legally where would you stand?

[DodgyGeezer]

(possibly) silly Q... if you've got two different speed limit instructions/indications on the same bit of road could you be prosecuted for breaking the lower limit? What about if the limit is only painted on the road rather than on a sign?

pics taken from the Oxford thread in NPE

[E63eeeeee...]

Pretty sure it's the signs that count in the top one, the road marking is a reminder rather than anything statutory.

Iirc the same is true of the little signs in the second picture, the limit will have been set by the last pair of full size signs.

[catso]

Similar happened at a nearby village (Leics.) - 30 limit with 30 painted on the road but 20 signs, turns out someone had the 20mph signs made and fitted them during the night.

The council replaced them eventually.

[Driver101]

Red circles are covered in the highway code.

I don't think the argument that it has a different limit painted on the road would go anywhere. You are disobeying an instruction you are told to observe in the highway code.

[Wills2]

I have a similar situation locally, going from a 20mph into a 50mph (as it used to be) they have changed the 50mph into a 30mph but the 50mph is still painted on the on the road, then 100yds later there is a 50mph red repeater (within the new 30 zone) 100 yds further on you enter the new starting point of the 50 mph zone.

They have squished in a 30mph in between the 20mph and 50mph for some unknown reason but left the 50mph repeaters and the 50mph painted on the road, it's utterly bizarre and yet another example of waste.

[agtlaw]

The lower limits shown in the photographs would not likely be enforceable as the motorist was not given "adequate guidance."

If he drove further into the reduced limit and there were repeater signs or the driver was on a restricted road then that would be a more difficult case to argue.

[anonymous-user]

Not sure the sign painted on the road would count as a defence, I normally go by the last sign with the red circle that I pass as the limit for the area.

[GranpaB]

E63eeeeee... said:

Pretty sure it's the signs that count in the top one, the road marking is a reminder rather than anything statutory.

Iirc the same is true of the little signs in the second picture, the limit will have been set by the last pair of full size signs.

Limits painted on the road are enforceable in the New Forest i seem to remember.

Edited by GranpaB on Sunday 30th October 15:06