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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:
Stellamar · 29/04/2022 01:50

My car has a heads up display which constantly displays the speed limit on every road. It's brilliant. Something to think about if you are changing your car,.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 29/04/2022 02:03

Try Waze, OP.

WhereIsMyBrain · 29/04/2022 06:44

Some proper dickheads on this thread 😂

OP, I like Waze as an app that shows you the limit. If you’re struggling not to let your speed creep up, stay in a low gear. You will most likely get people driving too close behind to try to hurry you up- all you can do is ignore them.

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Driving & parking
Tumbleweed101 · 29/04/2022 07:06

I can understand what you mean. I live in an area where most roads are 40 or 60mph until you reach town. I visited my dad in London and all the roads have dropped to 20mph even on main routes. Does feel really weird and it is hard to stay at such a low speed without constantly checking.

User12398712 · 29/04/2022 08:06

If you've been driving for a while, you can judge whether you are travelling at 30 pretty well. I pootle along at 30 and just glance at my speedo occasionally (more when on a downhill) to make sure my speed isn't creeping up. 20 is different as there are far fewer roads with a 20 limit and they tend to be for shorter stretches so it is harder to judge speed without constantly looking at the speedo as I just don't have that feel for what 20 feels like. Ironically, 20 limits are generally in areas with high numbers of pedestrians, often riskier ones, such as by schools, where you really need to be concentrating on the road not the speedo.

Ariela · 29/04/2022 08:14

Unfortunately those of us that have been driving for years know exactly what 30mph feels like and that's the easy one. This new 20mph is annoying as suddenly streets that have been 30mph since you were 2 have the new limit, then you're back in a 30, then back in 20, and half the time you have white van man on your heels so close your brain automatically assumes you are too slow till you look at the speedo (which you don't want to do too often as many things going on around you, masses of conflicting road signs) . I totally get why OP managed to clock up a speed fine, so my sympathies there.

Iamtired2022 · 29/04/2022 08:18

Haven't read all the comments but newer cars have a speed limiter so you can set it to 19 / 20 and the car won't let you go any faster unless you deactivate

emmathedilemma · 29/04/2022 08:29

Oblomov22 · 28/04/2022 18:29

Who wants to drive in second gear? Surely that's not advisable for the cars performance. Health of car battery and engine etc?

It's not, my car has a green "efficiency" setting and it's happiest doing 20mph in 4th gear and 30mph in 5th or 6th.

Inklingpot · 29/04/2022 08:40

The ‘drive in 2nd for 20mph’ claim also doesn’t take into account automatic cars.

I find it very very hard to believe that advice is genuinely being given on speed awareness courses.

AProperStinging · 29/04/2022 08:44

I don't drive but I imagine not accelerating if you are driving at or under the speed limit would be helpful. Perhaps you could also use the brake if you need to slow down.

BarbaraofSeville · 29/04/2022 08:59

Inklingpot · 29/04/2022 08:40

The ‘drive in 2nd for 20mph’ claim also doesn’t take into account automatic cars.

I find it very very hard to believe that advice is genuinely being given on speed awareness courses.

Believe all you like, it's true. I've been told that on a speed awareness course and the shit IAM 'driver awareness' course I did at work recently.

We spent about 2 hours driving round housing estates at 20 mph in second gear and then at 30-40 mph on the 70 limit dual carriageway, the point of which was apparently that you were supposed to give that green light you could see up ahead time to go red and then go green again by the time you got to it so you wouldn't have to stop.

WhereIsMyBrain · 29/04/2022 09:23

I find it very very hard to believe that advice is genuinely being given on speed awareness courses.

it is.

LowbrowVictoriana · 29/04/2022 09:24

Can't believe some of these responses. OP is trying to improve something she's been getting wrong, so why all the dickhead comments?

