To think that a 20mph speed camera on a main road is ridiculous

[Pizzamm]

Just been to Wales for the day to meet my family. I’m driving along a main road near Flint and as I’m going through a speed camera at around 27 I’ve realised there is a sign saying 20 afterwards?! AIBU to think that 20 is a ridiculous speed limit on a main road? There are no indications from the road that this is a 20, it looks more of a 30-40 ( fairly wide road, not overly pedestrian).

if I get a speed ticket for 26mph I’m going to be pretty grumpy 😅

I completely agree, 20mph is ridiculous.

as for a ticket, that’s 30% over the limit so if the camera was work I’d be expecting a ticket.

prepare yourself for all the comments from people on here who NEVER creep over the limit.

Welcome to London , it’s made driving in impossible , which I suppose is the aim .

Well if the the 20 zone was after the camera you're probably fine. But 20 is the default limit in Wales so unless you know it's not 20 that's what you do. Most out of town main roads have a different limit but that's on you to look out for.

Don’t move to London! Lucky to get over 20mph.
Deaths from traffic accidents are down though so it’s worth it

I think if it saves lives then it is, of course, not unreasonable

The issue is that you spend more time staring at your speedometer than watching the road ahead since keeping to 20 mph on a decent width road is very difficult.

I live in Portsmouth and we've been 20mph on side roads forever, I think that's quite sensible. But the big roads in London, like the one past Abbey Wood, feels almost impossible to do 20.

Wales and London are run by utter pricks who are desperate to take money from motorists while trying to make driving as difficult as possible, and in outer London’s case not making public transport cheap enough to make it a viable alternative.

It is the most ridiculous speed limit. I live in Wales, it’s infuriating when you’re trying to get to work/appointments, basically anywhere and we have to travel so bloody slowly. Mark Drakeford introduced this law and he can’t even drive! The best bit is it doesn’t apply to cyclists!!

This is it exactly! The same road is 20, 30, 40, national, then back to 20 then 40 in the space of about 5 miles. I spent nearly all the journey looking at my speedometer- that’s not safer.
Im a very careful driver, I never speed and will be pissed off if I get a ticket as it’s not due to actual dangerous driving and feels more of a money making scheme!

Apparently road deaths have decreased significantly

I live in Wales and I think the 20 mph thing is ridiculous- with the obvious, well known exception of outside schools, playgrounds etc where such limits are expected for safety (and there are usually children signs as well as the 20mph ones to make it obvious).

I get so angry that they wasted all that money changing so many 30mph signs to 20mph. We live rurally with lots of single track lanes - which despite having plenty of houses along them are still technically national speed limit! but they don’t care to change those 😡 (or about the free roaming sheep, pets and even occasionally children injured and killed on them). But it’s easy to change the signs in other areas where they can put speed cameras/vans to make money of course…

It also makes no sense environmentally as all that speeding up, then slowing down just increases emissions - near us there are so many roads that are 20mph (village), then 40mph for a short distance between villages, then 20mph (village) then 40mph for another short distance… rinse and repeat. Why can’t we just stick at 30mph?

Driving at 20 mph significantly reduces deaths and air and noise pollution. In my experience, you get used to driving slowly - 40 mph feels really fast to me now after years of going at 20 mph.

I live in Wales and have not experienced any problem adjusting to 20mph, I certainly don't feel the need to constantly stare at my speedometer, once I got the feel of 20 it's the same as when I drive at other speeds and the odd glance suffices. I was a bit grumpy about the change when they first said it was happening but it feels so much safer walking between villages with my child and I feel a lot more confident riding my bike on roads, so on the whole I'm all for it now.

Been there, been done for that, got the t-shirt (and the points).

Is it right? Maybe.

Is it fair? Maybe.

Will you get done? Yep.

At the end of the day there's not much you can do about it, but what really, really pisses me off is that there is little or no policing of the reasonable 30 limits, but because people flaunt this, they slap in a 20, of course there's no way of policing this apart from cameras, which then get everyone, and 20 is to slow for many of these scenarios. Plymouth, I'm looking at you.

Grrr.

Same.

It's for a good reason.

Maybe do the speed awareness course and you'll understand.

There’s something wrong with the speed limit when cyclists are going faster than cars.

Not really, people are more likely to be killed by a car than a bike.

Most cyclists will not be travelling anywhere near 20mph, unless on a long downhill section.

I live in London

I got done for doing 24 in a 20

I did the speed awareness course. If they put a camera at a spot it's because at least two people have been killed there in the past

I feel my DC are safer because of the 20 limits

Sorry you got caught but they should let you off the points this time, just do the course (not sure if they will fine you)

I live just over the border.
We also used to holiday (on the coast) there a couple of times a year.

We never go into Wales now.
It's not worth the points on my license or to crawl along in 3rd gear.

Under no circumstances move to Lewisham!

It saves lives and it is proven that deaths have decreased. I live in Wales and have absolutely no issue with it. It has made a huge difference in our village and many communities around us.

If it's a 30 limit do you also spend more time staring at your speedometer? If not, why is 20 so much harder for you?

It’s unpopular, but massively backed up by statistics. DM complained about disabled people like her, but I pointed out if other people plan their journeys better as a result, there will be more room on the roads for people with no choice.

I thought they backed down, though? Went back to 30?