NSLs been changed to 50s in Oxfordshire
Discussion
3 primary reasons councils are using to justify this practice:
1) EMISSIONS: Councils have carbon emission targets - reducing speed limits allows them to declare reduced emissions on the stretch of road.
2) COST REDUCTION: By downgrading the road from NSL to 50 it changes the 'maintenance schedule' on the road, i.e. they can patch/re-surface/fix on a less frequent basis.
3) SAFETY: The biggy that ends all arguments, i.e. apparently hitting a tree at 50 is 'safer' than hitting a tree at 60...
All total b
ks, but this is what results from 15 years of anti-car politics in combination with empowering the public sector to the point they have forgotten that car drivers pay >15% of their salaries...
1) EMISSIONS: Councils have carbon emission targets - reducing speed limits allows them to declare reduced emissions on the stretch of road.
2) COST REDUCTION: By downgrading the road from NSL to 50 it changes the 'maintenance schedule' on the road, i.e. they can patch/re-surface/fix on a less frequent basis.
3) SAFETY: The biggy that ends all arguments, i.e. apparently hitting a tree at 50 is 'safer' than hitting a tree at 60...
All total b
ks, but this is what results from 15 years of anti-car politics in combination with empowering the public sector to the point they have forgotten that car drivers pay >15% of their salaries...outnumbered said:
There are a lot of crazy limit reductions, but I think all the fixed and mobile sites are pretty well known...
I did find one place the other day where they've actually recently moved a NSL->30 limit transition **CLOSER** to a village, I almost crashed I was so surprised
Postcombe? I noticed that the other day as well, quite bizarre, really.I did find one place the other day where they've actually recently moved a NSL->30 limit transition **CLOSER** to a village, I almost crashed I was so surprised
john_r said:
All total bks, but this is what results from 15 years of anti-car politics in combination with empowering the public sector to the point they have forgotten that car drivers pay >15% of their salaries...
Given that the vast majority of people who work for a living drive to work, quite a lot more than 15%!ks, but this is what results from 15 years of anti-car politics in combination with empowering the public sector to the point they have forgotten that car drivers pay >15% of their salaries...At least the roads are in better state in Oxford than in and around Buckinghamshire. They are bloody shocking. 5 years ago the old NSL was great for a sprinted drive. Now it has been downgraded to a 50 and it's like the moon. I would make a guess that it's more dangerous having to drive down the centre of the road than doing 60 on your side of the road.
It's so bad I'm selling my Elise as it's a nightmare driving it now on these roads. And I'm going to replace it with a nice 7 litre American V8 that won't turn my spine to dust.
It's so bad I'm selling my Elise as it's a nightmare driving it now on these roads. And I'm going to replace it with a nice 7 litre American V8 that won't turn my spine to dust.
This has been going on in Derbyshire and Cheshire for a long time.
Lorries are unaffected. Overtaking them at 50 exposes you on the wrong side of the road for longer.
I've known a Derbyshire NSL road for forty years and never witnessed an accident. In the eighteen months after the limit was dropped to 50, I witnessed four near-miss head on collisions as cars overtook lorries. One was a contact side-swipe.
Another noticeable effect is a reduction in driver concentration at the lower, unnatural limit. Drivers ahead can be seen gazing around the countryside now, which becomes interesting when one brakes for a sheep and those following are looking elsewhere.
Then there's the soporific effect of low speed.
Thank you Gwyneth Dunwoody and your merry band of idiots on the Commons Transport Select Committee a few years ago.
Lorries are unaffected. Overtaking them at 50 exposes you on the wrong side of the road for longer.
I've known a Derbyshire NSL road for forty years and never witnessed an accident. In the eighteen months after the limit was dropped to 50, I witnessed four near-miss head on collisions as cars overtook lorries. One was a contact side-swipe.
Another noticeable effect is a reduction in driver concentration at the lower, unnatural limit. Drivers ahead can be seen gazing around the countryside now, which becomes interesting when one brakes for a sheep and those following are looking elsewhere.
Then there's the soporific effect of low speed.
Thank you Gwyneth Dunwoody and your merry band of idiots on the Commons Transport Select Committee a few years ago.
It makes sense, after all cars/tyres/brakes are much less capable now than they were back in the 70s with less grip & traction and much longer braking distances. (erm... 
).
I'm not sure if I have this right but I seem to remember that, back when I were a lad learning to drive, in the highway code it suggested that when you overtake you should use all the performance you have at hand to get the job done as quickly and safely as possible as long as you came back down to under the speed limit once you have completed the manoeuvre. Am I remembering that correctly? If so, is it still the case now?
).I'm not sure if I have this right but I seem to remember that, back when I were a lad learning to drive, in the highway code it suggested that when you overtake you should use all the performance you have at hand to get the job done as quickly and safely as possible as long as you came back down to under the speed limit once you have completed the manoeuvre. Am I remembering that correctly? If so, is it still the case now?
ffc said:
If we're so short of public funds why are we making these changes. Down here in Berkshire/Surrey/Hants corner they are changing lots of the curbs on entries to roundabouts to alter the flow of traffic very slightly. Why are we wasting money on tinkering?
I think the adage when it comes to budget is: "use it or lose it" 
Not enough there to do anything meaningful, so we'll re-arrange the deckchairs so that we get enough to re-arrange them again next year.
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