What's the speed limit past your house, and is it a problem?
Discussion
Paul O said:
saaby93 said:
Paul O said:
Ours is 30mph, built up area, new build estate type.
Generally regarded as something of a race track by knobbers and cut-through commuters.
Council won't put in speed calming measures until someone dies.
theres a good reason for thatGenerally regarded as something of a race track by knobbers and cut-through commuters.
Council won't put in speed calming measures until someone dies.
20mph on my road, which is suitable, you are limited by of poor parking (for some reason people are unable to park two cars on a double driveway!). Almost everyone keeps to the limit as you almost have to try to exceed it as the road can get quite narrow! The only people who you occasionally see going quite quickly (I am not going to claim to be able to accurately guess their speed) are people carriers and 4X4 loaded up with kids!
One of the interesting facts that came to light when I was involved with some local attempts at setting a blanket limit in a rural area was people's perception of speed.
Ask a number of people what speed a car is doing as it passes them and you'll get a number of very different answers. Almost always higher than the reality. Some considerably.
Hence the great number of demands from residents for lower speed limits, whilst residents themselves are usually the speeding culprits through familiarity of their neighbourhood roads.
Speed bumps are a pain for the residents whose house is adjacent through the incessant brake - bump - accelerate, and the emergency services prefer not to have them installed.
Btw NSL outside my house and the tractors are our local speed calming.
Petrolhead_Rich said:
20mph limits have their places, schools, hospitals and elderly care homes come to mind, small housing estates perhaps, but main roads through residential areas are fine at 30, the issue is that now in alot of towns very few people stick to 30, with certain groups going considerably faster.
The annoying thing for me is that all speed enforcement concentrates on motorways, I'd much rather see average speed cameras through towns & villages than SPECS/HADECS cameras on the M1/M62, I'd bet this would also have a dramatic effect on road safety and deaths than motorway enforcement, although I appreciate it probably wouldn't have the financial returns that motorway cameras do!!!
There are plenty of stories of people demanding the police set up speed checks on their local roads only to be caught speeding themselves when the police do as they ask. Then there are people who set up Community Speedwatch schemes only to find all the people they catch speeding are their neighbours and they're too embarrassed to have them sent letters by the police. The annoying thing for me is that all speed enforcement concentrates on motorways, I'd much rather see average speed cameras through towns & villages than SPECS/HADECS cameras on the M1/M62, I'd bet this would also have a dramatic effect on road safety and deaths than motorway enforcement, although I appreciate it probably wouldn't have the financial returns that motorway cameras do!!!
My office has a plate glass window right next to a 30mph dual carriageway. Plenty of people speed past, despite the new camera. This is probably because, like the guy who nearly came through the office window the other day and drove off after demolishing the crossing light, they have false plates on their cars or are unlicensed and uninsured. One of my colleagues complains endlessly about people speeding yet she's collected a few speeding charges herself, including on roads where people I know live and complain about the speeding traffic going past their houses. As has been said above, she'll tut and sigh at cars she thinks are speeding but are just loud and accelerating in a low gear.
It's always everybody else who is the problem because people have a different perception of speed when its traffic driving past them to when they're in their cars and feel comfortable and in control. Plus, no one likes to be inconvenienced but is keen to demand restrictions on others.
I live on a housing estate that's a 20mph zone and one of the most aggressive and dangerous drivers in the local area lives up the road from me. His wife runs as a Labour candidate in the local elections with road safety and getting more traffic calming measures as one of her big campaign points.
The speed hump right outside my house is a pain because the whole house shakes down to the foundation when the bin lorry hits it and the one going up the hill prevents people getting up when it snows.
Edited by Blakewater on Monday 20th March 21:55
Blakewater said:
There are plenty of stories of people demanding the police set up speed checks on their local roads only to be caught speeding themselves when the police do as they ask. Then there are people who set up Community Speedwatch schemes only to find all the people they catch speeding are their neighbours and they're too embarrassed to have them sent letters by the police.
My office has a plate glass window right next to a 30mph dual carriageway. Plenty of people speed past, despite the new camera. This is probably because, like the guy who nearly came through the office window the other day and drove off after demolishing the crossing light, they have false plates on their cars or are unlicensed and uninsured. One of my colleagues complains endlessly about people speeding yet she's collected a few speeding charges herself, including on roads where people I know live and complain about the speeding traffic going past their houses. As has been said above, she'll tut and sigh at cars she thinks are speeding but are just loud and accelerating in a low gear.
