45 mph national speed limit?

45 mph national speed limit?

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Discussion

TransverseTight

Original Poster:

753 posts

144 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
Did this get changed in the last few years?

You know the sign white circle with the black diagonal line through it.

It's just that everyone seems to not know it means you can legally do 60mph so they tootle along at 45.

I overtook someone about 2 weeks ago, and they then proceeded to tail gate me for 3 miles and honked me when I slowed down to turn off (after it had dropped back to 40).

I am contemplating going round my town and putting up arrow signs pointing up at the national speed limit sign saying "This means you can do 60! (in a car)" So when I go somewhere I can get there quicker.

Either that or they have their cruise stuck at 45, because when they come back into a 30, they still do 45. WTF?

Am I missing something? Is this the optimum speed for fuel economy or something and I've just not realised?

Maybe we should petition no 10 to replace the (/) sign with (60) and where relevant (50) with a picture of a van next to it and (40) with a picture of a lorry next to it. like this from romania...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thum...

Pixelpeep

8,600 posts

141 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
People drive to what speed they are comfortable at.

My old driving instructor used to say to me 'its a limit, not a target'

Drop back, wait for a good open stretch of road, drop down 2 gears, pass safely.

Ignore any commotion from recently over taken car. Move on with life smile

trashbat

6,005 posts

152 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
Pixelpeep said:
People drive to what speed they are comfortable at.

My old driving instructor used to say to me 'its a limit, not a target'
And yet his pupils would fail their tests for not reaching it where safe to do so, so what it is then?

Vipers

32,799 posts

227 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
NSL can be 70 as we all know, just saying, it's not always 60. It ain't that bad where there is room to overtake those who feel comfortable driving below the NSL where there isn't any places to overtaking can be irritating.

Those who do 45 in 60 and 45 in 30 probably have no idea what the limit is, and are thinking they are playing safe. tts.

As said though, it's not a target.



smile

Edited by Vipers on Friday 10th January 15:52

TransverseTight

Original Poster:

753 posts

144 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
Pixelpeep said:
Drop back, wait for a good open stretch of road, drop down 2 gears, pass safely.
That's my issue - a good open stretch doesn't come up as they are too busy.

The roads in question - if you can't drive at 60, you shouldn't be driving.

The guy who decided to tail gate I just didn't get. I was in second gear when I started my overtake - he was doing 38!? As soon as I went past and up to 60 - he suddenly saw red. He was driving a white 63 plate 3 series. Maybe he was just getting used to a new car, but still no reason to drive like a nob after I over took. Whatever. He's the least of my problems.

Everytime I go down the said roads, I just know I'll get stuck behind someone doing 45. That's what I don't get. It's not 51, or 34, but always 45. I think they don't know the speed limit either end has changed from 40 on the suburbs, to 60 in the sticks. I.e. its just poor recognition of what the national speed limit sign means. So I suppose I really should start a petition to get them replaced with numbers and maybe sell car stickers for PHers that says (/) means (60).


Vipers

32,799 posts

227 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
Ignore my post re 70, your last post clarifies the road speed where you was talking about.




smile

agtlaw

6,680 posts

205 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
Vipers said:
NSL can be 70 as we all know, just saying, it's not always 60.
NSL is 40, 50, 60 or 70 depending on the road and class of vehicle.

p1esk

4,914 posts

195 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
trashbat said:
Pixelpeep said:
People drive to what speed they are comfortable at.

My old driving instructor used to say to me 'its a limit, not a target'
And yet his pupils would fail their tests for not reaching it where safe to do so, so what it is then?
Oh, not this again! Not getting at you, BTW.

A speed limit is a legal limit all the time; but for part of the time it can also be a target in the sense that a driving test candidate (whether DSA/basic, or advanced) will be expected to demonstrate the ability to drive at the limit where it is safe to do so.

Tribal Chestnut

2,997 posts

181 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
p1esk said:
Oh, not this again! Not getting at you, BTW.

A speed limit is a legal limit all the time; but for part of the time it can also be a target in the sense that a driving test candidate (whether DSA/basic, or advanced) will be expected to demonstrate the ability to drive at the limit where it is safe to do so.
Yes, but in the context described here, where it is safe to travel at the NSL, the driver should do so.

To say it is not a target and folks should drive at the speed at which they are comfortable is a load of old bull.

Vipers

32,799 posts

227 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
agtlaw said:
Vipers said:
NSL can be 70 as we all know, just saying, it's not always 60.
NSL is 40, 50, 60 or 70 depending on the road and class of vehicle.
Absolutely, I misread the post, and corrected it further further down.




smile

Laplace

1,090 posts

181 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
TransverseTight said:
Maybe we should petition no 10 to replace the (/) sign with (60) and where relevant (50) with a picture of a van next to it and (40) with a picture of a lorry next to it. like this from romania...
Or Scotland..

