Motorway variable limit left at 20 mph by mistake for hours
Discussion
Not fresh news, so apologies if already discussed.
Motorway 20 mph variable speed limit signs were left on for hours, by mistake.
The fine money rolled in and points were dished out.
After that, it was reported that the highways authority did apologise, but too late to stop the prosecutions.
Is that justice in operation ?
https://www.burnhamandhighbridgeweeklynews.co.uk/n...
sociopath said:
It doesn't matter if the signs were lit up in error, they were lit up so it was legal, and those fined were idiots
Actually I’m fairly sure that the test of them being legal can be and usually is separate to them being illuminated, but knowingly driving through a 20mph restriction when it was a bad decision that led to it being that speed (so appropriate speed reductions will have been in place leading up to) is a silly game to play.If it was NSL / 20 it’s impractical and dangerous to slow down to that extent, but that’s why I think they shouldn’t be capable of showing lower than 40.
Imagine my surprise that it’s Avon and Somerset, where the thirteen-toed, “make-it-up-as-you-go-along” brigade are in all aspects of motoring and law enforcement.
k up, buttercup’. Pegscratch said:
sociopath said:
It doesn't matter if the signs were lit up in error, they were lit up so it was legal, and those fined were idiots
Actually I’m fairly sure that the test of them being legal can be and usually is separate to them being illuminated, but knowingly driving through a 20mph restriction when it was a bad decision that led to it being that speed (so appropriate speed reductions will have been in place leading up to) is a silly game to play.If it was NSL / 20 it’s impractical and dangerous to slow down to that extent, but that’s why I think they shouldn’t be capable of showing lower than 40.
Imagine my surprise that it’s Avon and Somerset, where the thirteen-toed, “make-it-up-as-you-go-along” brigade are in all aspects of motoring and law enforcement.
But mission creep means that inevitably these things "improve" over time!
Teddy Lop said:
Never seen less than 40 even when motorway is at a standstill, didn't think they went so low.
40 seems a sensible lower limit as on a motorway you have good range of vision and you can still stop abruptly, but then speed enforcement is not about common sense is it.
You’re not suggesting issues with $peed £nforc€ment are you?40 seems a sensible lower limit as on a motorway you have good range of vision and you can still stop abruptly, but then speed enforcement is not about common sense is it.
FWIW I think speed enforcement in 30s and 40s is fair game, but the push to drown the motorways in cameras (the safest roads in the country we’re regularly told) show the priority as they ignore people doing 80+ in the 30 just up from me.
It is a life lesson in the idiotic bureaucratic nature of this country, they should have been given 3 points for every gantry they passed, if anyone totted up 12 point they should have been instantly banned at that moment, then charged with no license and no insurance, and charged with this repeatedly for every subsequent journey.
Anyone in the cars with them as passengers should have been charged for causing or permitting all the same offences, even children.
Anyone who got dragged into court who could not afford to pay the fines on the spot should have been taken to the tower until their families were able to pay the fines, plus obscene daily interest penalties and accommodation/ incarceration costs. Anyone who couldn't pay after 12 months should have had their head put on a spike as a lesson to us all who might think about doing 22 in a 20 limit.
Anyone in the cars with them as passengers should have been charged for causing or permitting all the same offences, even children.
Anyone who got dragged into court who could not afford to pay the fines on the spot should have been taken to the tower until their families were able to pay the fines, plus obscene daily interest penalties and accommodation/ incarceration costs. Anyone who couldn't pay after 12 months should have had their head put on a spike as a lesson to us all who might think about doing 22 in a 20 limit.
Pegscratch said:
Actually I’m fairly sure that the test of them being legal can be and usually is separate to them being illuminated, but knowingly driving through a 20mph restriction when it was a bad decision that led to it being that speed (so appropriate speed reductions will have been in place leading up to) is a silly game to play.
If it was NSL / 20 it’s impractical and dangerous to slow down to that extent, but that’s why I think they shouldn’t be capable of showing lower than 40.
Imagine my surprise that it’s Avon and Somerset, where the thirteen-toed, “make-it-up-as-you-go-along” brigade are in all aspects of motoring and law enforcement.
