How are speed limits set?

[voyds9]

Is there a national policy on what speed limits are recommended or are they set on a local (council) level? If set on a council level do different types of council (labour/conservative) have differing policies?

[Dr Jekyll]

Local, as opposed to trun road, speed limits are set at the whim of the local council. They receive advice from the police and traffic engineers, but don't have to follow it and increasingly don't.
There are DETR guidelines which are listed on the ABD site, but they are increasingly ignored and are probably going to be replaced by something more politically correct.

[nonegreen]

The task is delegated to the civil servants. They are specially selected by their mates, to work in the speed limit setting section (or the 'cars are bad' section) as it is known by those in the know. They generally start the day with three or four joints before getting the official driver (you must be a non driver to work there) to take them out on their review of the speed limits in place. They are often heard passing commests like "Ooohhhh wow" and "ammmaaaaazing" whenever the car exceeds 5 mph. In rural areas they frequently get the driver to stop, often on blind bends by the roadside so they can get out and hug trees. Generally during lunch they tuck into some vegan delicacy and discuss third world famine, popular culture and how or society is not yet liberal enough. This is normally followed by a visit to their therapist or medium and perhaps a full bikini wax for the men (to get in touch with their feminine side). After lunch they play scrabble in Croation or some other minority languge (but never Welsh) until well into the evening. They then have a quiet period of contemplation with a few more joints until it is generally accepted that a good karma has been achieved. The speed limits on the roads they have travelled on during the morning session are then lowered by at least 10 mph. Because after all, yogic flying is going to be the transport system of the future, just as soon as us neaderthals who constitute the great unwashed can get the hang of it. They then travel home by public transport and mummy tucks them into bed with a cup of cocoa and a couple of vallium.

[CarZee]

Classic

[dennisthemenace]

Excellent Nonegreen

[tycho]

I thought they got a job lot of "Magic 8 Balls" from the Gadgetshop?

"Is this a 30 MPH zone?"........

"Possibly"