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Original poster

Any tips for keeping under the 20mph speed limit?

101 replies

FrydayFish · 28/04/2022 18:17

I've been caught doing 27mph in a 20mph zone so will probably have to do a speed awareness course (which is better than a fine and points on my licence).

I'm not here to debate the rights or wrongs of these limits, just wondering if anyone has any tips for staying under 20.

Is there a satnav I can download which would tell me if I was exceeding the limit?
Any other suggestions?

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 28/04/2022 19:55

BarbaraofSeville · 28/04/2022 19:46

I did an IAM driving course at work a few weeks ago and that was exactly what I was told to do.

I wasn't convinced to be honest.

But if your car computer can be set to show your speed in big font, it did make it a lot easier to watch it without spending more time looking at the speedo than the road.

Show quote history

Yep I also did one and was told to stay in second. It does work. It won’t hurt your car unless it’s fantastically old.

TalbotAMan · 28/04/2022 20:04

For good or bad, 'intelligent speed assistance' is being phased in on new cars between July this year and 2024. Models which are first sold on or after 6 July 2022 will have to have it, and models already on sale then will have to have it added in due course.

The car will use various electronic systems to work out the speed limit and then restrict the car to that speed. It will be possible to push past the set speed using the accelerator for emergencies, and the system will be abe to be turned off, but it will turn itself on again the next time the car is started.

It won't stop deliberate speeding, and like any system it will sometimes go wrong, but it should make the chance of accidentally speeding past a speed camera a lot lower.

BarbaraofSeville · 28/04/2022 21:01

Intelligent speed assistance sounds like a good idea but I hope it's based on actual speed rather than that indicated by the speedo, which is usually quite a bit lower than reality.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Driving & parking
RedRosie · 28/04/2022 21:07

Hi OP. In my small manual car, I find staying in third gear for 20mph limits works best. It reminds me of the speed limit. I'm in central London so there's a lot of roads like this now, and one gets used to it.

TheCanyon · 28/04/2022 21:12

Every village and town in our county are now 20mph. You get used to it very quickly.

PeakyBlinda · 28/04/2022 21:14

You sound like a liability

Kite22 · 28/04/2022 21:15

BishyBarnyBee · 28/04/2022 19:54

I am really surprised by the number of people pouring scorn on the OP. Where we live, there are huge numbers of 20mph roads but almost no-one sticks to the speed limit, to the point that it feels almost antisocial to do so. It would take some kind of enforcement to make it stick and there's no sign that the police have either the resources or the inclination to do anything at all to enforce. If I'm not careful I find my speed drifting up because everyone else is going at 30+. So I have some sympathy with the OP. I'd think having the fine hanging over you would focus the mind though.

I agree with this. When you've been driving on the same roads for 40 odd years and then the council suddenly decides to stick a 20mph sign on that road, it feels ridiculously pedestrian to try to keep under 20.

yellowsuninthesky · 28/04/2022 21:16

Talipesmum · 28/04/2022 18:28

Stay in 2nd gear for 20mph
Stay in 3rd gear for 30mph

etc.
Not always the best and smoothest way to drive, but it’s a handy nudge to keeping to the speed limit.
And pay more attention!

Most posters on here have confused this section with AIBU. This is a more helpful post.

I don't agree with 20 limits anyway, they cause more pollution, not less. And I am too impatient to hang around waiting for someone to dawdle past when I want to cross the road. Do 30 and get past!

yellowsuninthesky · 28/04/2022 21:17

TheCanyon · 28/04/2022 21:12

Every village and town in our county are now 20mph. You get used to it very quickly.

great - how to improve air quality. Well, I guess it does improve air quality if it encourages people to cycle or walk instead. But do they?

CrabPuff · 28/04/2022 21:20

The speed course will advise that if you have a tendency to stop concentrating on your speedometer, driving in a lower gear will make you go slower. I do it. If I didn’t I’d have been fined twice in the last month. It’s not amazing on petrol but the 20 zones aren’t very long. And the petrol is cheaper than the speeding tickets.

Notanotherwindow · 28/04/2022 21:25

You really shouldn't need an app to stay under the speed limit. Just pay attention! Jesus fuck some people on this thread really shouldn't be driving, no one NEEDS limiters or cruise control just look for the speed limit signs, look at your speedo and stop accelerating.

CraftyGin · 28/04/2022 21:27

If your car has a speed limiter, use it!

