to think twenty miles an hour is perfectly fast enough for a built up area

[twentyisplenty]

Our dog was knocked down and killed by a van last wednesday. Very sad, devastating for us as a family, BUT thank goodness it wasn't a child... I don't think the van was going ridiculously fast, maybe 35 miles per hour, but if he'd been travelling at 20, perhaps she would still be alive? For a long time, I've been of the opinion that twenty miles per hour is quite fast enough for residential areas, and I always drive slowly in such areas. There is a nursery across the road from where I live, and many parked cars at the sides of the road, the roads are narrow in places, and yet I frequently see vehicles travelling well in excess of 30 mph. Am I being unreasonable to think the local council should do something about this as they have in other areas? I've been told by members of the council planning dept that a 20mph limit will be 'rolled out' to our area in 'perhaps a couple of years'. But how many children/pets will be killed/injured before it happens?

My dog was always on a lead near the road. She was still a puppy, not quite a year old. We were getting into the car, my husband had got in with her, taken the lead off her, and as I opened my door to get in, she heard another dog barking and leapt out of the car and ran across the road. As she turned to run back to us she was hit. We've questioned many many many times what happened that night, blamed ourselves, the van driver, but it was accident. None of us could have predicted it or even avoided it, perhaps it would have still happened if the van had been going slower, but losing her has made me more aware that something really does need to be done about the traffic around here. Our council has traffic calmed and reduced speed limits in some areas, and has plans (who knows when...) to do others, including ours. My point, I think, is that a reduced speed limit should apply across all residential areas, just as it does in France.

A genuine accident then, poor dog.
I think 20mph limits are acceptable around schools and particularly like the ones I've seen that a variable and only operate during school hours and are off innthe holidays.
However, I am not in favour of a blanket reduction across all suburban areas. Enforcement of the 30 is what is needed.

YANBU -20 should be the limit in all built up residential areas. It is where I live and we are on the verge of gently reminding some of our neighbours who speed up the road about this. Sorry about the dog.

I think there are too many dangerous drivers on the roads. It's not just about speed, but most of them become complacent, don't pay attention, develop bad habits and have learned some time ago and have never learned modern techniques like defensive driving. Drivers should be re-tested regularly and licences should be permanently removed from more of those who commit driving offences. In most cases, if someone is convicted of dangerous driving, they are only banned temporarily, when they should not be allowed to return to the road at all.

I agree, biggerbugs. The standard of driving round here is so poor at times, it makes you wonder if the drivers even have a licence... I wonder, if all drivers had to experience life on the road as a cyclist, would the standard of driving go up? Would awareness of other road users/pedestrians/kids/pets etc etc etc be better? Makes you think...

The main - and extremely busy - road up to our school is 20 mph. I was overtaken by a cyclist recently, as clearly the limits don't apply to non-motorised traffic

Driving home a couple of times an old boy getting out of a car parked in a disabled space has growled at me to slow down, when I'm driving at less than 20 mph, so I do wonder how many people are actually able to gauge other people's speed anyway.

so I do wonder how many people are actually able to gauge other people's speed anyway.

Most can't with any degree of accuracy - it's down to an individual's perception which is affected by noise, proximity and other factors.

yanbu.

Having spent many years in the US, I was beyond shocked to see/feel how fast they zoom around this village.

Its selfish.

I'm so sorry about your puppy.:(

YANBU

I wonder, if all drivers had to experience life on the road as a cyclist

Considering so many cyclists have no idea about rules of the road and seem to have a death wish I don't see why that would help at all.

By experiencing life on the road as a cyclist, I simply meant it would give drivers an idea of the vulnerability of other road users, an appreciation of the needs of other road users and a different perspective to being in a vehicle where they feel completely safe.

Unfortunately the worst offenders in our area (Godalming) are 'mummies' in their big Volvo XC90's and Range Rovers. One such was recently stopped doing 80mph in a 40 limit because she 'was late to coffee'!

Personally I disregard speed limits and drive according to the road conditions. If you are driving down a road by a school with parked cars et al then I crawl along, if I'm on one of our ridiculous rural lanes that have gone from 60 to 30mph limit and it is clear, dry and visibility is good I may drive at 60-70, if it is safe to do so.

Drive according to the prevailing road conditions and your and your vehicles capability.

Here endeth the lecture

There is now a petition on the UK Government website here:

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43952

asking the Department of Transport to "Reduce the Default Urban Speed Limit from 30mph to 20mph".

Please sign it if you back the idea. If the petition reaches the 100,000 signatures, it is eligible for a debate in the House of Commons.

So far there is 1 signature - me!

Forgot to make it a hyperlink. Here it is:

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43952