Speed Limit Reductions - a stealth epidemic?
Discussion
Have you noticed journey times taking longer..... not just as a result of the increased volume of traffic on our roads, but increasingly due to speed limits being reduced on the roads we use every day. It got me wondering if anyone publishes statistics on how many speed limit changes have been implemented in each area per year - I've not found any data published yet.
Across the South of England, I regularly find that the speed limits shown on my SatNav (2012 version) are wrong - the current speed limit is frequently 10mph lower - car technology has made our roads safer, so what is the justification for all these reductions and is the happening elsewhere aceoss the country or just in the South?
Across the South of England, I regularly find that the speed limits shown on my SatNav (2012 version) are wrong - the current speed limit is frequently 10mph lower - car technology has made our roads safer, so what is the justification for all these reductions and is the happening elsewhere aceoss the country or just in the South?
RDEN said:
Have you noticed journey times taking longer..... not just as a result of the increased volume of traffic on our roads, but increasingly due to speed limits being reduced on the roads we use every day. It got me wondering if anyone publishes statistics on how many speed limit changes have been implemented in each area per year - I've not found any data published yet.
Across the South of England, I regularly find that the speed limits shown on my SatNav (2012 version) are wrong - the current speed limit is frequently 10mph lower - car technology has made our roads safer, so what is the justification for all these reductions and is the happening elsewhere aceoss the country or just in the South?
I've noticed this too.Across the South of England, I regularly find that the speed limits shown on my SatNav (2012 version) are wrong - the current speed limit is frequently 10mph lower - car technology has made our roads safer, so what is the justification for all these reductions and is the happening elsewhere aceoss the country or just in the South?
The authorities are obsessed with reducing fatal and nonfatal accident stats, and in comparison to this, don't care about the time delays this causes everyone who uses the roads.
Essentially, they don't care if in aggregate everyone loses 100 years of valuable time (lifespan) to sitting in traffic, so long as a single person lifespan (a fatality) is avoided.
The idea that a road system should be for moving vehicles around as effectively as possible has been reduced to a zero-accident target. It won't change.
It's not even stealthy. There are pockets of anti-vehicle sentiment in various places - look at the councils that run Cambridge and Oxford, for example. They actively look for ways to reduce vehicle use.
The classic things for me are:
- Intentionally poor timing of lights for traffic flow
- Intentional bottlenecking of traffic by repainting roads to remove lanes
- Intentional roadworks that go on for a longer than required duration
There are, I think, several places where people who have an interest in stopping vehicular traffic from being effective have worked their ways into positions of authority. Bugger all can be done about this.
ging84 said:
bristolracer said:
So six people die on the roads today, and you want to start a debate on speed limits?
Do I sense a troll?
You know that is about 1 more than the average right? hardly unusual especially this time of year.Do I sense a troll?
(edit for spelling)
As much as i hate that more and more national speed limits are being replaced with 50 zones, i hope that the silver lining is that it is also pushing us closer and closer to justifying a higher national speed limit.
I just don't really understand 20 zones, I hope they are fad that will eventually make themselves redundant.
I just don't really understand 20 zones, I hope they are fad that will eventually make themselves redundant.
bristolracer said:
So six people die on the roads today, and you want to start a debate on speed limits?
Do I sense a troll?
The same hysteria you read next to the reports, about it being such a fast road etc etc. If anything ever happens, the entire population will need to be punished with a lower limit irrespective of what the cause of an accident was.Do I sense a troll?
ging84 said:
As much as i hate that more and more national speed limits are being replaced with 50 zones, i hope that the silver lining is that it is also pushing us closer and closer to justifying a higher national speed limit.
I just don't really understand 20 zones, I hope they are fad that will eventually make themselves redundant.
Don't even get me started on the 20 zones, Lewisham council introduced a borough wide 20mph limit recently, its widely ignored by everybody beyond momentum voters, granny's and learners. Thing is you now have a stream of people overtaking them (often dangerously) as if they were a milk float. If it was still a 30 zone this would t be happening, even the police themselves ignore it!I just don't really understand 20 zones, I hope they are fad that will eventually make themselves redundant.
