The 50 mph speed limit
Discussion
Had cause to take the back roads to Notts today and was surprised that the A60 has had it's limited lowered to 50.
Seems to me that it's a limit imposed as a reaction from handwringing authorities to show that they did something, but rather than come out and say NSL was fine, they chose to lower by 10mph
Whats more annoying about it is that if you drive a 6 speeder, it's at that annoying speed where you're not quite going quick enough for 6th, but 5th is that little bit too high. A turd of a limit, if there was such a big problem with the road it should be lowered in places and/or just left alone
And then driver t
ts decide that rather than 50, 42 would be nice. So that takes them from what would have been 55 to slowing down the lorries as well. Bunch of arse 
Seems to me that it's a limit imposed as a reaction from handwringing authorities to show that they did something, but rather than come out and say NSL was fine, they chose to lower by 10mph
Whats more annoying about it is that if you drive a 6 speeder, it's at that annoying speed where you're not quite going quick enough for 6th, but 5th is that little bit too high. A turd of a limit, if there was such a big problem with the road it should be lowered in places and/or just left alone
And then driver t
ts decide that rather than 50, 42 would be nice. So that takes them from what would have been 55 to slowing down the lorries as well. Bunch of arse The A417 in Gloucestershire is a good example of what is essentially a fast, wide A-road blighted by a 50mph speed limit, complete with cross hatching on the decent straights to discourage overtaking. It's a Sunday driver's paradise.
Interestingly the speed limit changes back to NSL as you cross the Herefordshire border!
Interestingly the speed limit changes back to NSL as you cross the Herefordshire border!
Some of the Notts thing was a direct of the hideous crash near Rufford.
Thing is, the inquiry said the fatalities were the result of "inappropriate overtaking". I can't help but think that lowering the speed limit increases frustration & the inherrent risk of "inappropriate overtaking"
Doubtless smarter people than I made the decision based on facts, but I do wonder.
Thing is, the inquiry said the fatalities were the result of "inappropriate overtaking". I can't help but think that lowering the speed limit increases frustration & the inherrent risk of "inappropriate overtaking"
Doubtless smarter people than I made the decision based on facts, but I do wonder.
Playing devils advocate here - they are obliged to change the speed limit or impose other "traffic calming" measures on a stretch of road after there has been a certain number of deaths or serious injuries sustained.
One of the very few things I actually learnt on my speed awareness course!
One of the very few things I actually learnt on my speed awareness course!
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I don't recall saying anything about the deaths/injuries being related to speed. I also didn't say that they always reduce the speed limit, but that some sort of traffic calming measures are used. Please don't try and start an argument, particularly when you misquote me, it gets very tedious. 2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Some of the Notts thing was a direct of the hideous crash near Rufford.
Thing is, the inquiry said the fatalities were the result of "inappropriate overtaking". I can't help but think that lowering the speed limit increases frustration & the inherrent risk of "inappropriate overtaking"
Doubtless smarter people than I made the decision based on facts, but I do wonder.
Me too, and I know the Dad of one of the lads involved in that crash. It was speed related in so much as the cars were moving, but whether they were over the limit or not I couldn't say, wasn't there. I don't think a 10mph reduction would have changed the outcome tbhThing is, the inquiry said the fatalities were the result of "inappropriate overtaking". I can't help but think that lowering the speed limit increases frustration & the inherrent risk of "inappropriate overtaking"
Doubtless smarter people than I made the decision based on facts, but I do wonder.
The 50 limit has replaced the NSL on almost all of Oxfordshires single carriageway A roads. Do I have any respect for them what so ever, NO!
Do the Police? Apparently not as one made front page news at the time because the police stated that they disagreed with the council and thought it a waste of resources as they would now have to police said road due to such high non-compliance and they are duty bound to enforce the law, even though in their opinion the road was perfectly safe to have the NSL.
Do the Police? Apparently not as one made front page news at the time because the police stated that they disagreed with the council and thought it a waste of resources as they would now have to police said road due to such high non-compliance and they are duty bound to enforce the law, even though in their opinion the road was perfectly safe to have the NSL.
Herman Toothrot said:
The 50 limit has replaced the NSL on almost all of Oxfordshires single carriageway A roads. Do I have any respect for them what so ever, NO!
Do the Police? Apparently not as one made front page news at the time because the police stated that they disagreed with the council and thought it a waste of resources as they would now have to police said road due to such high non-compliance and they are duty bound to enforce the law, even though in their opinion the road was perfectly safe to have the NSL.
The same seems to have happened around South Glos/Yeovilton ways - while not overly new, there are 50 roads around YVL that make no sense at all. I've actually been followed (unbeknownst to me) by a few undercovers while commuting, usually driving at 60, and the only time I've noticed the car is an undercover is when it lights up or I pull over for a smoke (company car, have to smoke outside) and I see the glint of shoulder badges when the car drives past.Do the Police? Apparently not as one made front page news at the time because the police stated that they disagreed with the council and thought it a waste of resources as they would now have to police said road due to such high non-compliance and they are duty bound to enforce the law, even though in their opinion the road was perfectly safe to have the NSL.
Also, any fellow Bristol folk - the small dual carriageway from Filton to Winterbourne (the one that goes under the motorway bridge and is near Esporta) has had a lot of police patrolling it recently. Can sort of understand it (my house backs on to the road and we occasionally hear cars hooning it up the road... no cause for concern, it's fun), but if you enjoy a bootful you might want to double check there's nothing suspicious!