No, that's Glos I think you'll find.If it was NSL / 20 it’s impractical and dangerous to slow down to that extent, but that’s why I think they shouldn’t be capable of showing lower than 40.
Imagine my surprise that it’s Avon and Somerset, where the thirteen-toed, “make-it-up-as-you-go-along” brigade are in all aspects of motoring and law enforcement.
60/50/40 limits on Smart Motorways are automated.
20/30 are used by operatives dependent on what is happening. As an example when I last visited Highways England, there was a vehicle driving the wrong way on the motorway. Both sides were set to 20mph to give all drivers a chance. The operative recommended leaving the motorway if you see an illuminated 20 limit on the motorway and I totally see why.
20/30 are used by operatives dependent on what is happening. As an example when I last visited Highways England, there was a vehicle driving the wrong way on the motorway. Both sides were set to 20mph to give all drivers a chance. The operative recommended leaving the motorway if you see an illuminated 20 limit on the motorway and I totally see why.
Gman20 said:
It is a life lesson in the idiotic bureaucratic nature of this country, they should have been given 3 points for every gantry they passed, if anyone totted up 12 point they should have been instantly banned at that moment, then charged with no license and no insurance, and charged with this repeatedly for every subsequent journey.
Anyone in the cars with them as passengers should have been charged for causing or permitting all the same offences, even children.
Anyone who got dragged into court who could not afford to pay the fines on the spot should have been taken to the tower until their families were able to pay the fines, plus obscene daily interest penalties and accommodation/ incarceration costs. Anyone who couldn't pay after 12 months should have had their head put on a spike as a lesson to us all who might think about doing 22 in a 20 limit.
A modest proposal, indeed.Anyone in the cars with them as passengers should have been charged for causing or permitting all the same offences, even children.
Anyone who got dragged into court who could not afford to pay the fines on the spot should have been taken to the tower until their families were able to pay the fines, plus obscene daily interest penalties and accommodation/ incarceration costs. Anyone who couldn't pay after 12 months should have had their head put on a spike as a lesson to us all who might think about doing 22 in a 20 limit.
Having been one that used to set these signals, they would only be set for 20's if there was a report of a vehicle travelling the wrong way down the c/way, then you could get 20's set for some distance.
Think about it, a driver calls 999 to report it, phone company put it through to police, police make a log on their system, then "share" it to Highways system, Highways operator then sets signals.
Between the driver first calling (With vague location) the oncoming vehicle could have travelled several miles, so large spread of signals is set, police patrols deployed, HE patrols deployed for Traffic management should they be needed.
The other scenario is for an police incident spread across the c/way but undetermined which lanes require closure, then at most 2 gantries could be set to 20 if 1 gantry was directly over the incident. I once set this when the police T-packed a vehicle due to risk of persons running from vehicle, then closed the lanes with vehicles in.
Normal MIDAS signalling would only go down to 40's, unless the HDS (Highest displayable speed) was set down to 40 instead of the normal 60, ie. Sharp bend etc.
Think about it, a driver calls 999 to report it, phone company put it through to police, police make a log on their system, then "share" it to Highways system, Highways operator then sets signals.
Between the driver first calling (With vague location) the oncoming vehicle could have travelled several miles, so large spread of signals is set, police patrols deployed, HE patrols deployed for Traffic management should they be needed.
The other scenario is for an police incident spread across the c/way but undetermined which lanes require closure, then at most 2 gantries could be set to 20 if 1 gantry was directly over the incident. I once set this when the police T-packed a vehicle due to risk of persons running from vehicle, then closed the lanes with vehicles in.
Normal MIDAS signalling would only go down to 40's, unless the HDS (Highest displayable speed) was set down to 40 instead of the normal 60, ie. Sharp bend etc.
sociopath said:
Signs set to 20mph, drivers ignore signs, got fined.
It doesn't matter if the signs were lit up in error, they were lit up so it was legal, and those fined were idiots
And here it is, common sense gone in the first reply.It doesn't matter if the signs were lit up in error, they were lit up so it was legal, and those fined were idiots
If I approach a red light at 10:00pm, and it's stuck on red, do I have to wait there for 11 hours until the workers arrive and fix it?
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