Managed motorway limits

[Dr Jekyll]

Suppose a motorway gantry sign is showing a compulsory 50 limit on an otherwise 70 motorway, but the signs on the next gantry are blank. Not End of Restriction, just switched off. Is the limit after the second gantry 50 or 70?

[jan8p]

Given the absence of repeaters, I'd go with 70.

[INWB]

90mph

If a ticket arrives claim your car has been cloned.

Report back to PH.

[zarjaz1991]

This sort of thing is common and does make me rather cross.

A mandatory temporary limit should be formally 'ended' by a sign confirming the new limit so that everybody is absolutely clear what the limit is.

If we as motorists are going to be held to the minutiae of hundreds of pettyfogging rules on pain of losing our licences and livelihoods, then the very least we should be able to expect is that the authorities will comply with the rules themselves and make things unambiguous.

[Trixxz]

I was on the M42 yesterday - Traffic management enabled. Went from 70 - to 60mph on gantries, then to 40mph for a while and then when we had finished with the 40 repeaters the overhead gantries all showed the NSL sign and everyone got back up to speed.

Was the first time ive been in that section when the traffic was just being "managed" and not slowed down due to an accident or similar.

Worked quite well I should add, didnt stop once.

[ashleyman]

Also had this confusion on the way back from Manchester to London.

Can't remember what road I was on but it went down from 70 to 50 then the signs went black for the next 2 gantries. I stuck at 50 as I wasn't sure but when big trucks started to pass me I just got back up to speed.

There was no 'end' to the slower 50. So no idea if I should have stayed at 50 or gone back up. Not clear at all but risked the ticket as I was in the minority going 50

[g3org3y]

zarjaz1991 said:

This sort of thing is common and does make me rather cross.

A mandatory temporary limit should be formally 'ended' by a sign confirming the new limit so that everybody is absolutely clear what the limit is.

If we as motorists are going to be held to the minutiae of hundreds of pettyfogging rules on pain of losing our licences and livelihoods, then the very least we should be able to expect is that the authorities will comply with the rules themselves and make things unambiguous.

[Riley Blue]

I think this question was asked here a few weeks ago and someone contacted Highways England who said the reduced speed applies until you see the NSL sign. What you're supposed to do if the NSL sign isn't displayed wasn't satisfactorily answered.

[JonV8V]

Riley Blue said:

I think this question was asked here a few weeks ago and someone contacted Highways England who said the reduced speed applies until you see the NSL sign. What you're supposed to do if the NSL sign isn't displayed wasn't satisfactorily answered.

It was discussed and the answer was the road should have a Nsl sign when the speed limit returns and if not its incorrectly signed. That would be your defence if stopped in the absence of anything else

There are rules for how often repeaters are placed (although I have vague recollections these may be changing, but currently the gaps are speed related) and after something like half a mile since the last sign, if there are no further repeaters, then you can assume it's reverted. Practically speaking, if you pass through two gantries displaying nothing then you have a reasonable argument.