It's always everybody else who is the problem because people have a different perception of speed when its traffic driving past them to when they're in their cars and feel comfortable and in control. Plus, no one likes to be inconvenienced but is keen to demand restrictions on others.
I live on a housing estate that's a 20mph zone and one of the most aggressive and dangerous drivers in the local area lives up the road from me. His wife runs as a Labour candidate in the local elections with road safety and getting more traffic calming measures as one of her big campaign points.
The speed hump right outside my house is a pain because the whole house shakes down to the foundation when the bin lorry hits it and the one going up the hill prevents people getting up when it snows.
Tell them you've noticed cracking in your masonry and you think it might be linked to the hump. My office has a plate glass window right next to a 30mph dual carriageway. Plenty of people speed past, despite the new camera. This is probably because, like the guy who nearly came through the office window the other day and drove off after demolishing the crossing light, they have false plates on their cars or are unlicensed and uninsured. One of my colleagues complains endlessly about people speeding yet she's collected a few speeding charges herself, including on roads where people I know live and complain about the speeding traffic going past their houses. As has been said above, she'll tut and sigh at cars she thinks are speeding but are just loud and accelerating in a low gear.
It's always everybody else who is the problem because people have a different perception of speed when its traffic driving past them to when they're in their cars and feel comfortable and in control. Plus, no one likes to be inconvenienced but is keen to demand restrictions on others.
I live on a housing estate that's a 20mph zone and one of the most aggressive and dangerous drivers in the local area lives up the road from me. His wife runs as a Labour candidate in the local elections with road safety and getting more traffic calming measures as one of her big campaign points.
The speed hump right outside my house is a pain because the whole house shakes down to the foundation when the bin lorry hits it and the one going up the hill prevents people getting up when it snows.
Edited by Blakewater on Monday 20th March 21:55
Petrolhead_Rich said:
20mph limits have their places, schools, hospitals and elderly care homes come to mind, small housing estates perhaps, but main roads through residential areas are fine at 30, the issue is that now in alot of towns very few people stick to 30, with certain groups going considerably faster.
You'll find they stick to 30 on roads that should be 30 - have a look again at the roads where most people are not sticking to 30 and it'll probably be safer if they were 40.In some place the locals have been open enough to up the limit to 40, and you don't suddenly have a clamour to take it back to 30 - it's ok after all.
Your list of 20s should have 'some' in front of it. It wont be suitable for all and you wont find it in all.
Blakewater said:
There are plenty of stories of people demanding the police set up speed checks on their local roads only to be caught speeding themselves when the police do as they ask. Then there are people who set up Community Speedwatch schemes only to find all the people they catch speeding are their neighbours and they're too embarrassed to have them sent letters by the police.
They set up under a railway bridge where I live, and last year we may or may not have "keybanged" (I believe that's what the kids call it these days) mates Rover V8 mid tunnel, doing about 15mph, accelerate to 25mph then mid tunnel turn it off and back on again, queue flames and backfire, the three visi vesters shat their pants 
30 outside mine, but I would say it is more the corner that is more of a struggle to deal with, it's a 90 degree bend but into town lane is wider than out of town lane.
Out of town people seem to hug the pavement, turn left, clip the kerb and then head over into the opposite lane, and people coming into town basically take the racing line, how no one has genuinely crashed there I do not know, it's not even a think of the children type affair, it's always near misses.
Mine is in one of these "20 is plenty areas" - with tank traps ,meaning that 20 results in lots of bangs. Road is a narrow one, with resultant lots of parked cars ,and lots of kids chucked out to play on street. Result, I upset the upset the joy racers of both sexes when I drive down at 15 mph. That kid running out to get a ball COULD be one of my grand kids ( and way one of my sons behaves possibly is) 
Could I live with hurting a child- NO- but a lot of parents think that trying to push me to go faster is the answer.
20 past my house IS a problem- it's tooo fast, but current speed advise is that the limit is RIGHT- not just advisory as MAXIMUM speed .