I'm not sure my advice will be any better than anything given here, but 20 zones where I live are quite small, so as I enter one, I just sing "It's 20, 20, 20, It's 20, 20, 20!" along to whatever music I happen to be listening to for the duration of 20 zone.

kimfox · 29/04/2022 09:29

Pretend you are 100 yrs old and there's a police car up your rear end. Easy. Or put the speed limiter thing on if you have one.

addictedtotheflats · 29/04/2022 09:34

Its easy to go over the limit. Ive been caught once and did the speed awareness course and now use my speed limiter. Most new cars have this function.

sirensscreech · 29/04/2022 10:11

My car has a function on the steering wheel to set a speed limit. Of course that only helps if you remember to set it 🤦‍♀️

LadyFlumpalot · 29/04/2022 10:41

Sorry to go off topic here...Is no one else worried that with new cars that auto brake, stay within the lines, self park and soon with automatic speed limiters that soon people are going to get horribly complacent about driving and accidents will increase?

A friend of mine has a car with reversing sensors, one morning he got in his wife's car to move it, forgot hers doesn't have sensors and just reversed straight into a wall as he was waiting for the beeps to happen. Yea, he should have been checking as well, but he got complacent.

If cars start auto controlling speed limits and auto braking then people won't concentrate as much on the road or driving to conditions as they'll rely on the AI - and when the AI doesn't spot that child in the road because it's dark, or the kid is wearing green in front of trees, or whatever...

Back on topic - OP - my GPS bings at me if I exceed a speed limit and has a little icon on the screen showing what it thinks the limit is. It's not foolproof as it relies on data that might be old etc, but better than nothing and when coupled with physical signs it helps a lot.

Original poster
FrydayFish · 29/04/2022 14:18

Thanks for all the helpful posts.
I'll give Waze a try.
I don't think it's realistic to concentrate on the speedometer 100% of the time and generally speaking the speed limits seemed appropriate for the type of road.
In London, they seem to have now taken the approach that the default speed for all roads will now be 20 even if it was previously 40.
Driving at 20 on such a road, with 2 or 3 lanes especially at quiet times of the day or night takes a lot of concentration.

OP posts:
Notanotherwindow · 29/04/2022 17:20

You should have a rough idea what 20 feels like in your car and how much pressure on the accelerator will maintain speed as opposed to gaining speed. If you don't then I'm surprised you still have a licence.

balalake · 29/04/2022 18:04

Do you really need to be making the journey by that route, or by car? Cycle, walk, perhaps use public transport?

SkiingIsHeaven · 30/04/2022 14:03

Hospedia · 28/04/2022 18:22

Try using your speedometer, it'd the big round numbers thing on your dashboard. If you can't read one and you can't control your speed then you have no business driving.

Did you ever see the advert with the little dead girl where she says that if you hit her at 40mph there's an 80% chance she'll die, whereas if you hit her at 20mph there's an 80% chance she'll live.

It's 20 for a reason.

Yes but if you went at 50 you would have passed the girl before she crossed the road and wouldn't have been hit at all. 🤔

LittleMissMoggy · 30/04/2022 14:09

Notanotherwindow · 29/04/2022 17:20

You should have a rough idea what 20 feels like in your car and how much pressure on the accelerator will maintain speed as opposed to gaining speed. If you don't then I'm surprised you still have a licence.

Totally agree.

Driving a ton of metal is a responsibility, you should really know what 20 feels like.

Alwayspaintyournails · 30/04/2022 14:15

I go into 3rd gear in a 20mph zone and it automatically slows you down.

Your comment about it taking a lot of concentration is disconcerting at best… cars are heavy and dangerous, a lot of concentration is always needed.

AmeliaEarhart · 30/04/2022 14:16

Driving at 20 on such a road, with 2 or 3 lanes especially at quiet times of the day or night takes a lot of concentration

As it fucking well should! Imagine driving around in a ton of metal that can kill pedestrians and cyclists, and complaining about needing to concentrate! Jesus.

BertieBotts · 30/04/2022 14:23

That advert was 30, not 20 (misses the point)

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