Speed Limit Signs
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Discussion

Rathcon

Original Poster:

58 posts

80 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
Afternoon all,
Question about speed limit signs (I guess the clue is in the title)....was driving out of Wisbech over the weekend, going on the A1101 I think between Wisbech and Gote (Tydd Gote maybe??), came across a sign warning of an approaching double bend with a maximum speed limit 40 sign on it. About 30 yards further on was a 50mph speed limit sign and on the bends that the first sign was warning about was also a 50mph sign - which one would you think would be the one that would be enforced? or do you thing the 40mph was just an advisory with 50 being the legal limit?

Don't know if this will work but it was here,

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.6914938,0.146564...

you can see the 50mph sign right behind the 40 on the other side of the road and if you go a bit further another 50 more or less on the bends..


Ham_and_Jam

3,672 posts

126 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
50 mph is the legal speed limit.

Warning sign with an advisory speed speed limit of 40mph due to sharp bends in the road.

Tony33

1,260 posts

151 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
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The 40mph limit is advisory

"Advisory speed limits

Advisory speed limits are used on a stretch of road that is potentially hazardous. The location of an advisory maximum speed limit sign varies, but can often be seen on bends. As the advisory speed limit is not contained within a red ring, it is the motorists choice of whether they obey the advised speed limit or not, providing they do not exceed the maximum regulatory speed limit."

https://www.drivingtesttips.biz/advisory-mandatory...

Triumph Man

9,579 posts

197 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
Ham_and_Jam said:
50 mph is the legal speed limit.

Warning sign with an advisory speed speed limit of 40mph due to sharp bends in the road.
I'm sure no-one sees them as a target to be beaten around the bends. Honest. hehe

rxe

6,700 posts

132 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
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Anything in a red circle is a mandatory speed limit that you are not meant to exceed.

Anything else can be legally ignored. They’re advisory only. It might be a good idea to heed them, but you don’t need to.

matchmaker

9,036 posts

229 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
Triumph Man said:
Ham_and_Jam said:
50 mph is the legal speed limit.

Warning sign with an advisory speed speed limit of 40mph due to sharp bends in the road.
I'm sure no-one sees them as a target to be beaten around the bends. Honest. hehe
There's one on the M80 just after the Haggs interchange with an advisory of 50 mph. In what? A Model T Ford? I just keep the cruise at 75mph biggrin

Tony33

1,260 posts

151 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
Around where I live the advisory speed limits are being ditched for a blanket lower speed limit to match the advisory on the whole stretch of road.

Best to take away the choice!

wazztie16

1,680 posts

160 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
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Just be careful if ignoring an advisory limit sign, if you have an incident and speed comes into the investigation, it could be an issue for you.

Sebring440

3,201 posts

125 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
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wazztie16 said:
Just be careful if ignoring an advisory limit sign, if you have an incident and speed comes into the investigation, it could be an issue for you.
Have you ever heard of that actually happening?


wazztie16

1,680 posts

160 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
Sebring440 said:
wazztie16 said:
Just be careful if ignoring an advisory limit sign, if you have an incident and speed comes into the investigation, it could be an issue for you.
Have you ever heard of that actually happening?
No, but the police generally tend to be quite thorough in their investigations. I can't see them overlooking a permanent advisory speed limit sign at the scene of a serious collision.

Pica-Pica

16,555 posts

113 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
Ham_and_Jam said:
50 mph is the legal speed limit.

Warning sign with an advisory speed speed limit of 40mph due to sharp bends in the road.
Agreed. Most of the advisories I have seen are on tight slip road bends exiting a motorway, usually an advisory 40; they make sense for an HGV.

Red ringed number equals mandatory, anything else, including black ringed numbers, is advisory.

kiethton

14,639 posts

209 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
Triumph Man said:
Ham_and_Jam said:
50 mph is the legal speed limit.

Warning sign with an advisory speed speed limit of 40mph due to sharp bends in the road.
I'm sure no-one sees them as a target to be beaten doubled around the bends. Honest. hehe
Fixed that for you wink

Kenny68

401 posts

174 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
Pica-Pica said:
Agreed. Most of the advisories I have seen are on tight slip road bends exiting a motorway, usually an advisory 40; they make sense for an HGV.

Red ringed number equals mandatory, anything else, including black ringed numbers, is advisory.
Like these ones leaving the M74 to join the A75. 40 is ridiculously slow for this bend. I've heard it can be taken over double that. wink

https://goo.gl/maps/1rEMeG357JpJsCsD9

Rathcon

Original Poster:

58 posts

80 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
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Follow on question, kind of related…..a fair few of my local roads are undergoing surface dressing which obviously results in 3 inches of loose gravel sitting on top of the roads and skid risk warning signs with a max speed 20mph. The roads are typically NSL roads but obviously wouldn’t be doing that sort of speed with the gravel there which leads on to the question….as well as the advisory 20mph signs (black border) the original speed limit signs have been covered/sprayed over - does that make the advisory 20mph now a legal limit? Probably not a great idea to go much over that while the dressing work is fresh but invariably the signs will probably remain for a week or two before being removed so what happens in the mean time…20 or 60?