Problem with LIMITS is that they are perceived to be the SAFE limit, when all driving safety advice says that "drivers should drive to a speed within thir capabilities and what they see as safe". Perhaps this should be changed to " at your speed can you stop safely"
Could I live with hurting a child- NO- but a lot of parents think that trying to push me to go faster is the answer.
20 past my house IS a problem- it's tooo fast, but current speed advise is that the limit is RIGHT- not just advisory as MAXIMUM speed .
Problem with LIMITS is that they are perceived to be the SAFE limit, when all driving safety advice says that "drivers should drive to a speed within thir capabilities and what they see as safe". Perhaps this should be changed to " at your speed can you stop safely"
My road is a 30mph limit where the houses are, stretching to 40mph about a hundred metres after the last house, and dropping to 20mph with a nasty speed bump just prior to the primary school about half a klick up the road. People occasionally experiment with a Vmax run between the speed bumps, which I don't have a problem with. The speed limit and humps on my end of the road are absolutely fine and fit for purpose. The ones by the school are quite large, but again I don't have a problem with either. I just take an alternate route if I need to take a low car past there.
The bottom of my garden backs on to a small field, the other side of which is a roundabout upon which the road goes from 20mph to 60mph - it's very straight, very open, and prime road for a nice long Vmax run. You could probably manage 120mph on that stretch of road in something reasonably fast - just an estimate, of course. No real noise to complain about as such, but I notice the Vmaxers on the road further away far more than I do outside my house. From the bedroom it's never really any more noisy than a small truck driving past.
The bottom of my garden backs on to a small field, the other side of which is a roundabout upon which the road goes from 20mph to 60mph - it's very straight, very open, and prime road for a nice long Vmax run. You could probably manage 120mph on that stretch of road in something reasonably fast - just an estimate, of course. No real noise to complain about as such, but I notice the Vmaxers on the road further away far more than I do outside my house. From the bedroom it's never really any more noisy than a small truck driving past.
Yep, house is on a 30mph road, most people drive it at 40-50 and many will do 60-70mph+. Several properties have concealed driveways coming out onto it, in places it's only wide enough for 1 car and there's a children's play park at one end.
We've had a few RTC's on the road, just waiting for one to be really serious, most have been upside down cars sliding along so far. I've had people attempt to overtake me on this piece of road, despite me travelling at 30 and it being clearly signposted. I've taken to parking my car on the road now as it forces the traffic to slow down. Before anyone accuses me of being a nob, note the lack of pavement and bear in mind that there are people (braver or more foolish than me) who walk along this road on a daily basis.
The playpark is in a field around 50 metres behind the camera point, a further 50 metres after that it becomes a national. Facing down the road, it continues into a more built up residential area after a pinch point where oncoming vehicles have to wait as the road narrows significantly.
We've had a few RTC's on the road, just waiting for one to be really serious, most have been upside down cars sliding along so far. I've had people attempt to overtake me on this piece of road, despite me travelling at 30 and it being clearly signposted. I've taken to parking my car on the road now as it forces the traffic to slow down. Before anyone accuses me of being a nob, note the lack of pavement and bear in mind that there are people (braver or more foolish than me) who walk along this road on a daily basis.
The playpark is in a field around 50 metres behind the camera point, a further 50 metres after that it becomes a national. Facing down the road, it continues into a more built up residential area after a pinch point where oncoming vehicles have to wait as the road narrows significantly.
Edited by Jonmx on Tuesday 21st March 00:52
20 (used to be 30 but the muppets got at the council). Cul-de-sac with effective maximum speed of about 15-20 mph. Lot of money spent on signs for nothing. Police have outright said they won't enforce it. Some want humps, council seem unwilling to spend more cash on the fools errand though, luckily.
Jonmx said:
Yep, house is on a 30mph road, most people drive it at 40-50 and many will do 60-70mph+. Several properties have concealed driveways coming out onto it, in places it's only wide enough for 1 car and there's a children's play park at one end.
We've had a few RTC's on the road, just waiting for one to be really serious, most have been upside down cars sliding along so far. I've had people attempt to overtake me on this piece of road, despite me travelling at 30 and it being clearly signposted. I've taken to parking my car on the road now as it forces the traffic to slow down. Before anyone accuses me of being a nob, note the lack of pavement and bear in mind that there are people (braver or more foolish than me) who walk along this road on a daily basis.