I stay out of Lewisham anyway but even more so due to the 20mph zone, makes it a lot more dangerous being on a bike as well as you end up undertaking cars sticking to the 20mph on their speedo which is generally a true speed of 16/17mph.
One good thing about google streetview is that the stupid decisions by councils are easily captured, take my high street for instance where's the logic?
Used to be able to turn left quite easily and also bypass the multiple busses which turn right.
Some road works take place without any consultation with local residents
|https://thumbsnap.com/TuoZqbA0[/url]
Now you're held up by any bus pulling in or turning right which then clogs up the road further back, the impact in rush hour is massive, can easily be waiting five minutes simply to turn left.
Don't understand the logic behind it as it's not even cycle friendly compared to the previous layout which had a dedicated cycle filter lane.
One good thing about google streetview is that the stupid decisions by councils are easily captured, take my high street for instance where's the logic?
Used to be able to turn left quite easily and also bypass the multiple busses which turn right.
Some road works take place without any consultation with local residents
|https://thumbsnap.com/TuoZqbA0[/url]Now you're held up by any bus pulling in or turning right which then clogs up the road further back, the impact in rush hour is massive, can easily be waiting five minutes simply to turn left.
Don't understand the logic behind it as it's not even cycle friendly compared to the previous layout which had a dedicated cycle filter lane.
untakenname said:
I stay out of Lewisham anyway but even more so due to the 20mph zone, makes it a lot more dangerous being on a bike as well as you end up undertaking cars sticking to the 20mph on their speedo which is generally a true speed of 16/17mph.
One good thing about google streetview is that the stupid decisions by councils are easily captured, take my high street for instance where's the logic?
Used to be able to turn left quite easily and also bypass the multiple busses which turn right.
Some road works take place without any consultation with local residents
|https://thumbsnap.com/TuoZqbA0[/url]
Now you're held up by any bus pulling in or turning right which then clogs up the road further back, the impact in rush hour is massive, can easily be waiting five minutes simply to turn left.
Don't understand the logic behind it as it's not even cycle friendly compared to the previous layout which had a dedicated cycle filter lane.
Ah another local PH'er, I'm Beckenham also, just on The Avenue, Lewisham comment just because I've got to las through daily on my bike (although usually with an engine) and totally agree.One good thing about google streetview is that the stupid decisions by councils are easily captured, take my high street for instance where's the logic?
Used to be able to turn left quite easily and also bypass the multiple busses which turn right.
Some road works take place without any consultation with local residents
|https://thumbsnap.com/TuoZqbA0[/url]Now you're held up by any bus pulling in or turning right which then clogs up the road further back, the impact in rush hour is massive, can easily be waiting five minutes simply to turn left.
Don't understand the logic behind it as it's not even cycle friendly compared to the previous layout which had a dedicated cycle filter lane.
For our high street however I actually think it's better now, there are so may other ways you can go that totally avoid that junction and the experience as a pedestrian (given where I am I walk in regularly) it's an awful lot better.
Yeah I admit it's better as a pedestrian especially at night as you can avoid smokers taking up the pavement more easily but the junctions now really need enforced yellow boxes as it's ruined the flow of traffic, since the 'modernisation' there's gridlock and tailbacks in rush hour all the way to Beckenham Hill station and down to Clockhouse station the other way.
I used to cut through the high street but now go a longer route via the Chinese roundabout and backstreets which just punts congestion onto them instead, would be interesting if they analysed the parking occupancy in the pay and display carparks to see if it's made the high street more popular or not.
I used to cut through the high street but now go a longer route via the Chinese roundabout and backstreets which just punts congestion onto them instead, would be interesting if they analysed the parking occupancy in the pay and display carparks to see if it's made the high street more popular or not.
untakenname said:
I stay out of Lewisham anyway but even more so due to the 20mph zone, makes it a lot more dangerous being on a bike as well as you end up undertaking cars sticking to the 20mph on their speedo which is generally a true speed of 16/17mph.