kiethton

14,639 posts

209 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
Rathcon said:
Follow on question, kind of related…..a fair few of my local roads are undergoing surface dressing which obviously results in 3 inches of loose gravel sitting on top of the roads and skid risk warning signs with a max speed 20mph. The roads are typically NSL roads but obviously wouldn’t be doing that sort of speed with the gravel there which leads on to the question….as well as the advisory 20mph signs (black border) the original speed limit signs have been covered/sprayed over - does that make the advisory 20mph now a legal limit? Probably not a great idea to go much over that while the dressing work is fresh but invariably the signs will probably remain for a week or two before being removed so what happens in the mean time…20 or 60?
Absent street lights they're still a NSL, so 60 car

Pica-Pica

16,555 posts

113 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
Rathcon said:
Follow on question, kind of related…..a fair few of my local roads are undergoing surface dressing which obviously results in 3 inches of loose gravel sitting on top of the roads and skid risk warning signs with a max speed 20mph. The roads are typically NSL roads but obviously wouldn’t be doing that sort of speed with the gravel there which leads on to the question….as well as the advisory 20mph signs (black border) the original speed limit signs have been covered/sprayed over - does that make the advisory 20mph now a legal limit? Probably not a great idea to go much over that while the dressing work is fresh but invariably the signs will probably remain for a week or two before being removed so what happens in the mean time…20 or 60?
No. But you know that from what has been said.

Just note what the red ringed signs say (or what NSL applies). Remember the red rings/NSL are LIMITS only, drive to the conditions.

jm doc

2,944 posts

261 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
wazztie16 said:
Sebring440 said:
wazztie16 said:
Just be careful if ignoring an advisory limit sign, if you have an incident and speed comes into the investigation, it could be an issue for you.
Have you ever heard of that actually happening?
No, but the police generally tend to be quite thorough in their investigations. I can't see them overlooking a permanent advisory speed limit sign at the scene of a serious collision.
I think you're confusing "thorough" with "slow" to be honest. And judging by recent trends, they usually seem to be concluding that excess speed was the main factor

Rathcon

Original Poster:

58 posts

80 months

Thursday 26th May 2022
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Pica-Pica said:
No. But you know that from what has been said.

Just note what the red ringed signs say (or what NSL applies). Remember the red rings/NSL are LIMITS only, drive to the conditions.
It’s just a question, I’m perfectly aware of driving to the limits…..

Which part are you replying No to? And if the speed limit signs have been covered/painted over does that mean they still apply?

anonymous-user

83 months

Thursday 26th May 2022
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Rathcon said:
Pica-Pica said:
No. But you know that from what has been said.

Just note what the red ringed signs say (or what NSL applies). Remember the red rings/NSL are LIMITS only, drive to the conditions.
It’s just a question, I’m perfectly aware of driving to the limits…..

Which part are you replying No to? And if the speed limit signs have been covered/painted over does that mean they still apply?
Road engineer here.

That's a confusing one.

Temporary masking has the same legal meaning as removing the sign, or a missing sign - i.e. the limit is generally unenforceable at that location unless signs are not needed by dint of streetlighting (or otherwise) - so if lit, and in the absence of any other regulatory signing, then the road is default 30mph, if not lit the road is default NSL.

The max 20mph on yellow boards will ALWAYS be advisory - it will not have a traffic regulation order associated with it. If it DOES have a TRO (even a temporary), then it will be signed legally with a red circle to be enforcable.

See:
https://www.adeptnet.org.uk/system/files/documents...

(Industry guidance for speed management at surface dressing sites)

and

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/governmen...

(Industry guidance for speed limits at road works in general)

Everyone knows this already, but speeding through surface-dressed areas is a dick move, mainly as it sprays everyone else's car and not just your own.

Rathcon

Original Poster:

58 posts

80 months

Thursday 26th May 2022
quotequote all
OnTheBreadline said:
Road engineer here.

That's a confusing one.

Temporary masking has the same legal meaning as removing the sign, or a missing sign - i.e. the limit is generally unenforceable at that location unless signs are not needed by dint of streetlighting (or otherwise) - so if lit, and in the absence of any other regulatory signing, then the road is default 30mph, if not lit the road is default NSL.

The max 20mph on yellow boards will ALWAYS be advisory - it will not have a traffic regulation order associated with it. If it DOES have a TRO (even a temporary), then it will be signed legally with a red circle to be enforcable.

See:
https://www.adeptnet.org.uk/system/files/documents...

(Industry guidance for speed management at surface dressing sites)

and

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/governmen...

(Industry guidance for speed limits at road works in general)

Everyone knows this already, but speeding through surface-dressed areas is a dick move, mainly as it sprays everyone else's car and not just your own.
Thanks for the informed reply, as you say driving at speed through a freshly dressed section is just plain stupid.

It was just a question based on the masking of the permanent signs and the presence of only advisory signs, maybe the question took on a bit more of a serious nature when it was moved from GG to SPL.