The playpark is in a field around 50 metres behind the camera point, a further 50 metres after that it becomes a national. Facing down the road, it continues into a more built up residential area after a pinch point where oncoming vehicles have to wait as the road narrows significantly.
The trouble is youve got is it doesnt look like a 30 when there are no signs of developmentWe've had a few RTC's on the road, just waiting for one to be really serious, most have been upside down cars sliding along so far. I've had people attempt to overtake me on this piece of road, despite me travelling at 30 and it being clearly signposted. I've taken to parking my car on the road now as it forces the traffic to slow down. Before anyone accuses me of being a nob, note the lack of pavement and bear in mind that there are people (braver or more foolish than me) who walk along this road on a daily basis.
The playpark is in a field around 50 metres behind the camera point, a further 50 metres after that it becomes a national. Facing down the road, it continues into a more built up residential area after a pinch point where oncoming vehicles have to wait as the road narrows significantly.
You'd probably be much better off taking the 30 off it, making people realise its an NSL road they have to think about what speed to drive and there might be someone else coming the other way at speed, so they slow down just in case.
See previous posters that have a NSL lane where traffic thinks for itself. Its also more helpful for all the other types of road users, there's a does what it says on the tin argument, and if it looks like a duck etc.
The other way is you rip out all the hedges and built houses fronting both sided the road, dotted line down the middle and streetlights, although if they over do it as a through road, it might look more like a 40.
How long has it been 30 and what was it like before?
saaby93 said:
he trouble is youve got is it doesnt look like a 30 when there are no signs of development
You'd probably be much better off taking the 30 off it, making people realise its an NSL road they have to think about what speed to drive and there might be someone else coming the other way at speed, so they slow down just in case.
See previous posters that have a NSL lane where traffic thinks for itself. Its also more helpful for all the other types of road users, there's a does what it says on the tin argument, and if it looks like a duck etc.
The other way is you rip out all the hedges and built houses fronting both sided the road, dotted line down the middle and streetlights, although if they over do it as a through road, it might look more like a 40.
How long has it been 30 and what was it like before?
It's been 30 for at least 20 years, but I agree with you, it looks like an NSL. Further down the road where it becomes a little more residential, they've put in some traffic calming measures such as a contra-flow, where it wasn't really needed. Unfortunately I can't see the situation improving anytime soon so it's one of those things that one has to live with. You'd probably be much better off taking the 30 off it, making people realise its an NSL road they have to think about what speed to drive and there might be someone else coming the other way at speed, so they slow down just in case.
See previous posters that have a NSL lane where traffic thinks for itself. Its also more helpful for all the other types of road users, there's a does what it says on the tin argument, and if it looks like a duck etc.
The other way is you rip out all the hedges and built houses fronting both sided the road, dotted line down the middle and streetlights, although if they over do it as a through road, it might look more like a 40.
How long has it been 30 and what was it like before?
Bizarrely there are no plans afoot to develop the land on the left of the photo despite it not being great agricultural land. The field that was once on the right hand side has been developed, but doesn't open onto this road.
Still, I have to find the silver lining, and occasionally something nice sounding boots it past, which makes a nice change to the usual 4x4's and boyracers.
Blakewater said:
According to the 20's Plenty For Us website, 80% of the public and 75% of drivers support 20mph limits.
http://www.20splentyforus.org.uk/rationale_for_20_...
According to a Hammersmith and Fulham Council survey it's 71% of people in their borough.
https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/articles/news/2015/11/stag...
Of course, these figures are only a percentage of the people who've bothered to take part in the survey, which introduces a certain amount of bias as people may have been keen to sway the figures in their favour by completing the surveys and others may have been too cynical to think bothering to complete the survey would make any difference to the council's actions.
We all know speed limit reductions can come about as a result of a few people starting petitions and pressuring local authorities, groups that may be vocal even though they may not represent the majority of people affected by what they're concerned about. An increasing number of homes are within 20mph limits and zones.
This has led me to ask the question. What's the speed limit past your house and do you think it's a problem to you and your neighbours?