They are a courtesy though and the responsibility is on the driver to know.

I don't think this has anything to do with the drivers you have experienced. They're just aholes who drive slow and think overtaking is illegal.

roofer

5,136 posts

210 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
Overtaking is viewed as a crime by the general populace. Where i live the 'Tena' brigade are always going everywhere at 30, and have to change said 'Tena' when overtaken. Maybe that's why they get upset?

0000

13,812 posts

190 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
Pixelpeep said:
People drive to what speed they are comfortable at.
I tend to find these people are comfortable at 45mph in 60 and 30mph limits.

trashbat

6,005 posts

152 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
p1esk said:
A speed limit is a legal limit all the time; but for part of the time it can also be a target in the sense that a driving test candidate (whether DSA/basic, or advanced) will be expected to demonstrate the ability to drive at the limit where it is safe to do so.
Indeed - and why is this considered an important objective?

On the advanced test you are explicitly expected to make maximum safe progress, and although the described scenario (e.g. late for an appointment) is probably an exaggeration of day to day driving, I think it's generally how they hope you will continue to behave.

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

260 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
To me driving up to the speed limit is like driving through a green traffic light.

It certainly isn't compulsory.
It may very well not be safe.

It's something you are allowed to do if safe to do so.

But If it is safe to do so and you hold others up by not doing it, you are a twunt.

Hark

592 posts

179 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
61 plate Suzuki 4x4 thing tonight doing 25-35mph on a winding, unlimit 60mph road. Took me 5 minutes to find somewhere to pass safely.

Cliftonite

8,406 posts

137 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
Hark said:
61 plate Suzuki 4x4 thing tonight doing 25-35mph on a winding, unlimit 60mph road. Took me 5 minutes to find somewhere to pass safely.
No doubt they had their headlights on main beam to assist you in overtaking?

(Recently discussed at length in another forum)!




Osito

56 posts

143 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
TransverseTight said:
The roads in question - if you can't drive at 60, you shouldn't be driving.
It's clearly unacceptable for someone to travel in a "60-limit" at 45, then proceed to tailgate you at 60 after you've overtaken them. I'd agree that people who drive that way shouldn't be driving.

But saying people in a 60-limit shouldn't be driving if they can't (or don't want to) drive faster than 45 on a particular piece of road? I don't know about that. If people feel comfortable driving at 45 in a 60 limit, I'm fine with that, as long as they don't complain when they get safely overtaken, and as long as they slow down to a sensible speed (below or close to 30) when they go through the next village.

jimbop1

2,441 posts

203 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
Pixelpeep said:
People drive to what speed they are comfortable at.

My old driving instructor used to say to me 'its a limit, not a target'

Drop back, wait for a good open stretch of road, drop down 2 gears, pass safely.

Ignore any commotion from recently over taken car. Move on with life smile
I don't agree with the at all! It's dangerous in my opinion.

I often follow people doing 40ish on a nsl road and then quite alot of them even speed up when they get in a 40. I really don't know what goes through some people's heads.

I've just done a 5 hour journey,all motorway, and the amount of people that where doing 70 in the outside lane and then pulled over to the middle to speed up to 80 got rather infuriating!
The most annoying one though was a guy inches from my bumper, whilst I was doing late 80, I pulled over (slowly) to let him pass, he got in front and flipping slowed down!! I spent the next 30 minutes stuck behind him then!

p1esk

4,914 posts

195 months

Friday 10th January 2014
quotequote all
trashbat said:
p1esk said:
A speed limit is a legal limit all the time; but for part of the time it can also be a target in the sense that a driving test candidate (whether DSA/basic, or advanced) will be expected to demonstrate the ability to drive at the limit where it is safe to do so.
Indeed - and why is this considered an important objective?

On the advanced test you are explicitly expected to make maximum safe progress, and although the described scenario (e.g. late for an appointment) is probably an exaggeration of day to day driving, I think it's generally how they hope you will continue to behave.
Yes, but I have taken to the view that while there is a need to demonstrate ability to drive at the speed limit (where safe) in a test situation, I don't feel obliged to do it at other times.

If I wish to drive at a speed lower than the prevailing limit, I want to be free to do so, and I will do so, as long as it is not causing inconvenience to anybody else. I'm always alert to that possibility, and if looks likely to happen, I will make suitable adjustments to what I'm doing in order to eliminate the problem.