Living in Wales with 20mph limit #regen

[lightning]

Such driving issues aren't confined to any particular area - IME they happen nationwide. Regardless, it is perverse and illogical to lower the speed limits in response to drivers failing to observe the speed limit. Enforcement of the existing speed limit would be a far more appropriate response, be that via increased police presence or via more speed cameras.

Yes it may be. But residents moan about speeding drivers until the council do something. lt happened on a road near here.
20mph signs were put up but were ignored.

Eventually the council did the next cheapest thing and put vicious speed humps on the road so now it's a nightmare to drive down there.
Cameras were suggested but there were too many side roads.

 

[DXX]

In Portugal if you are detected exceeding the speed limit in a village or town the next set of traffic lights goes red just as you approach.
It’s a very good deterrent.

 

[ChrisBell]

In Portugal if you are detected exceeding the speed limit in a village or town the next set of traffic lights goes red just as you approach.
It’s a very good deterrent.

@DXX closer to home... Have in Scotland. They're on the A75 hearing down from Cairnryan to Gretna Green at place called Crocketford. What I've seen though is the poor folks held up at lights because of speeder on front. They seem to just whiz through lights. Def makes you watch speed though. Also quite amusing when you do catch-up behind the guilty party!

 

[roadtripper]

I found the system in place in Germany very useful when the family lived there. On major routes they would phase the lights and there were additional "traffic lights" the lit up with advised speeds. If you stuck to that speed the next light was green, if you raced ahead you'd just wait. It was very effective.

 

[FerrisBFW]

Or automatic GPS restricted vehicle speed, it’s coming sooner than we think.
Who’s going to map their way out of that one?

I cant wait tbh, but then do you then put your foot to floor and as you pass through different speed zones the car just hits 20, then 60, then 20? And I bet all the speed bumps can go

I found the system in place in Germany very useful when the family lived there. On major routes they would phase the lights and there were additional "traffic lights" the lit up with advised speeds. If you stuck to that speed the next light was green, if you raced ahead you'd just wait. It was very effective.

I read this once. My village needs this as its a rat-run out toward the M3/M25

 

[Lubrown]

Recently read an article where an insurance company said claims for damage had dropped by 20% since the introduction of the 20mph zones in Wales. Guess that’s to be expected really.
I expect premiums have still gone up… although they left that bit out.

 

[DaveD]

Recently read an article where an insurance company said claims for damage had dropped by 20% since the introduction of the 20mph zones in Wales. Guess that’s to be expected really.
I expect premiums have still gone up… although they left that bit out.

A 20% drop in claims was probably caused by a 20% drop in traffic as people decided not to go there.

 

[Bav]

There's some devious, anti-car skulduggery afoot in Wales - well, certainly in North Wales.

One example from a recent visit to Pwllheli...

Driving down a country lane - no street furniture and no speed limit posted, so national speed limit assumed. Assumption reinforced by satnav (stated 60 limit), though maps Google Maps hadn't been updated with the 20mph crap, so was treating that info with a healthy dose of scepticism. Anyway, wasn't going anywhere near 60 as it just wasn't suitable, especially as we were in the van.

Next news, arrived at a T-junction with a more major road and there were signs warning of average-speed cameras in both directions, but no speed limit posted for either direction. Once again, no street furniture and no repeater signs so assumed it was national speed limit (and this time the road was much more suitable for such a limit). After 5 minutes or so, glanced down at the satnav and it's showing 30 limit - WTF? A completely unsuitable limit for the style of road and, as I say, satnav not reporting speed limits consistently accurately.

What would you do in this situation? Supposedly average-speed measurement in progress and already been travelling at 50/55 for the past 5 minutes, and there was no other traffic around to judge whether the limit was 30, 60 or anything in-between. I decided to pull over into a lay-by and wait for 5 mins and then continued on at a completely unsuitable 30.

A couple of cars did catch me up and I was hoping they'd overtake, thus confirming the 30 limit was bollox, but there were double solid white lines for miles on end, so that didn't happen. They were probably cursing me and I was most definitely fuming at being placed at risk of getting a speeding ticket, despite being very careful, following all the rules and using all the evidence available to me in order to determine the prevailing speed limit.

How can it even be lawful to have average-speed traps on a road where there are no speed limits posted? Absolutely f'ing ridiculous.

Conclusion? Avoid the area like the plague coz the bastards are out to get you.

[rant over]

 

[Lubrown]

How can it even be lawful to have average-speed traps on a road where there are no speed limits posted?

I don’t think it is. That’d get thrown out if it went to court. Perhaps it was part way through the work for speed restrictions?

Near us some average speed cameras, set to ‘catch’ people going over 30mph, went up on roads that were already posted with 30mph limit signs. The yellow cameras on lamposts went up, along with signs banded to lots of lamposts saying cameras not activated until x date (6 or 8 weeks for people to acclimatise even though the limit hadn’t changed) and in that time they added many new shiny speed limit signs with the camera warning sign incorporated.
That’s how it ought to be done (although there are a lot of speed limit signs which kind of ruins the aesthetic, and on a residential street with lampposts it feels OTT), Wales does seem to have made a mess of it.

I also wonder if that 20% reduction in vehicle damage will last - some people seem to adapt so that no matter how safe and easy you make driving they can still ruin it for everyone. Will they relax into the new limits and stop paying attention (again)? Saving grace will still be less extensive damage at a lower speed but in my mind focus needs to e on standard of driving too and you need actual Police for that, not cameras.

 

[Bav]

In hindsight, Google Maps still showing the original speed limits is very revealing, as it provides clear evidence of deceit from the Welsh government re their claim that existing 30 limits were to be reduced to 20.

In reality, a lot of the 20 zones have been extended beyond the original 30 zones; new, transitional speed limits have been introduced on the approaches to/exits from the extended 20 zones; and a lot of 60 zones have been reduced to 50. So, where you used to have 60/30/60, you now have 50/30/20/30/50.

Now that the good folk of Wales have rejected the 20 crap, what's the betting that the rest of the changes will remain in place?

In summary, diriving in Wales is now like stepping back into the late 19th century... and not in a good way. Such is the Welsh authorites' antipathy to motorists, I'm convinced it was only political expediency that prevented the reintroduction of a man waving a red flag!

 

[DXX]

I have to drive at 20MPH in Wales anyway, it takes a while to find the bit on the road signs that I can understand.

 

[Proberts]

dysgu cymraeg wedyn.

 

[Bav]

still twice as much verbiage to read
dal ddwywaith cymaint o verbiage i'w darllen

 

[Proberts]

There ya go. Wasn't difficult was it lol