Security/Health Crossover.

[PlaneMan]

There’s a 20 speed limit near my mum’s place, the Police can’t do anything about you going faster as it’s an illegal system. The parish council lobbied for it and the local council installed it without getting the necessary paperwork so all the speed tables, speed warning signs etc were a waste of money. They should all have been removed but the council claim they can’t afford it.

The worst thing is it’s a busy narrow road with parking on one side, get a bus (about 12 an hour peak times) or even a large van coming one way and the traffic grinds to a halt, also there’s a very busy hospital just off it and the traffic lights are the worst I’ve ever seen, they also cause huge jams. So it was a waste of time and money from the outset as you can hardly get to 20 most of the time.

One of the routes I use often is a busy lane, starts at a 30 limit, then 40, about 2 miles of national speed limit then down to 40 the other end until it hits a large roundabout. It’s a great drive when it’s quiet as there are some nice corners. Hit it today and there was a learner doing 15 mph all the way, the stupid instructor should have told the learner to pull over in one of the laybys. It was blatant that the learner wasn’t ready for a busy road, could hardly get round the corners.  All that achieved was a stressed learner and frustrated tailback of about 40 cars.

[The Duke]

Its not speeding offences, but dangerous driving.

Around my way, we have black 20mph signs outside the schools on busier roads. I’m yet to meet a person that actually know what the black mph signs mean. The limit on one is 40mph, so no one knows when the 20 is enforced. Especially given school opens at 7 am, intake is 9 am, school finishes at 3 pm and last kick out is 7 pm.

I have seen these 20 signs accompanied with amber lights before. However, we don’t have the lights on ours. So no one knows the rules on this, including my girl and lads driving instructors (two different ones).

[PlaneMan]

If nobody knows what the signs mean how can you be done for dangerous driving? Surely it would need a national campaign informing everyone.

After a bit of digging it seems that they are advisory only and a green ring is also advisory. Never heard of or seen them until just now.

[Richard]

For the record, the school in question in my comment above has no special signage and is only covered by the school sign, flashing lights, double white lines and traffic several islands.

Not withstanding that collection I have still been passed by a fool dodging the island and crossing the double whites to pass me outside the school. Hopefully one day soon, he will meet something more like a large truck not like a small child.

It appears that the laws and rules for the various UK countries may differ and that councils can follow the agree procedures to seek permission to introduce specific sign posted variances.

[Bob Williams]

Richard wrote:

As an aside to the above. The small hospital is situated on a 30 mph road that runs through a village with a church and school at its southern boundary, about 100 yards beyond the school the limit changes to the national limit for narrow roads. Anyway, after joining this road and about 600 yards along I was followed by a father and his kid as I stuck to the limit, boy did I wish I had a rearward facing camera as the git waved, jumped up and down and demanded that I speeded up, I did not. In fact I dropped down to 25 as I past the school shortly after chucking out time. Once free of the limit I speeded up to 50 ish along the winding road and the git then fell a couple of hundred yards behind. What an idiot.

That is exactly what I do Richard: slow right down. I also weave over to the middle of the road to stop them overtaking, as Steve does. Tailgaters are my personal hate, I could cheerfully shoot each one of them in the face. A few weeks ago I was taking my very large No.2 Gson home when one of thes idiots tailgated me. I saw roadworks and temporary lights in the distance, slowed right down and the barmpot behind looked as if he was having a coronary, waving his fist about. At the red light, GS got out and ambled over to the drivers door, barmpot opened his window and GS leaned in, shouted “WHAAAAATTT?” directly into his face. GS ambled back to the car, got in and we departed with the green light. Barmpot stayed a good few car lengths behind until he turned off. Result. Barmpot should have gone to Specsavers, GS fills the front passenger seat, clearly visible from behind the car.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

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