Difference betwn red circled 70 and unrestricted??
Difference betwn red circled 70 and unrestricted??
Author
Discussion

Buffalo

Original Poster:

5,472 posts

274 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
quotequote all
Was pootling () eastbound on the A55, (sneaky buggers on bridge with laser, just heads visible above parapet BTW....) and i noticed that for some of the section they have put 70mph signs up, black on white background with red circle.

However for the rest of the road, outside of these limits you just get the normal unrestricted sign. i.e. black diagonal on white background.

So what is the difference?? Where A55 is dual carriageway and unrestricted, surely the limit is 70mph anyway?

The red circle denotes that the speed limit is enforceable AFAIK, however as 70mph is the top limit allowed in this country surely the unrestricted technically means 70mph anyway and over that would be enforceable..?

The only thinng i could think of, is that in the unrestricted areas, should trafplod be feeling nice he might judge that your 80mph would be acceptable to those conditions, but in the 70mph limits (denoted by the red circle) 70mph is the absolute tops that they would allow.

Anyone know for real..?

>>> Edited by Buffalo on Thursday 18th September 17:38

gavyn

105 posts

267 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
quotequote all
Hey... Maybe it's a prelude to upping the NSL to more than 70?

Ooops, sorry! Not sure what happened there, lost the plot totally! This is the real world isn't it.

BLUEYES

4,799 posts

272 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
quotequote all
Silly Billy!

They've put a "70" sign for when they change the speed limits to KPH. To55ers!

Sqwib

208 posts

269 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
quotequote all
There's a similar thing on the A458 Welshpool/Shrewsbury road at Wattlesborough. Single carriageway with red-circled 60 repeaters. Why not just have a NSL sign?

gh0st

4,693 posts

278 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
quotequote all
I actually agree with the "60" and "70" signs because then henry numpty onelight in his rusty old opel manta has no excuse to dawdle along at 20 without knowing he is being an utter

Went to Barnstaple the other day, very long single carrageway with "60" signs. it was almost eeerieee. A train of cars all doing pretty much bang on 60! Never seen anything like it. And was a much more enjoyable journey because of it.

Buffalo

Original Poster:

5,472 posts

274 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
quotequote all
I've often thought the same, why don't they just write teh number up, then everyone will be happy. Thought it might be for the foreigners going west to island, but its only on one section of the carriageway. For the most part it is the unrestricted sign....

?? You will be!!!

DennisTheMenace

15,605 posts

288 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
quotequote all
the 40 wits still wont obey them 40 in a 30 and 40 in an NSL , 40 is the speed to bee seen doing for many numpties

MickC

1,080 posts

278 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
quotequote all
Buffalo said:
I've often thought the same, why don't they just write teh number up, then everyone will be happy. Thought it might be for the foreigners going west to island, but its only on one section of the carriageway. For the most part it is the unrestricted sign....

?? You will be!!!


Probably someone sensible came up with the idea of national speed limit signs - that's why they are phasing it out.

The theory is that should someone at westminster feel the need to increase (or, of course, decrease) the national limit, there would be no signs to swap over.

BTW, Scotland has an awful lot of 60 and 70 signs rather than national limit (I've just been up there), anyone know why?

pwig

11,997 posts

290 months

Friday 19th September 2003
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There should be no speed limts.

jeffreyarcher

675 posts

268 months

Friday 19th September 2003
quotequote all
MickC said:
BTW, Scotland has an awful lot of 60 and 70 signs rather than national limit (I've just been up there), anyone know why?

'Cos we've got even dumber politicians than you.

Peter Ward

2,097 posts

276 months

Friday 19th September 2003
quotequote all
For a while the M1 round Sheffield had 70 signs on it, but they've gone now.

I think it's because the NSL sign doesn't remind people that the limit is 60 or 70 in the way that a 60 or 70 sign does. Psychological warfare.

streaky

19,311 posts

269 months

Friday 19th September 2003
quotequote all
MickC said:
Probably someone sensible came up with the idea of national speed limit signs - that's why they are phasing it out.

The theory is that should someone at westminster feel the need to increase (or, of course, decrease) the national limit, there would be no signs to swap over. ...
But changing the NSL where there is a blanket sign (black diagonal) is quicker and cheaper than changing out numbered signs. Putting '70' signs up might at least be positive in that no-one is thinking of reducing the limits on those rods in the short term.

[rant-on]

But, of course, the EU, the UK Parliament, the Highways Agency, the local authorities and the pressure groups don't live in the real world, and it's "the government's money" ...

[/rant-off]

Streaky

Dr Bob

637 posts

282 months

Friday 19th September 2003
quotequote all
jeffreyarcher said:

MickC said:
BTW, Scotland has an awful lot of 60 and 70 signs rather than national limit (I've just been up there), anyone know why?


'Cos we've got even dumber politicians than you.


I noticed this when I was up in Scotland at the summer...
Incidentally, g/fs dad, 35 years driving, and HGV driver thought that the NSL limit meant 60 on dual carriageways !!!!
... " - so why you doing 90 then ?"

CH

s2ooz

3,005 posts

304 months

Friday 19th September 2003
quotequote all
IMHO I think the answewr is down to parking restrictions. A NSL is probably no parking, whereas a 70mph will have some parking rights. (Seems mad tho) but I think thats the difference.

Im happy sticking with NSL signs, then/if they change it, they dont have to change thousands of posts.

Whats that ? the government in a money saving idea? no it cant be true!

They would just send out the workmen, to add a new sign in front of every NSL stating the NSL has changed...

onedsla

1,115 posts

276 months

Friday 19th September 2003
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I wondered if it implied that cars towing caravans could do 70mph? Or maybe it's a trap to get vehicles with a lower NSL speed limit to do 70 = more money so everyone's happy???

Mad Dave

7,158 posts

283 months

Friday 19th September 2003
quotequote all
pwig said:
There should be no speed limts.


What a daft thing to say.

nonegreen

7,803 posts

290 months

Friday 19th September 2003
quotequote all
Mad Dave said:

pwig said:
There should be no speed limts.



What a daft thing to say.


The honourable CS Rolls was the first to make this assertion could you enlighten us as to why it is daft?