Let's have a maximum speed limit of 20mph
So the national government is minded to reduce the speed limit to 50mph, but is this enough? Surely the national speed limit should be 20mph. “He has finally lost it” I hear you say – others would say that happened years ago – but give me a moment and I’ll explain.
We already have five national speed limits: these are limits which the driver should understand simply by the look of the road. No signs are needed.
First we have 70mph on motorways; then we have 70mph on dual carriageways; then 60mph on rural roads; below that 30mph on urban roads; and, finally 20mph in lower speed residential zones. So the national government is not changing all the national speed limits just one of them – the 60mph limit down to 50mph.
We have around 400,000 miles of road in Britain, of which, 3,500 miles are motorways; 8,000 miles are strategic road; and, another 40,000 miles are main roads. This leaves 350,000 miles or 88% of our roads as minor or unclassified urban streets or country lanes.
These streets or lanes by their nature should have speed limits of 20mph (the “human eye recognition speed”) – a position that the ETA has had since its foundation twenty years ago.
As this represents the vast majority of our roads – 88%, then 20mph is our main national speed limit. You would know that you were on these roads because there would be no white road markings. If a road had road markings it would have a limit of 30mph in towns and 60 in rural areas (unless otherwise stated).
We could then leave the rural main road speed limit at 60mph with variations (using the usual repeater signs) if circumstances need it.
Simple, cheap and effective. And more to the point, acceptable to the vast majority of drivers.
Previous article: Riding High (Friday, 13th March, 2009)
Comments
speed limits
Surely it is about time that maximum speed limit sign is replaced by signs showing what the actual speed limit is? Just how many people rack their brains trying to remember what speed limit applies when they see this sign?
speed limits
on april 2009 anonymous says show actual speed is .
he is 100 % right.give us numbers not a black line [ is it 60 or 70 ]
many thanks
Replace "unlimited" sign with "60" or "70"
It is confusing isn't it? See 2 June 2009 for more information.
Let's go metric first
Before we change speed limits let's go metric first. If we do it at the same time we save money. Nearly all countries in the world are metric. Only America and Burma are not metric. After all, the metric system was an English idea and most metric units are made in Britain. We are only bringing it home.
20 MPH National Speed Limit will scare voters off
I agree that the current speed limits & signposting scheme is ineffective, ridiculous & wasteful and could be reduced by 90% by using global/blanket schemes similar to the 20MPH proposal. However, for the reason that the 20MPH scheme may never have a chance of getting thru to law, i would suggest the following compromise at least for the first phase...
Unless otherwise Signposted:
National Speed Limit: 50MPH
Speed limit with-in all Town/Village boundarys: 20MPH
Motorways and dual-carriages may be signposted upto: 70MPH
Limits are an absolute maximum for best conditions and should be STRICTLY enforced with zero tolerance.
Other Points drawn from successful schemes on the continents:
1. Make the drivers responsible for their own actions.. by law. eg. not to kill & injure pedestrians and cyclists. Drivers must learn to drive with absolute safety in mind at ALL times, you hit anything/anyone it is your fault unless you can prove otherwise.
2. Your insurance company pays, for medical services and treatments following accidents. This will a) reduce costs to the tax payer for NHS b)Reward good drivers with less TAXs and improved NHS services c)penalise bad drivers with greatly increased insurance fees.
Dean robinson, Battle, East Sussex deanveggy@gmail.com
Stricter Than My Recommendation
Perhaps I was not being clear!!
I wasn't proposing a reduction in speed for motorways or motorway-like dual carriageways - I'd leave them at 70mph.
I wasn't suggesting reducing the speed limit for A roads - I'd leave them at 60mph.
I wasn't suggesting reducing the speed limit on main rural roads - I'd leave them at 60mph too.
I wasn't suggesting reducing the speed limit for main roads in urban areas - for a while, at least, I would leave them at 30mph.
I was simply suggesting that lanes and street speed limits were reduced from 30mph to 20mph in towns and 60mph to 20mph in the country. And I mean lanes - that is, rural unclassified roads.
I think the key is to determine what the highway is for - if it is for traffic then it should be built for safe motorised travel at 60-70mph - if it is for mixed used then reduce to 30mph - if it is for access then 20mph.
If you are saying that 50mph should be the national limit for inter urban roads then there is something wrong with the design of these roads - especially in lowland areas.