IROC-Z said:
The A417 in Gloucestershire is a good example of what is essentially a fast, wide A-road blighted by a 50mph speed limit, complete with cross hatching on the decent straights to discourage overtaking. It's a Sunday driver's paradise.
Interestingly the speed limit changes back to NSL as you cross the Herefordshire border!
Do the cross hatches have continuous lines around them or broken? just curious.Interestingly the speed limit changes back to NSL as you cross the Herefordshire border!
Herman Toothrot said:
The 50 limit has replaced the NSL on almost all of Oxfordshires single carriageway A roads. Do I have any respect for them what so ever, NO!
Do the Police? Apparently not as one made front page news at the time because the police stated that they disagreed with the council and thought it a waste of resources as they would now have to police said road due to such high non-compliance and they are duty bound to enforce the law, even though in their opinion the road was perfectly safe to have the NSL.
When I went from Gloucetsershire to the pH sunday service at Silverstone, I drove north to Warwickshire and then south again rather than do the endless tedium of Oxfordshire's needless 50 limitsDo the Police? Apparently not as one made front page news at the time because the police stated that they disagreed with the council and thought it a waste of resources as they would now have to police said road due to such high non-compliance and they are duty bound to enforce the law, even though in their opinion the road was perfectly safe to have the NSL.
bmw535i said:
Playing devils advocate here - they are obliged to change the speed limit or impose other "traffic calming" measures on a stretch of road after there has been a certain number of deaths or serious injuries sustained.
One of the very few things I actually learnt on my speed awareness course!
Is there an Obligation?One of the very few things I actually learnt on my speed awareness course!
I would like to see where that is enshrined in legislation. I am not convinced there is an obligation. All that has happened is Councils have swallowed the speed kills mantra hook, line and sinker
Edited by blueg33 on Wednesday 12th October 08:09
50 limits are very rarely adhered to, as most drivers drive to the road conditions especially in rural locations. However they are very useful to the police when mounting speed traps, as the ten mile an hour buffer greatly improves the prosecution rate.
Drivers that do stick to the limit have little to no chance of overtaking anything other than tractors without breaking the 50 limit, causing tail backs and frustration to other motorists who in turn may overtake inappropriately. It is this type of behaviour that cause many accidents unfortunately.
Reducing limits to 50 should be thought out and used sparingly and not in a blanket approach as used by some councils.
Drivers that do stick to the limit have little to no chance of overtaking anything other than tractors without breaking the 50 limit, causing tail backs and frustration to other motorists who in turn may overtake inappropriately. It is this type of behaviour that cause many accidents unfortunately.
Reducing limits to 50 should be thought out and used sparingly and not in a blanket approach as used by some councils.
Robin Hood said:
andy-xr said:
Had cause to take the back roads to Notts today and was surprised that the A60 has had it's limited lowered to 50.
A614 from Nottingham to Ollerton has had the same infliction 
IROC-Z said:
They're broken white lines, which I know means you can overtake, but I find this has the effect of confusing people into thinking they can't.
It's amusing when you blaze a trail and decide to pass a big queue on stretches like that, usually everyone suddenly wakes up and remembers that they can overtake after allbmw535i said:
Playing devils advocate here - they are obliged to change the speed limit or impose other "traffic calming" measures on a stretch of road after there has been a certain number of deaths or serious injuries sustained.
One of the very few things I actually learnt on my speed awareness course!
Youre going to have to say which awareness course was giving out that helpful information (helpful so as not to name and shame) One of the very few things I actually learnt on my speed awareness course!
If there's a certain number of deaths or injuries they're obliged to review the layout of the road. Only when that fails is a speed limit on the cards. Otherwise they get into a circle of reduce the speed limit, no that didnt work, reduce it again, oh it's got worse, better reduce it some more, nope that didnt work either.
andy-xr said:
where you're not quite going quick enough for 6th, but 5th is that little bit too high.
"... 5th is a little too LOW" (Aplogies for being pernickety.)50 seems to be the default limit on major single arriageways these days, either because it's been slapped on in the interests of saftey or because it's the speed most people drive at - fast enough to make some sort of reasonable prgress (in their view) and slow enough that you don't have to concentrate too hard. I hate them. And the '50 max-ers'.
IMO our busy roads in Britain are largely self-speed limiting - the heavier the traffic the slower the progress. So if speed is the enemy it gets reduced by behaviour. If there's no traffic about you can go faster, and with fewer vehicles on the road less chance of a collision. AFAIC people can kill or injure themselves through their own misjudgments/stupidity as much as they like (and that includes me).
The nonsense of our speed limit policy is that you turn off the nice, wide SC A road with good visibility on to a little twisty lane and it's NSL. Bonkers.
andy-xr said:
Whats more annoying about it is that if you drive a 6 speeder, it's at that annoying speed where you're not quite going quick enough for 6th, but 5th is that little bit too high. A turd of a limit...
Yes lets remove all 50 limits on the basis of your Mondeo diesel with it's ratios that are not optimised for 50mph 
(actually what RPM is it pulling in 5th/6th at 50? IME 4/5/6th gears tend to be very close together)
Agree with the rest of your post though, it's rather depressing
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