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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to drive at 70mph on this road?

114 replies

georgeisadinosaur · 10/05/2018 18:27

Rubbish diagram attached.

A road near me that I regularly use, has two lanes on one side but only one lane on the opposite (to go other way).

I have always driven (up to) 70mph on the left side, but 60mph on the right side. Was driving with a friend earlier who was shocked and said she only drives 60 both sides as it isn't a dual carriageway without two lanes on both sides of the central reservation?

Am I wrong??

OP posts:

drearydeardre · 11/05/2018 06:31

A dual carriageway can have between one and n lanes in each direction. There do not have to be the same number of lanes in each direction. The number of lanes does not a dual carriageway make ... it's the presence of a permanent construction or other land between the opposing lanes that creates one.

GySgtHartman · 11/05/2018 06:48

a head-on collision when both cars are at 70 is not a good idea.

But it's ok at 60? 🤔

iamkahleesi · 11/05/2018 06:50

This post is quite scary, can't believe so many people don't know the speed limit.
This is a dual carriageway (with reservation) so NSL for cars is 70, lower for other vehicles. The variation in speed limit for different types of vehicles is why we have the white circle with black line.

Atthebottomofthesea · 11/05/2018 06:57

Funny enough I was thinking the same last night whilst driving home. 2 lanes one side, my side painted to make 1 lane (has filter lanes) I drive 60 on that stretch, but 70 the other way.

Big bit of land with trees in the middle.

It does have a stretch of dual carriageway that is marked 60.

higgyyellow · 11/05/2018 08:17

Relating this to the OP’s post.

Except it doesn't relate to the OP post.

You are talking about driving to the conditions of the road, within the NSL.

OP post is about not knowing what the NSL is for a particular road.

Not comparable.

higgyyellow · 11/05/2018 08:22

atthrbortom

I drive 60 on that stretch, but 70 the other way.

Can you explain why you do that?

Kursk · 11/05/2018 11:34

a head-on collision when both cars are at 70 is not a good idea.

Combined speed of 140, as opposed to 120 if they were going 60.

I seriously doubt the people in the cars would be able to tell the difference!

Atthebottomofthesea · 11/05/2018 12:28

It just feels safer doing 60 the one way, the fact it was two lanes and is now 1 makes me think it is more risky.

SugarMiceInTheRain · 11/05/2018 13:37

The central reservation makes it a dual carriageway therefore it's 70mph both ways, regardless of lanes. Unless there is a sign telling you otherwise (eg there's a dual carriageway near me with a speed limit of 30, because it's a residential area). I find it alarming how many people drive yet clearly don't know the highway code!

Atthebottomofthesea · 11/05/2018 14:19

Is it really that bad to drive down a road at 60 rather than 70 especially when it has quite a few bends? It is safer to do that way at 60, so is a perfectly acceptable speed, one which most people do as well.

(The other side is straighter)

higgyyellow · 11/05/2018 15:02

Is it really that bad to drive down a road at 60 rather than 70 especially when it has quite a few bends?

No of course not. I don't think anyone is suggesting we all race about at 70mph regardless of road conditions.

It is however bad, very bad, to not have a clue what the speed limit is in the first place!

reddington · 11/05/2018 17:34

Combined speed of 140, as opposed to 120 if they were going 60.

I seriously doubt the people in the cars would be able to tell the difference!

reddington · 11/05/2018 17:35

Mis post sorry! I was going to say that it’s the same as a single car hitting an immovable block of concrete at 60 or 70. Neither speed will end well.

safariboot · 12/05/2018 02:21

If this is a case of a 2+1 road where the side with two lanes periodically swaps, then if you drive at 60 in the 1 lane sections then speed up to 70 in the two lane sections bear in mind you're going to piss off any driver stuck behind you.

elephantscanring · 12/05/2018 02:36

Wow, i didn’t know a dual carriageway was defined by a central reservation, and that it didn’t have to have two lanes each way. I thought ‘dual’ meant two lanes. Wtf?

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 12/05/2018 04:24

I was on a speed awareness course recently (was a fair cop guv) .... Out of the 20 or so people there at least 5, when doing the interactive questions, appeared to get every single speed question wrong.... One thought 60 on motorway, another 80. Someone else thought all built up areas was 20...

These people walk amongst us! Probably why they ended up on course too!

What was worse a couple of these people had only taken their test within last few years!

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 12/05/2018 04:27

Can someone definitively clear up a row me and OH have regularly....

If two cars have a head on, both driving at 70... I believe at point of impact it's 140 mph, he believes 70??

Imchlibob · 12/05/2018 05:22

elephantscanring the dual refers to there being an entirely separate carriageway for each direction, not to the number of lanes in each direction. Some dual carriageways have 3 lanes in each direction - they are not triple carriageways.

IamtheDevilsAvocado your dh is a total numpty. LTB. Of course you are right.

higgyyellow · 12/05/2018 07:34

Wow, i didn’t know a dual carriageway was defined by a central reservation, and that it didn’t have to have two lanes each way. I thought ‘dual’ meant two lanes.

Do you drive though?

reddington · 12/05/2018 08:58

If two cars have a head on, both driving at 70... I believe at point of impact it's 140 mph, he believes 70??

Two identical cars head on at 70 will have the same impact as a single car at 70 into an immovable concrete block. Does that help?

Imchlibob · 12/05/2018 09:03

Reddington you mean 140

reddington · 12/05/2018 09:08

you mean 140

No, I mean exactly what I said

MereDintofPandiculation · 12/05/2018 09:14

If two cars have a head on, both driving at 70... he believes 70?? Two identical cars head on at 70 will have the same impact as a single car at 70 into an immovable concrete block. Does that help?

I despair. Here is the answer to all those who say "what use is maths in everyday life".

reddington · 12/05/2018 09:16

I hope your despair isn’t aimed at me!

Spam88 · 12/05/2018 09:32

reddington if you meant what you said, then you're wrong 🤷‍♀️ two cars doing 70 towards each other have a relative speed of 140mph. So it's the same as a car moving at 140mph hitting a stationary object. If you think about it you can't actually expect that the damage of hitting a stationary car and the damage of hitting a car moving towards you would be the same?

Anyway OP, I don't know why people are being such dicks on this thread, it's obvious when you said the speed isn't defined you didn't mean that you thought you can just do what you like 🙄 loving responses such as 'NSL is obviously 60' 🤦‍♀️ For your particular road, you're both wrong. As others have said, a dual carriageway is defined by whether the two directions of travel are separated by something, rather than the number of lanes (you can have single carriageways with multiple lanes in each direction and you can have single lane dual carriageways). From your description it sounds like it is indeed a dual carriageway. At least neither of you were speeding though!

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