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

[QuiQuaiQuod]

Get cars up my chuff revving, cars speeding past, yet theyre never caught. I go just 1 over and I'd prob get stopped!

But apparently the highway code ISN'T law so why do some people take notice of it and is that why most people do NOT?

and most areas where I live are 20 mph now- its ridiculus and prob causes more emissions!

Highway Code: MUST is law. SHOULD is advice. So it’s a mixture.

It’s hard when a road ‘says’ 30 or 40 to drivers, but has a lower limit. What’s needed is changes to make the road ‘feel’ slower so people naturally drive much more slowly.

I got a ticket and 3 points for doing 27 in a 20 zone so this is enforced

Were you not offered a Speed Awareness Course.

I was done for 38 in a 30 (it was along one of those roads that goes 30/40/30/40/30/40 being discussed in another thread as I type). I was slowing down to reset my speed limiter

Anyway, against all my expectations the SAC was informative, interesting (just as much for the attitudes of the other attendees) and certainly raised my game regarding speed limits. If nothing else, attending gave me a heads up on a lot of measures we are now seeing - as I said upthread the next step after 20mph zones will be a flood of average speed cameras around them, so speeders will be caught.

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.

I stick to it and I purposely slow down to below 20 if a dickhead gets up my arse.

Speed limits are law if they have a red circle around them

I tend to stick to the speed limit but I have not seen a through road at 20 yet. Not sure how I feel about them - in a housing estate or village without pavements I can see it’s a good idea but for normal towns and villages without evidence of accidents or black spots I don’t see the need. I would be happy if they enforced the 30s

The 5mph signs in car parks crack me up, it is too difficult to drive at that speed and I have never see anyone going that slow. I go very slow but not 5mph. I presume it’s not enforceable though as private land.

What’s needed is changes to make the road ‘feel’ slower so people naturally drive much more slowly.

Or people are taught to respect the law ? It's weird than only behind a wheel of a car do we end up discussing how lawbreakers should be accommodated. So I will balance your change - which will cost millions we haven't got, with my suggestion, which is: Caught speeding ? Instant ban. Much cheaper to administrate. And much more in keeping with the general presumption that people obey the law ? After all no insurance ? Vehicle seized (and you walk). Drunk driving ? Instant ban (and it damn well should be - zero exceptions).

Balance this thread against threads where an OP comments they were happily doing 70 on a motorway, and there's a flood of replies saying they should get out of the way for traffic to pass - which is clearly a human right.

I don't know if it's still the same (I'm going back to 2005 with my knowledge), but Northants only used to allow drivers caught doing 34 in a 30 do the SAC. That was the extent of their 'generosity'.

There are some places when a 20 is absolutely justifiable, but most of Brighton is now 20 and some of these streets are huge, wide, long, no schools or anything and it's sooooo frustrating.

OP, you are not an idiot.

If you find driving the speed limit ‘frustrating’ then you have the emotional control of a child and shouldn’t be driving. I fucking despair at the absolute state of some of you.

In Germany, we have 20 KPH (12.4 mph) in roads near schools,
or where there is housing with open spaces where kids play

Kids are expected to walk to school alone here from age 6-7 and they play outside with their mates then too

Drivers seem to stick to 20 kph and it is necessary with so many small kids around

Who are these arrogant people who think they can decide what speed to go, whatever the signs say? Do you decide other traffic laws for yourself as you go along too?

If it's true 20 zones have higher accident rates, it'd be interesting to know why. Were people hit by cars going over 20? Were there just more pedestrians because the 20 made it a nicer environment? Was the road layout still encouraging faster speeds?

My whole city is 20 pretty much, it's just my natural speed in built up areas now, I find it hard to go at 30.

I don't know if it's still the same (I'm going back to 2005 with my knowledge), but Northants only used to allow drivers caught doing 34 in a 30 do the SAC. That was the extent of their 'generosity'.

