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Speed Limits - How do you slow down?

10K views 77 replies 27 participants last post by  Mikesphotaes 
#1 ·
Hi All,

So just as a bit of a debate. Here in Newquay we've had an operation to target speeding and educate on the dangers of speeding.

The headlines have been bandied about today, 200 speedsters caught in ONE day.

One of the locations, was not far past where it changes from 60mph to 30mph. Where the location the speed trap was, time of measurement would have been no more than 100feet max, into the lower speed limit.

When I was taught to drive, I was taught that where a speed goes from higher to lower and there are rumble strips, lines, speed painted on the road etc, you needed to be at the lower speed before entering. (I hate to use these words considering current UK affairs but like a Hard Border)

However, if there were no such road markings, just the signs on the posts, you start to slow down before you enter but gradually with traffic meaning you would enter the 30mph zone still over the limit but keep slowing until you get to 30, in a reasonable time. (Soft Border).

I've looked into the highway code and it doesn't say how you should approach changing speed limits and I can't make head nor tail of the Road Traffic Act.

What do you do, Honestly?

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/newquay-police-speedwatch-catch-nearly-1666379
 
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#8 ·
Lots of roads up here lead to little villages and towns. Going from 60mph down to 30mph is common. It really shouldn't cause any driver an issue. It would be inexcusable to crash in such circumstances.

I usually lift off a little in advance and brake smoothly before the sign.
 
G
#4 ·
The rumble strips are there to wake you up :).

As above, when entering a lower speed area you should be doing no more than that speed when passing the sign.
When entering a higher speed area, you should not accelerate until past the sign.

In other words, the lower speed always takes precedence.
 
#7 ·
My area is similar - lots of 50mph's down to 30. We have the same issue where the Police set the camera's just inside the lower limit. I know that you should be doing the correct (or below) speed when you pass the sign but it's ridiculous to drop 20mph in such a short distance. In fact, if you did, and someone rear ended you, you'd probably get done for driving without due care and attention.

We all know there has to be some rules to keep the roads safe, but the method they use to enforce the law is simply a revenue generating exercise and no thought given to safety :(
 
G
#10 ·
I know that you should be doing the correct (or below) speed when you pass the sign but it's ridiculous to drop 20mph in such a short distance. In fact, if you did, and someone rear ended you, you'd probably get done for driving without due care and attention.
But you know a change in limit is approaching. You'll probably see buildings and street lamps long before you see an actual speed limit sign.
 
#13 ·
I agree with all that is said, I have my trusty road Angel to alert and remind me of speed limits and cameras that are dotted about all over the UK. With so many different speed limits it can be easy to get caught out and especially on unfamiliar roads.

View attachment 54346
My car tells me what the speed limit is on the dashboard but i keep my eyes open when driving
 
#17 ·
When I was taught to drive, I was taught that where a speed goes from higher to lower and there are rumble strips, lines, speed painted on the road etc, you needed to be at the lower speed before entering. (I hate to use these words considering current UK affairs but like a Hard Border)

However, if there were no such road markings, just the signs on the posts, you start to slow down before you enter but gradually with traffic meaning you would enter the 30mph zone still over the limit but keep slowing until you get to 30, in a reasonable time. (Soft Border).
Regardless of no road markings or not, you need to be doing the speed indicated on the road sign when you pass it, not over it.

There are plenty of indicators to show a change in the speed limit approaching, lamp posts, houses, change of hazard lines from short to long etc, etc.

I got told while doing my advanced driving course, if you have rumble strips on the approach, then at the start of the strips, you need to be 'off the power' so the car is starting to slow down smoothly.

You don't want to be slamming on the brakes at the last minute to loose the speed. A quick brush of the brakes to loose the speed is fine, but slamming on the brakes is not, shows you're not paying attention, it's uncomfortable for the passengers, and car is unstable!

You need to be matching your speed to the speed limit sign at the exact point you pass it.
 
#18 ·
Lots of 60 to 30 round here too in rural N Wales. Speed van sits in a regular spot about 3miles from us about 100yds from the national speed sign. You turn off the main road into a country lane do 200yds then round a bend where it goes to national speed Locals know it but obviously very lucrative catching all the tourists!
Never see him in our village though where a few of the villagers could do with a nice shock😂
A lot of average cameras just gone up in a 15mile section of the country roads due to number of accidents, mainly motorbikes as it's one of those nice open roads that the bikers like. Unfortunately the cameras point out of the zones so don't catch motorbike plates as they enter the zone!!
 
#20 ·
This is from the ACPO Police Guidelines from 2002 which has not been updated but is generally considered to the working guide.

1.9 Does proximity to the start or the end of a speed limit on a particular section of road have any operational significance?