No need for repeater signs - no white road markings then it is 20mph - white road markings then the higher limt applies.
Speed limits on rural lanes
I live on Anglesey, where the council has imposed lower speed limits (40 or 50) on many roads that used to be subject to the national speed limit of 60. We now have the ridiculous situation where motorists are limited to these lower speeds on the main routes between many areas of the island, but as soon as they turn off these onto minor lanes they can legally drive at up to 60 mph, despite the fact that many of these lanes are used for recreational purposes such as walking, exercising dogs and family cycling. Presumably the expense of signposting all these minor lanes would be too great. A new national speed limit to cover minor rural lanes is definitely needed!
Anita
You are so right!
It was just to deal with these nationwide absurdities that I made this suggestion twenty years ago. The situation is much worse now.
Leave a main road and you can go faster - now that is clever!
20 mph speed limit
As a rambler I support a 20 mph speed limit on rural lanes. I have had several nasty experiences with motorists travelling well above the safe speed for such roads. I know that a minority of speed merchants will ignore a 20 mph limit, but if they cause an accident and it is proven that they were trvelling too fast they would incur a stiff penalty i.e. being banned from driving for at least a year.
National Speed limits
A speed limit of 20 mph on smaller streets and lanes would be totally rejected & unreasonable, and would increase fuel use and exhaust pollution. A limit of 25 on city streets, and 30 on country lanes would be a reasonable step towards a culture of slower speeds. I drive on country lanes for most of my driving - as I live in rural Wales - and usually travel at 25-30, but most people drive at 35-40 on these roads, and there is no way that they would accept a limit of 20.
Responsible drivers would welcome a limit of 50 on larger single carriageways. It would make driving a lot less stressful for all of us, and most people would easily accept this. For the sake of safety and environmental concerns, a maximum speed of 60 on all dual carriageways and M-ways would be sensible, but the motoring lobby (which does not represent the majority of drivers, but only a vociferous minority) will not accept any reductions in speed limits until HMG has launched a powerful campaign publicising figures to show the advantages of lower speeds - in terms of accidents (not just deaths), anxiety & stress, road wear, pollution, fuel use, and wildlife kills. It is estimated that over 80,000 badgers are killed on the roads each year, along with millions of other mammals, birds, toads, etc.
We need stronger enforcement of existing speed limits. We need more sensible limits, We also need more sensible design of new vehicles, capable of travelling only at 70-80 mph, and not the ridiculously high speeds that the new electric cars are designed for.
Brian Burnett
You have a point
With regard to rural lanes it depends on what you call a lane. It might be that we are refering to deferent types of highway. I am talking about the type of lane that if you drove at 40mph all the time you will die. I am happy with 30mph as a first step.
As to your suggestion of a speed limit of 60mph on dual carraigeways - it depends on the dual carrageway. Some duel carrageways became built on before we had planning law to stop it so they are effectively urban and rightly attract a limit of 30mph unless otherwise stated but our modern grade-separated six-lane dual-carriageways were designed for high speed. Perhaps it would be better to convert them to motorways.
My local dual carragweway is effectively a motorway (and would be in most countries) and like a motorway currently has a speed limit of 70mph. If a road is lit it has a speed limit of 30mph unless otherwise stated. Our local motorway is lit but because it is motorway the light rule does not apply. However, our local grade-separated six-lane dual-carriageway has just been lit at night but because it is not a motorway it has to have repeater speed limit signs to tell drivers that the urban speed limit does not apply. fun isn't it?
Just curious, but...
What exactly is the "human eye recognition speed?" From the context I would guess it is to do with reaction times, but a quick search of the internet and my psychology texts hasn't provided any further clue.
Driving at speeds which allow for eye contact
Apparently humans are adept at communicating intention through body language via eye contact. However, this ability falls away at speeds above 20mph.
20mph limit
(It's late, so I've only skimmed the article): Oh ye of little faith in human nature, so quick to prescribe medicine we don't need! Scrap speed limits, I say, change the culture from priority to equality, back the development of quiet tyres and green fuel sources (meanwhile bring on "taller" gears for lower revs), free people to use commonsense and common courtesy so they can act according to context rather than coercion, and the result might well be a safe, civilised, convivial public realm. FiT Roads.