20mph speed limit

[WhosAfraidOfLittleOldMe]

In the city I live in there is a residential road next to a park where the speed limit is 20mph. Clear signage on the road and plenty of signs.

Every time I drive up it, at 20mph, there is a car (usually a BMW) right up my arse.

Today DH is driving up it (in his BMW 😂), I’m a passenger. I don’t know exactly how fast he was going, but it felt fast so I reminded him that it was a 20 limit. He slowed and at first said he didn’t realise, but then went on to lecture me about how 20mph speed limits aren’t enforceable. AND has the cheek to say my Dad (retired police) even told him so.

Now I have the kind of brain that remembers every conversation, and I remember DH going on a speed awareness course 10 years ago and coming back telling me that he was shocked to learn 20mph limits are actually enforceable.

Is this a common thing to think they aren’t? Where has it come from? I thought the BMWs up my bum were just being BMW aubergines, but is this also a thing that people don’t think they have to do 20 in a 20mph zone?

When I did the naughty persons course, half the room had been done for 24+ in a 20 (Bristol) the rest of us had been booked doing 60 on a road that apparently had been reduced to 40 but there's still hardly any signs (if you join further down there's nothing, they wouldn't accept this when I complained)

Everyone in Wales knows 20 mph is enforceable. Can’t imagine why anyone would think any speed limit that is an order is not enforceable

any speed limit displayed - black numbers, white back ground, red circle is enforceable - it's the speed limit! If it says '20 when lights on' then if the lights (outside a school etc) are flashing it's enforceable! When they aren't flashing it reverts to the normal speed limit - he's a dick

of course it’s enforceable; and more to the point the rationale is that you probably won’t kill someone at that speed, you will have time to stop. In Scotland all the villages are 20 mph now; it’s kind of annoyingly slow, but I do it as better safe than sorry!

My mate got done doing 25 in a 20. It’s absolutely enforceable otherwise why would they bother with it?!

All the ones I drive through are by schools. It infuriates me that some idiots still speed through them, knowing it’s there to protect kids.

I live rurally (not Wales) and quite a few local villages have put up informal "Twenty is plenty" type signage to try to encourage drivers to drive more slowly than the actual 30mph limit. This clearly isn't enforceable, and it's very clear that the signs aren't "official" (although I believe they have the blessing of the local council).

But an official 20mph speed limit? Why on earth wouldn't it be enforceable?

Always have idiots up my backside. Makes me go even slower. 😈

What would be the point of an unenforceable speed limit? Does he think it’s just a suggestion?

YANBU.
Your DH is a silly aubergine.

This was my reasoning too! Why would it not be?? His response was that it was just something everyone knew. I am really curious as to whether this is something that other people believe!

Had some disagreement especially when he said my dad had told him as well, which is obviously not true.

This road is by a park where there are always children so it makes sense to go slowly enough go that you wouldn’t do as much damage if a child unexpectedly jumped out.

Maybe it’s in the BMW handbook because it certainly isn’t from the Highway Code…

This sounds like the old 10% plus one myth.

I did a speed awareness course with a room full of people who had been going at 23 or so in a 20 mile zone

My residential short road is 20mph yet idiots floor it, most doing around 30 but some 50+ , the police put a temporary speed camera up and caught close to 100 breaking the limit in 6 weeks. With a few going 60+
I have no idea how they actually get up to that speed so quickly, it's a T junction at both ends and only about 100 houses long .

The police often stand with speed guns in the 20 zones in my town. It is definitely enforceable and enforced. There is a reason for the 20 limit and people who think they are above those reasons are morons.

They are only enforceable if the correct Traffic Relief Order (TRO) is in place, the majority of councils who insist on 20 mph zones they are done with the TRO, if there is no TRO the 20mph speed limit is not enforceable.

Re signage: Black writing, white background with red ring = enforceable. Black writing, white background, black ring = advisory and not enforceable.

I thought this was true, on the basis that car speedometers aren't entirely accurate?

It is true.

Can I add that all BMW drivers do not act like this

Our almost ten year old one has a speed limiter on it. It's very good at screaming at you when you go over the limit that you've set.

I think these are exactly the ones that more people think are not enforceable, as if it mustn't always be necessary.

There aren't lights or timings, but they think it only applies when large groups of children are being picked up or dropped off and it's their own judgement otherwise.

My husband had to do a speed awareness course as he was doing 24 in a 20mph zone.

Is it an invitation to a debate then? Prat!

You "D"H sounds like a dangerous idiot who shouldn't be driving.

Having spent decades working for local authorities, I can assure you that if a highway authority has managed to get to the point of putting up all the 20mph signs, the TRO will definitely have been done!

"in the BMW handbook" 😆Is not bothering to use the indicators in there too?
We live in a 20mph zone. Plenty of people speed, which can be hairy since there aren't pavements and I walk a dog. Bottom line is that they just don't want to stick to the speed limit.