Is it too high? Too low? Would you like to see it changed and, if so, increased or decreased?
Of course NIMBYs are all for it, until they get stuck behind someone doing 20 outside of their own back yards.http://www.20splentyforus.org.uk/rationale_for_20_...
According to a Hammersmith and Fulham Council survey it's 71% of people in their borough.
https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/articles/news/2015/11/stag...
Of course, these figures are only a percentage of the people who've bothered to take part in the survey, which introduces a certain amount of bias as people may have been keen to sway the figures in their favour by completing the surveys and others may have been too cynical to think bothering to complete the survey would make any difference to the council's actions.
We all know speed limit reductions can come about as a result of a few people starting petitions and pressuring local authorities, groups that may be vocal even though they may not represent the majority of people affected by what they're concerned about. An increasing number of homes are within 20mph limits and zones.
This has led me to ask the question. What's the speed limit past your house and do you think it's a problem to you and your neighbours?
Is it too high? Too low? Would you like to see it changed and, if so, increased or decreased?
My house is on a very long, wide road which used to be 40, but is now 30 so that the Hedgehogs can cross over safely from the park opposite. To reduce it to 20 would be ridiculous. The people that do actually do 30 on my road often dither along at 25-28. If it was reduced to 20, they'll dither along at 15-18.....just in case there's a patrol car hiding beind a bush, FFS.
30mph residential main road. It is quite regularly used by absolute morons.
My suspicions that only a few drivers keep to the limit were confirmed last summer. A police chap appeared with a sign showing the speed of the vehicle. For the half hour or so he was sat there, only a few people drove past at 30mph or below. There were a lot of people leaning on the brakes that day.
We regularly have people racing each other from the set of lights at one end. Pretty much every night we'll have people overtaking as they pass our driveway. And I can guarantee that most times I drive down the road at 30mph, someone will zoom up behind me and have to slow down.
My fiancée was overtaken recently by an impatient moron as she turned right into our driveway. Luckily, she saw him in her mirror and stopped. If she hadn't, he would have ploughed into the side of her. It's a 30mph residential rode ffs.
I've spoken to our local councillor. She isn't interested and told me to speak to the police. I had a chat with a policeman last year who did a few speed checks on Sunday mornings. At the time, he told me he was very busy catching people speeding. He told me they were pressed for resource though and I need to speak to my local councillor.
There have been around three accidents in the last few years. One was a monumental smash at the traffic lights down the road. It resulted in a brand new Astra becoming separated from it's engine. There was also another one around the corner a few years ago that resulted in a Volvo being rolled.
As above, I know that perception of speed differs between people. However, we really do get a lot of people driving like absolute morons on the road. I swear some come past the house doing around 80mph at night.
Oddly enough, I regularly see the local camera van on the A17 and A16 in the NSL limits. I am yet to see it setup on our road though.
My suspicions that only a few drivers keep to the limit were confirmed last summer. A police chap appeared with a sign showing the speed of the vehicle. For the half hour or so he was sat there, only a few people drove past at 30mph or below. There were a lot of people leaning on the brakes that day.
We regularly have people racing each other from the set of lights at one end. Pretty much every night we'll have people overtaking as they pass our driveway. And I can guarantee that most times I drive down the road at 30mph, someone will zoom up behind me and have to slow down.
My fiancée was overtaken recently by an impatient moron as she turned right into our driveway. Luckily, she saw him in her mirror and stopped. If she hadn't, he would have ploughed into the side of her. It's a 30mph residential rode ffs.
I've spoken to our local councillor. She isn't interested and told me to speak to the police. I had a chat with a policeman last year who did a few speed checks on Sunday mornings. At the time, he told me he was very busy catching people speeding. He told me they were pressed for resource though and I need to speak to my local councillor.
There have been around three accidents in the last few years. One was a monumental smash at the traffic lights down the road. It resulted in a brand new Astra becoming separated from it's engine. There was also another one around the corner a few years ago that resulted in a Volvo being rolled.
As above, I know that perception of speed differs between people. However, we really do get a lot of people driving like absolute morons on the road. I swear some come past the house doing around 80mph at night.
Oddly enough, I regularly see the local camera van on the A17 and A16 in the NSL limits. I am yet to see it setup on our road though.
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