Discussion
I'm down in East Anglia on a bit of a mini museum/driving tour and on the whole I'm enjoying the beautiful towns, villages and verdant countryside. Suffolk in particular seems to have some super minor A Roads and fun B Roads.
A few things I've noticed:
Unecessarily low 30 and 40 zones where there are no houses or pavement. Long stretches where it is just hedgerows, woods and fields yet 30/40 limits. Some of the villages are long strips along the road, so fair enough they should be 30, but it seems that the Suffolk Roads department have just randomly decided to slap a 30/40 in the middle of nowhere. However they are to be commended on very few potholes (unlike Lincolnshire which was horrific).
The result is that no-one obeys the speed limit. Being a good, considerate tourist, I drop down to the limit and incur the immediate wrath of white van man or powerfully built company director. IMHO the long streches of lower limits are counter productive as it leads to frustration, manic overtaking and arguably, road rage.
I'm avoiding major A Roads if possible and really enjoying the quieter As and Bs. Twisty, undulating, good road surface. Due to the lush hedgerows, sightlines are problematic so 50-60 seems a natural progressive speed. Fun but not daft. Occasionally a local appears where they must know the road and they are at warp factor 10 - but they cannot see round corners so are they blessed with ESP, drugged up or do they just make a risk call that the road is quiet, there are no cops around and nothing will be round that blind bend...?
A few things I've noticed:
Unecessarily low 30 and 40 zones where there are no houses or pavement. Long stretches where it is just hedgerows, woods and fields yet 30/40 limits. Some of the villages are long strips along the road, so fair enough they should be 30, but it seems that the Suffolk Roads department have just randomly decided to slap a 30/40 in the middle of nowhere. However they are to be commended on very few potholes (unlike Lincolnshire which was horrific).
The result is that no-one obeys the speed limit. Being a good, considerate tourist, I drop down to the limit and incur the immediate wrath of white van man or powerfully built company director. IMHO the long streches of lower limits are counter productive as it leads to frustration, manic overtaking and arguably, road rage.
I'm avoiding major A Roads if possible and really enjoying the quieter As and Bs. Twisty, undulating, good road surface. Due to the lush hedgerows, sightlines are problematic so 50-60 seems a natural progressive speed. Fun but not daft. Occasionally a local appears where they must know the road and they are at warp factor 10 - but they cannot see round corners so are they blessed with ESP, drugged up or do they just make a risk call that the road is quiet, there are no cops around and nothing will be round that blind bend...?
I went to Suffolk on a mini solo motorcycle tour . I agree it's a pleasing environment, I was actually very drawn to the place. I live in Sussex.
I also noticed the road surface was good .
However the driving is mad , as you say no adherence to speed limits .
I spoke to a few people in a pub and apparently the limits everywhere are to try and slow the drivers down as there is so much speeding and few cameras or police. Maybe it's become self defeating.
It has a bit of a step back in time feeling to me in some places, that I liked . In the pub I stayed at I watched people drink all evening and then go off in their cars , mainly Nissan Navara's.
I also noticed the road surface was good .
However the driving is mad , as you say no adherence to speed limits .
I spoke to a few people in a pub and apparently the limits everywhere are to try and slow the drivers down as there is so much speeding and few cameras or police. Maybe it's become self defeating.
It has a bit of a step back in time feeling to me in some places, that I liked . In the pub I stayed at I watched people drink all evening and then go off in their cars , mainly Nissan Navara's.
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