RB68 · 28/04/2022 21:37

yup speed limiter, or use a sat nav or google and it shows the speeds. But be very wary as saying your satnav said it was x speed and it wasn't is no excuse. Also relook at the Highway code as 20 limits are relatively new and some zones have different rules around them as they are zoned speed limits rather than like the normal 30 or 40. Some are about air quality some are about school zones etc. I think they are used by councils to keep speeds to around 30 on the basis that most people break them but not as badly as they do a 30 or 40 - which is just laziness on their part in terms of enforcement (ie they don't but just keep putting the limit lower and lower)

RB68 · 28/04/2022 21:38

Should also say the enforcing of limits at 20 depends on signage colours which is worth knowing about too

whirlygaily · 28/04/2022 21:55

Our local town has just had new limits and cameras up. It made me realise how complacent you get on familiar routes and gave me a wake up call when I was thinking about work and thought I'd exceeded the limit. I've started using my cruise control setting on every journey now.

What I've also realised is when driving at bang on or just under the speed limit how much you have other cars right up your arse.

Alwayshoovering · 28/04/2022 21:58

It depends what car you have. Does you car have a speed limiter, not cruise control as like other hsve said only helpful if a long stretch of road where you don't need to stop start etc. A speed limiter does exactly that. Set to 20mph and no matter how much you press your aceleraror that's your max speed.
Or does your car have a speed warning indicator you can set. Mine does as as I mostly fo motorway driving I set it to 70 so as soon as I got over its starts beeping loudly.
Like I say depends on the car you have bit of no built in gadgets it's just the old fashioned way, mentioned by another poster, of glancing at your speedo every few seconds when checking your surroundings

QuietlyWonderful · 28/04/2022 22:30

When I was a police officer (1977 - a long time ago) I did an intensive driving course. One of the first things I had to do was adjust my seat so that it was as far back as possible whilst still being able to reach the pedals. You're sitting up pretty straight and your foot is a lot less "heavy" on the accelerator. I'm 5'6" and my driving position is the same as my 6' partner's. And there's no substitute for keeping an eye on the speedometer.

SmellyWellyWoo · 28/04/2022 23:06

My car has a speed limiter function. It's not a particularly new or expensive one. It's a bit of a faff to change up or down though.

AmandaHoldensLips · 28/04/2022 23:09

Be like me and have a really shit car that goes 0-60 in a fortnight. It's sweet spot is about 24 mph. (You really wouldn't want to be the car stuck behind me.)

SkiingIsHeaven · 28/04/2022 23:27

Use cruise control if you have it.

You could walk instead. It wouldn't be much slower.

FloodTheBathroom · 28/04/2022 23:31

Talipesmum · 28/04/2022 18:28

Stay in 2nd gear for 20mph
Stay in 3rd gear for 30mph

etc.
Not always the best and smoothest way to drive, but it’s a handy nudge to keeping to the speed limit.
And pay more attention!

This is what they will tell you on the speed awareness course.
Just drive slowly and keep an eye out for speed limit signs. 20 mph zones will have multiple repeater boards (you will also learn about these on the course) so no excuses

Inklingpot · 29/04/2022 00:22

For all the people saying ooh yes stay in 20 for a 20mph limit etc, do you think that literally everyone drives the exact same car with the exact same engine size?

MN does make me laugh with the posts about cars and driving because it’s painfully obvious that a lot of posters have no understanding of the Highway Code, driving much apart from the school run or the occasional trip to the parents, or using their brain while driving. It’s actually genuinely alarming to see some of the posts on here asking what they should have done in xyz situation.

Yarnasaurus · 29/04/2022 00:32

Inklingpot · 29/04/2022 00:22

For all the people saying ooh yes stay in 20 for a 20mph limit etc, do you think that literally everyone drives the exact same car with the exact same engine size?

MN does make me laugh with the posts about cars and driving because it’s painfully obvious that a lot of posters have no understanding of the Highway Code, driving much apart from the school run or the occasional trip to the parents, or using their brain while driving. It’s actually genuinely alarming to see some of the posts on here asking what they should have done in xyz situation.

Whatever car or engine size the car will still have a speedo.

Angrymum22 · 29/04/2022 00:34

Spec savers?

greenlynx · 29/04/2022 01:20

@Notanotherwindow

I really hope that the majority of drivers use your approach. I thought at first that OP is joking.