched by a lollipop lady. Trish and I walk up and pick my nieces little girl up twice a week and the new speed limit hasn't made the slightest difference the traffic still runs along at the same 30-40mph and do we ever see a copper or speed trap? the hell we do. Some of the traffic struggles to stop for the lollipop lady, and this is in a fairly large built up area. Like I said nice in theory.

[Old_Geezer]

It might be senible where the road is twisting and full of bends, but I have to agree with paddy that chances are the only folk to obey the new limits are those already taking care.

[Hymie]

Given the choice of driving at 60mph on a single lane country road or 90mph on a three lane motorway – I suspect most motorists would choose the illegal option, as the safer of the two.

[jno]

safer for the motorist, that is.

[ladybirder]

Where I used to live in the countryside of North Yorkshire we campaigned for years to get the speed limit through our hamlet reduced to 30mph. It was a B road, downhill with 2 sharp bends. We won eventually but the speed limit was mainly ignored. Waste of time unless it is monitored and enforced.

[sunny-dave]

As usual this will no effect whatsoever on the idiots who race around at inappropriate speeds - simply another revenue raising stick to beat the responsible motorist with.

[paddywak]

In regards to the these reduced speed limits, twenty or so miles of the A614 from the Ollerton roundabout to Nottingham has had the limit reduced to 50mph.We travel the road quite a bit and it always makes me smile to see people come screaming by then slow down as they go by the camera and immediately speed up once they think they're clear. I often wander what they think when the ticket drops through there door and they realise that the were average speed cameras.

[MantaRay]

A shame there's no minimum speed limit...it might wake up those people who travel at 35-40 mph then carry on at the same speed when they get to a 30 sign.

[pdq1]

Although I'm in favour of reducing the limit on country roads it can be confusing if their are a multitude of limits with signs having to be put up everywhere. It would make better sense to have a general limit of 40mph on all country roads.

The 20mph limit in towns is ridiculous. Not only are you mostly unaware of them and have to be reinforced by speed humps but on the government website they say the mean speed in towns is only 24mph so not much difference from the actual and the intended.

[Old_Geezer]

I agree totally pdq1 "They" sold the public 20mph outside schools using the, "Think of the children", angle, and no one objected since someone had to compensate for the total inadequacy of the town planners to keep schools away from busy roads. But once the precedent had been made the ..... individuals ..... started imposing the limit everywhere they felt they could get away with it. One wonders when the 10mph limit outside schools is due to be introduced. I think this sort of imposition just leads many to have less respect for the law. Roads are expected to be dangerous places, folk are supposed to drive with care, but there is not supposed to be no responsibility on pedestrians and others to take care for their own safety also.

[TWR]

Interesting in theory, will not work in reality! If the horse riders knew the road was full of bad / blind bends, why the hell do they put the rider & horse in danger by using the road? you will never stop some motorist over doing the speed limit, if the rider had any sense he / she would keep away from that road, Cyclist's, are we talking about the riders that think they are the world champions with the gear they wear? if they use the road, " Tax them"

[EDDIE51]

It is only suggested for roads where due to the conditions the average speed is 40 or below any way. It will at least make it possible to prosecute people who drive at 60 mph in such places . Also the idea is that there will be one sign at the start of the 40 zone and one at the end, so as to save having to out up lots of signs at huge cost. Seems one of the most sencible ideas I have heard recently.