"you are travelling at xx" signs

[docevi1]

I used to think they were a good idea.

There has been 2 set up outside our local comp in a 20mph zone (fair zone if not a bit long), one sits just off a junction coming west, the other sits about 10ft from the entrance to the school for cars and about 5ft from where the lolli-pop man works going east.

I'm noticed that I spent time looking at the sign and making sure my speed was below 20mph in case anyone was looking rather than ensuring no-one was crossing the road/the lollipop man wasn't there...

I drive past all the time and the schools on holiday at the moment so it's not busy, but it terrifies how other people are going to re-act when schools are about as it's desperatly busy and you can't be seen to break the speed limit can you...

[rich-uk]

Isn't the whole point of them to see how fast you can go past them?

[Deester]

rich-uk said:

Isn't the whole point of them to see how fast you can go past them?

I thought it was for measuring my acceleration.

Damn handy devices.

[deltaf]

Last one i went past registered xxx in an xx zone......ooops.

[madant69]

rich-uk said:

Isn't the whole point of them to see how fast you can go past them?

[towman]

deltaf said:

Last one i went past registered xxx in an xx zone......ooops.

Good Effort

[The Wiz]

Theres one of these appaeared on Wallisdown Road in Poole warning drivers of a 30 mph speed limit. Unfortunately its in a 40 mph limit about 100 yards from the start of a 30 limit. So its on permenantly frowning at everyone ... everyone doing the correct limit - WTF is the point of that?

[benp]

Those portable ones villagers hire are pretty cool too, you get a couple of muppets sat next to them with a clipboard shaking theirs heads at you as you speed up at em and then slow down as you pass it!!

[andykent]

benp said:

Those portable ones villagers hire are pretty cool too, you get a couple of muppets sat next to them with a clipboard shaking theirs heads at you as you speed up at em and then slow down as you pass it!!

So it's not just me that does this then . I will take this opportunity to apologies to the villagers of Wheeler End Common just outside High Wycombe who had one of these signs a couple of months back. Each morning for a week came up towards them at the speed limit, dropped a cog and planted the boot to see what I could register

[shnozz]

rich-uk said:

Isn't the whole point of them to see how fast you can go past them?

Walking hormone/claire - care to comment?

[Streetcop]

Huddersfield used to have one on the A62 as you entered the town...Trafpol used to sit 200 yds further down to catch any muppets wanting their name up in lights...

Street

[benp]

andykent said:

benp said: Those portable ones villagers hire are pretty cool too, you get a couple of muppets sat next to them with a clipboard shaking theirs heads at you as you speed up at em and then slow down as you pass it!! So it's not just me that does this then . I will take this opportunity to apologies to the villagers of Wheeler End Common just outside High Wycombe who had one of these signs a couple of months back. Each morning for a week came up towards them at the speed limit, dropped a cog and planted the boot to see what I could register

They were springing up on the Leighton Buzzard road to Hemel all last summer, got a permanent one now so still get to have some fun and especially with me new car, bit better than a knakered old polo!

[Mr E]

They've changed them near me. They now simply flash up the limit if you exceed it.

Or, in fact if you're 3 (GPS veryfied) MPH below the limit.

And the ones that do or are plain silly.

[walking hormone]

shnozz said:

Walking hormone/claire - care to comment?

No comment required

I don't know what signs you are all talking about as I have never seen a sign flashing with a frowning face...... oh that's what it means!?!?

[piccy mate]

Hey, Don't knock these signs - Certain Police forces are encouraging these 'slow down' signs in preference to speed cameras. If you abuse them, you know what will be there next!
David

[RichB]

docevi1 said:

the schools on holiday at the moment so it's not busy...

So presumably they are de-activated and the limit has returned to 30mph? R...

[The Wiz]

piccy mate said:

Hey, Don't knock these signs - Certain Police forces are encouraging these 'slow down' signs in preference to speed cameras. If you abuse them, you know what will be there next! David

Whats the point though if they are set 10 mph below the posted limit?

[BliarOut]

The ones round our way just flash up 30 if you are going faster, to discourage land speed record attempts. TBH, I slow down for these. If they then record slower average speeds we don't get Gatso's. woohoo!

[piccy mate]

The Wiz said:

piccy mate said: Hey, Don't knock these signs - Certain Police forces are encouraging these 'slow down' signs in preference to speed cameras. If you abuse them, you know what will be there next! David Whats the point though if they are set 10 mph below the posted limit?

Dunno about that - the one's round our way are pretty accurate and seem to have the desired affect.
Dave

[rodney59]

I did my own research with these signs last Tuesday at a known position to see what the results were. The road is such that:

On the A227 (Tonbridge to Gravesend), at Istead Rise, Kent, about 4 months ago a vehicle activated sign was installed on a single carriageway with a 40mph. The section of road was NSL until about 2-3 years ago. The VAD is positioned about 150 yards after the change
from 50 to 40mph, on a slight down hill straight section of road. (The 50mph was NSL until also 2-3 years ago). A traffic island is in the road position immediately at the VAD position, with a junction road at 30mph. The other side of the island double white centre lines are painted for about 400 yards as the road undulates.

I took the following data:

"lead" is defined as those vehicles where they would not have seen the sign flash by a vehicle in front.

"Following" is defined as those vehicles that were behind a "lead" vehicle.

Data for all vehicles whether "lead" or "following"
were excluded if a vehicle turned right at the junction.

28.2% of all "lead" vehicles caused the VAD to warn of 40mph.

8.8% of "following" vehicles caused the VAD to flash.
In many cases the "lead" vehicle had caused the VAD to flash beforehand.

A massive 64.7% of vehicles that caused the VAD to flash who did not already have their brake lights on, braked after the VAD lit.

All vehicles that caused the VAD to flash were 15%.

Data was taken at 2.30pm for 10 minutes.
I estimate that the VAD will flash at 44mph.