20mph To Become The Default Urban Speed Limit (Instead Of 30mph) ?

[Prettytom]

Just now, Chekhov said:

Cobblers.

And you do not mean "speeding up slightly", you mean breaking the speed limit.

The only possible time when that may be true is if overtaking on a single carriageway road. But, if you have to exceed the speed limit to overtake then one wonders why any driver should bother overtaking anyway. I get this often on Woodhead. Some driver overtakes you because you're "only" doing 50mph, but 10 miles later at the lights in Mottram they're still in front of you, or, at best (from their point of view) about one more car ahead....

Do you do this all the time?

 

I mean, invent ridiculous scenarios and project them onto other people?

 

If I need to clear a junction, for example, because someone is coming the other way and not stopping, I’d like to do it as crisply as possible. Not at a speed dictated to me by your AI robot sanitised, cotton wool fascist speed restriction scheme.

[Findlay]

If someone is coming the other way and not stopping probably means they have right of way. Waiting until they have passed will be safer for you and more importantly them.
Speeding up past a speed limit is useful on motorways to clear a line of traffic so when there is a safe gap you can pull in and resume a speed appropriate to the speed limit and road conditions. 
If there is no gap ahead then no point in speeding up and making things worse for everyone.
Slowing down on a hill top, corner or obstacle to a speed where you can stop in the distance you can see would be better advice than a fixed speed limit.
No-one in the UK can drive to 20mph, not even the archbishop of Cantebury. 
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/may/12/archbishop-of-canterbury-gets-three-points-and-fine-for-speeding

Edited September 15, 2023 by Findlay

[Jack Grey]

As I've said Climate & Health have been weaponised to control and tax us

 

You can apply both of those to every aspect of our lives 

 

You don't like people eating meat.....blame farting cows on methane and the NHS being clogged up with heart disease 

 

Change the speed limit to 20mph by blaming pollution and kids getting hit by cars 

 

Etc etc 

[HeHasRisen]

Here on this island in the Maldives I am on, the speed limit doesn't even go above 40km/h anywhere .

[Chekhov]

19 minutes ago, Prettytom said:

Do you do this all the time?

I mean, invent ridiculous scenarios and project them onto other people?

If I need to clear a junction, for example, because someone is coming the other way and not stopping, I’d like to do it as crisply as possible. Not at a speed dictated to me by your AI robot sanitised, cotton wool fascist speed restriction scheme.

I accept you are trolling, but I will answer anyway.

If you need to break the speed limit in order to safely "clear a junction" I would venture to suggest you are not driving in a safe manner.

[Prettytom]

24 minutes ago, Findlay said:

If someone is coming the other way and not stopping probably means they have right of way. Waiting until they have passed will be safer for you and more importantly them.
 

It can also mean that they are stupid, or they’ve made a mistake. I agree that waiting is  usually the better option, but sometimes getting out of the way is safer for everyone.

 

I’d prefer to be able to make that judgement for myself,  rather then being restricted by Justin’s robot, because he is afraid of driving.

[Chekhov]

1 hour ago, Prettytom said:

It can also mean that they are stupid, or they’ve made a mistake. I agree that waiting is  usually the better option, but sometimes getting out of the way is safer for everyone.

I’d prefer to be able to make that judgement for myself,  rather then being restricted by Justin’s robot, because he is afraid of driving.

The only thing you would be restricted from is breaking the speed limit and, If you need to break the speed limit in order to avoid a collision, then, with all due respect, you are not driving with due care and attention in the first place.

In actual fact I do not think the GPS speed limiters always stop you speeding anyway, don't they allow it once or twice for a short period ?

[RJRB]

There are plenty of side roads in Sheffield where a decent driver would not even drive at 20mph .

I can understand some extra measures around schools and heavy pedestrian areas

However  if all the current 30mph limited roads went to 20 mph then it would be madness.

e,g Penistone Road,Rivelin Valley Road and others too numerous to mention.

If these 20 mph limits are subject to speed cameras then totting up bans and £100 fines will rocket.

No petrol or Diesel engine functions efficiently at this speed.

I hope that any creep of 20mph limits is severely limited.

 

Edited September 15, 2023 by RJRB

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, RJRB said:

There are plenty of side roads in Sheffield where a decent driver would not even drive at 20mph .

I can understand some extra measures around schools and heavy pedestrian areas

However  if all the current 30mph limited roads went to 20 mph then it would be madness.

e,g Penistone Road,Rivelin Valley Road and others too numerous to mention.

If these 20 mph limits are subject to speed cameras then totting up bans and £100 fines will rocket.

No petrol or Diesel engine functions efficiently at this speed.

I hope that any creep of 20mph limits is severely limited.

 

Almost exactly my thoughts too.

No one seems to have even considered the efficiency of car engines at this speed.  I always understood that around 56 mph was the most efficient speed for engines but obviously that's out of the question.

Doesn't alter the fact that the suggestion would increase pollution greatly just when we are on a drive to reduce this.

Sounds like the usual sledgehammer / nut answer to me instead of well thought out policies.

 

[dsweetman]

These days I reside in scotland where , certainly in the borders,a 20 mph limit has been in force for over a year in some towns and villages,very few drivers stick to that limit and I am sure that it would not save lives or reduce pollution ,more likely the opposite!Bicycle people are allowed to break speed limits,ignore traffic signs etc.etc.but the poor motorist (who pays silly money to use the roads) is penalised and seen as the wicked witch!)This war on the motorist has to stop because it will kill town centres (LEZ areas and high parking charges all brought about by tree hugging cretins!