We had a quick show of hands at my SAC. Most were like me - less than 10 over. One lady was done for 32 in a 30. The instructors commented that was going to be the way of the future. Much less tolerance for lawbreakers ....

Who are these arrogant people who think they can decide what speed to go, whatever the signs say? Do you decide other traffic laws for yourself as you go along too?

I suspect insurance data suggests yes ... drivers who speed are more likely to have accidents.

If it's true 20 zones have higher accident rates, it'd be interesting to know why

Idiots overtaking at 30 ?

I've only seen it on a couple of roads, and mostly stick to it if it's completely clear and no kids, schools etc around. I would never harass anyone doing it though

I've only seen it on a couple of roads

They're springing up everywhere - certainly in Birmingham. Whole areas are now zones, not just individual roads.

To be fair, it may be an issue of familiarity. I don't often get people trying to get past me on 20mph roads now. Even taxis are quite happy to follow at that speed - and more than 2 cars in a line doing 20 make it a lot harder for chummy-boy at the back to get past, especially if there's oncoming traffic. Also some 20mph routes cover bus routes - which make the overtaking game a lot harder, as buses are quite hot on speed limits because of cameras in the bus (which also catch people overtaking, and are forwarded to the police).

@DGRossetti - not offered a speed awareness course, maybe because it was a first offence?

I found it an overly harsh penalty at the time, but it certainly made me more aware of obeying speed limits.

not offered a speed awareness course, maybe because it was a first offence?

From what the instructors on my course said, it's down to the guidelines set by the authority that caught you. Some are more strict than others. However there was a preference for first offences to be dealt with by an SAC where appropriate.

I did my course in 2014. Over half the measures the instructors warned us about have come to pass:

• general drive to lower speed limits on dual carriageways and A roads
• introduction of 20 mph zones
• lower tolerance for speeding (the lady that was 32 in a 30)
• wider use of Average Speed Cameras on A roads.

There's a desire to see speeding become regarded in the same light as drink-driving. And the Nudge Unit is on the case .....

I always drive at the speed limit and it’s amazing the amount of drivers who want tailgate or overtake at stupid places. The people I know who do it think they’re great drivers as well and anyone who drives at the speed limit is over cautious. Twats.

I always stick to that limit and get horrible, impatient twats up my arse.

We have a few roads near us where they trialled a 20 limit and then didn't bother to remove the signs at the end of the trial so I am not sure what the actual legal limit is. Most people do 30.

I guess if it were a 30 limit, they'd be doing 40, so it's not such a bad thing.

But it does increase emissions.

Exactly probs.

I am happy to stick to speed limits but I think the 20 mph unless near a school or built up area is impractical.

Our local council recently changed all non-major roads from 30 to 20.

Some of those roads really do deserve to be 20. Most do not. The council just changed the limits on all of them wholesale, without proper research. They also put no enforcement measures in place - just changed the signs. It was a classic case of virtue-signalling.

The only people who seem to do 20 on the "natural 30" limit roads are learner drivers under instruction. Almost everyone else just does 30, the way they have been for decades on those same roads with no ill effects.

If the council had actually wanted to reduce RTAs in real life, they would have spent some money on policing - making sure people were actually sticking to the original speed limits and not driving like complete twats. The problem wasn't people doing 30 on the "natural 30" roads; the problem was tossers driving down them at 45 - which they still do. I see just as much dangerous driving as I used to. I would love to see the before-and-after accident statistics for our area.

Maybe people should just look and practice safe road crossing,,remember the days of the green cross code,stop look and listen? That went out of the window and now people,especially younger,think they can just meander out on the road and the traffic has to part like the red sea.

You also find that certain councils sutff loads of 20 limits in because they are left wing types and love to rake in lots of fines,pandering to those who dont take responsibility for their own actions.

Having said that, iam not a speeder in general,i consider i am a very safe driver and i do try to keep within the spirit of the 20 though as others have said,you do get people trying to push you along.

Manchester city council has 20s everywhere ,,whereas stockport has next to none..