One good thing about google streetview is that the stupid decisions by councils are easily captured, take my high street for instance where's the logic?
Used to be able to turn left quite easily and also bypass the multiple busses which turn right.
Some road works take place without any consultation with local residents
|https://thumbsnap.com/TuoZqbA0[/url]
Now you're held up by any bus pulling in or turning right which then clogs up the road further back, the impact in rush hour is massive, can easily be waiting five minutes simply to turn left.
Don't understand the logic behind it as it's not even cycle friendly compared to the previous layout which had a dedicated cycle filter lane.
This exact sorta thing has happened on the main run into Preston off the motorwayOne good thing about google streetview is that the stupid decisions by councils are easily captured, take my high street for instance where's the logic?
Used to be able to turn left quite easily and also bypass the multiple busses which turn right.
Some road works take place without any consultation with local residents
|https://thumbsnap.com/TuoZqbA0[/url]Now you're held up by any bus pulling in or turning right which then clogs up the road further back, the impact in rush hour is massive, can easily be waiting five minutes simply to turn left.
Don't understand the logic behind it as it's not even cycle friendly compared to the previous layout which had a dedicated cycle filter lane.
As soon as you're off the motorway there's an average 40mph speed camera zone, which isn't too bad but wholly unnecessary IMO.
Then they've narrowed the road so as yours, you have to wait behind anyone turning right at the lights.
Further to this, beforehand the buses had a huge layby and bus stop either direction in which to pull into where traffic could drive merrily past. Now they've made the laybys into pavement and put the stops at the edge of the narrower road. This has the effect of stopping ALL passing traffic. The bus stop is also only 20 or so yards past the junction which means if traffic coming onto the main road gets a green light, they can't actually go anywhere as there's a queue behind the bus on the main road already. Its absolutely diabolical.
EU_Foreigner said:
bristolracer said:
So six people die on the roads today, and you want to start a debate on speed limits?
Do I sense a troll?
The same hysteria you read next to the reports, about it being such a fast road etc etc. If anything ever happens, the entire population will need to be punished with a lower limit irrespective of what the cause of an accident was.Do I sense a troll?
RDEN said:
Have you noticed journey times taking longer..... not just as a result of the increased volume of traffic on our roads, but increasingly due to speed limits being reduced on the roads we use every day. It got me wondering if anyone publishes statistics on how many speed limit changes have been implemented in each area per year - I've not found any data published yet.
Across the South of England, I regularly find that the speed limits shown on my SatNav (2012 version) are wrong - the current speed limit is frequently 10mph lower - car technology has made our roads safer, so what is the justification for all these reductions and is the happening elsewhere aceoss the country or just in the South?
No! Exactly the opposite. Across the South of England, I regularly find that the speed limits shown on my SatNav (2012 version) are wrong - the current speed limit is frequently 10mph lower - car technology has made our roads safer, so what is the justification for all these reductions and is the happening elsewhere aceoss the country or just in the South?
Maybe its due to localised congestion in your area.
I regularly drive across and up and down the country and have done for more than 30 years. I would say travelling is better now than it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago.
So that's 2 of us surveyed, 33 million to go.
I am aware of this across the country, but was most obvious when I was still living in Cheshire. I had an awareness of the plans to reduce speed limits by 10 mph or even 20 mph a year or so before it actually happened. Naturally it was said to reduce death and serious injury...it never seemed to improve anything, but make driving standards worse as some of the roads were clearly designed to be higher speed.
It was not so much about the plan itself, but how widespread it became and equally how poorly implemented it was at least in some locations initially. Missing initial signs and all sorts.
It was not so much about the plan itself, but how widespread it became and equally how poorly implemented it was at least in some locations initially. Missing initial signs and all sorts.
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