A speed limit starts or ends at the exact point on a road indicated by the relevant signs. There is no legal bar to the enforcement of a speed limit from that exact point. There are however operational constraints dependent on the device used. ACPO will not specify a minimum distance from the start or end of a speed limit from which enforcement can place. Enforcement may only take place where the operator is absolutely positive, and a court may subsequently be certain, the whole of the measurement of the speed took place within the speed limit. If there is any chance, whatsoever, that any of the measurement took place, or could have taken place, outside of the speed limit then that measurement will be disregarded.

Full document available
http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/rept2005.pdf

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#21 ·
you should be looking down the road enough to identify a change in speed witout it being a surprise.

Once you've identified a change in speed limit check your rear view mirrors. Lift off the gas allowing speed to bleed off naturally, maybe add a touch of break to bring the vehicle to the correct speed on entering the new limit area as you pass the sign. Back on with positive throttle to maintain appropriate speed. If you are struggling with this try and IAM or ROSPA advanced driving course.

My friends all want to know why I don't have points on my licence, it's beacuse I use a little trick called keeping within the limits of the law, this is supplemented by ensuring that when I drive I give it my focus, not just the minimum to get by. Driving down the A5 at legal limits on Sunday I passed loads of cars who tried to race me on the straights but couldn't maintain the speed in the bends. Practise and then practise more at being a good driver
 
#24 ·
you should be looking down the road enough to identify a change in speed witout it being a surprise.

Once you've identified a change in speed limit check your rear view mirrors. Lift off the gas allowing speed to bleed off naturally, maybe add a touch of break to bring the vehicle to the correct speed on entering the new limit area as you pass the sign. Back on with positive throttle to maintain appropriate speed. If you are struggling with this try and IAM or ROSPA advanced driving course.

My friends all want to know why I don't have points on my licence, it's beacuse I use a little trick called keeping within the limits of the law, this is supplemented by ensuring that when I drive I give it my focus, not just the minimum to get by. Driving down the A5 at legal limits on Sunday I passed loads of cars who tried to race me on the straights but couldn't maintain the speed in the bends. Practise and then practise more at being a good driver
bet ur a blast at a dinner party

rules are there to be broken, live alittle - you may enjoy it! :thumb:
 
#23 ·
Still laughing at the poster who thinks 60 to 30 limit is a money grabber!
Me too - I imagine we are probably both old enough to remember when 40 and 50mph zones were a bit of a rarity, and almost all restricted limit areas were directly from 60 down to 30 on entering what was at the time termed a 'built-up area'.

It also amused me somewhat that it was suggested that a car rear-ending the car in front which had suddenly slammed his brakes on could be blamed on the car in front - the law says it is always the fault of the driver behind. The vast majority of drivers don't seem to have even a rough appreciation of how long it takes to stop their car from any given speed.
 
#31 ·
It’s easy to anticipate changes to limits in areas I’m familiar with. It’s also easy to become complacent and drift into the 30 at a higher speed. Cameras are absolute. Road policing tends to be less so, in appropriate circumstances, obviously.

While I agree with a lot of what has been said above, I think it’s inappropriate speed that kills, whether that’s 90 on a B road, or 20 on a motorway, both are considerable hazards that cause issues for other road users. Everyone should think about other road users at all times when driving.

The number of people who don’t indicate on roundabouts, for example, is just staggering, but that’s what happens when you replace good, old-fashioned policing with cameras.

Cheers,

Cooks


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#34 ·
I drive through a village which is a 20mph zone. When the zone ends and goes back to 30mph is where the primary school is. This makes no sense to me. The rules are the rules, people ignore them as people don't think they'll get caught and I think it's human nature not liking being told what to do.
 
#47 ·
According to statistics, 1 in 7 dwarfs is Happy.
Statistics don't mean anything without the context, Supermarket car parks have the highest accident rate, but very rare people get injured.
Motorway's have the lowest accident rate but have the most fatalities.

If people kept their selves to the speed limits, camera vans would be a thing of the past, every time they caught a speeder, shows that people cannot self-regulate.
It's a vicious circle, you speed more, they put more camera's down and on and on.
 
#73 ·
In my opinion, it's not as black and white as speed cameras are for safety or for money making. It's a bit of both.

A colleague at work was caught by a camera van, as he was speeding up coming out of a village in Kent into the NSL zone. He'd accelerated up above 30 before the 60 zone started...and I think I'd probably have done the same and got caught! That seems money making to me.

Perhaps it was an accident blackspot though - can't be sure.

I'm guilty of liking a bit of speed, but I'll only do it outside of built up areas, when visibility is good (want to be able to stop by the point on the road that your visibility ends) and there are no hazards.

I get the majority of my driving kicks out on the track though! Once you start doing trackdays, you're far less tempted to speed on the road.


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