Am I the only idiot that sticks to the 20 MPH limit?

I was driving recently in a 20mph zone. I had my cruise control set to 20mph.

The police in the car behind me I could tell were doing their head in at going so slow.

Dd missed a 20mph sign and got done for doing 27 in a 20

Yes agree with that Terry

MrsTerry so hitting someone at 20 or 30mph won’t make any difference to their survival rate? Is this what your stating when you say it does nothing at all?

It's much more complicated than that. Of course someone hitting someone at 30 is worse than 20. But there about about a hundred other factors to this:

Relative speed
Attention
Complacency
False sense of safety
Compliance
Policing
Adherence to the law
Other psychological factors
How the law is communicated
How the law is applied
The idea that the law should be fair and proportionate
and on and on.

Population based measures need to be examined on a population scale. Not case by case. All the tragic cases where someone was killed or hurt at 30/40 mph are true. But on a population scale, applying 20 mph to roads that are 30 mph roads as far as drivers are concerned is counterproductive. Much better to keep 20 mph to certain zones and times (schools normally) and police the shit out of that. People are more likely to comply that way.

*If people don't park on the pavements, pedestrians may have somewhere to walk which isn't in the road. If they have to walk in the road, there is obviously a higher chance of hitting them.

I'd deal with pavement parking before I started imposing 20 limits.*

Absolutely this. It's a real problem and causes more accidents than a 20 mph speed limit.

I think they're the idiots not sticking to it. I lost my cousin when he was 10 to a speeding car so hate when people speed. 20mph is sensible in residential areas. Where I am it is full of kids, a park across the road. Wish it was 20 - not that some idiots stick to 30 - they race along the roads - if a kid ran across the road they would be killed.

There are a load of these in Lewisham. They are observed by approx 1 in 20 drivers based on my journeys around there. In the neighbouring borough, many objectively more dangerous roads are 30s and some of the truly risky country lanes are 50 or 60.

A law that is obeyed by so few people is a stupid law.

We have a few roads near us which have 20 limits and it's actually a pain if people stick to them and pedestrians are waiting to cross the road. Dawdle dawdle dawdle. Do 30 and you'll be past and I can cross the road! I really don't think that they are a good idea.

hitting someone at 20 or 30mph won’t make any difference to their survival rate

If people don't park on the pavements, pedestrians may have somewhere to walk which isn't in the road. If they have to walk in the road, there is obviously a higher chance of hitting them.

I'd deal with pavement parking before I started imposing 20 limits.

Since we moved to Germany where speed limits are 30 and 50 km (20 and 30 mph) in residential/towns respectively. 40mph in comparison seems dangerously fast, and 20mph definitely gives you more time to react than 30 does. They don't have loads of ridiculous "speed calming measures" here either to annoy the crap out of everyone. I'd definitely support UK speed limits slowing to 20 and 30mph in built up areas.

OTOH though UK motorway speed limits are set too low :o

it reduced pollution because cars need less fuel at lower speeds.

Woodhill have you not voted for your cllr who in turn will be part of these decisions and have you raised your issues? Did you visits your town hall and view the purpose speed limits - they have to go through a proses to implement the speed limits and the public at this point can speak out

The thing is we haven't been consulted if we want 20mph speeds. It's meant to be a democracy but we are just railroaded over.

I'm happy for it to apply around schools etc as it makes sense.

Meanwhile the dangerous drivers seem to carry on speeding at ridiculous speeds in built up areas or parking on double yellows obstructing traffic but nothing is done

MrsTerry so hitting someone at 20 or 30mph won’t make any difference to their survival rate? Is this what your stating when you say it does nothing at all?

Love how people just ignore the rules. Like they don’t apply to them???? I don’t think most of these places need 20. But it is the law. If u hit something or do something wrong and u are not doing the legal limit. You are going to be in trouble. And what makes u so special that the law doesn’t apply to you !!!!!

I stick to all speed limits but deeply disapprove of 20mph limits. Terrible for air quality and probably kills more people than it saves.

They've made a few A roads in Brum subject to average speed cameras (A456, A45, A38) and you have to work very hard to speed.

You're very lucky to get into 2nd gear on the Bristol Rd, tbf - with the ridiculous building work that has been going on to put the useless cycle lane in, for so many months. I suspect the Hagley Rd is the same with the tram works and the work round Centenary Square / Paradise Circus, and now they have closed Five Ways underpass. You've got little chance to speed.

I believe some of the limits are to stop pollution that reduces air quality.

Not sure how that works, tbh. I'f I travel through a suburb and spend 7 mins doing it, then surely I'm polluting less than if I'm sitting in my car with my exhaust going for 12 - 15 mins ?

Load of speed humps along the 20mph roads in Birmingham, certainly.

Not near me - they've just put signs up reducing all the 40 mph roads to 30, and the 30mph rds to 20. Nothing to enforce it.

I knew I'd get flamed!!

There's nothing so frustrating as being behind a big car that's capable of doing up to 110 ish driving at 20. What's the point of having such a car?

Btw, I have been driving for 35 years and I'm quite capable of driving at 20. I choose to drive at 30ish ( because that's the speed limit in my area) and I would welcome retesting at regular intervals. Oh, and I've never been prosecuted for speeding.

But I'm not driving at 20!

What happened to common sense?

I refer you to my post upthread about evidence based policy.

People want their laws and society to reflect their prejudices, not the real world.

I have no idea whether 20 mph zones reduce accidents or not. But given it's the law, what I do or do not think really doesn't come into it, does it ? Like a lot of our laws, really. As long as people think they do the job, why waste time actually seeing if they do. Especially as most people will reject evidence that contradicts their prejudices anyway.

I suppose if you're not confident that you're a good enough driver to drive slowly it makes sense to get the bus (which will take a longer route and just generally take longer, if it even goes where you want to).

I don't find it odd logic. Why pay tax, insurance and MOT to drive at 20, when I could save the money and catch the bus.

result

I don't find it odd logic. Why pay tax, insurance and MOT to drive at 20, when I could save the money and catch the bus.

I'm not a speed freak, but I'm not driving at 20 all the time. What happened to common sense?

Exactly my thought, DGR. Odd logic.

What's the point of driving at 20? I'd rather catch the bus.

which would have to drive at 20 in 20 zones too ....

Probably going to get flamed here, but if I had to drive at 20mph I'd stop driving. It's ridiculously slow for where I live, and in general ( I would make an exception around schools etc) it's actually dangerous because other drivers get frustrated trying to get past.

What's the point of driving at 20? I'd rather catch the bus.