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 😅

@Pizzamm

I always limit my speed on cruise control so never speed but my car won’t let me do that at 20 (and I hadn’t realised it was a 20!)

so set cruise control to 21.

thats what I do and I’ve yet to appear on Wales’ most wanted posters.

So where in England we'd be 30mph ( roads with street lamps) in Wales it's 20mph?
Or are there just more 20 mph zones?

The speed limits are a factor.

I ❤️ 20mph!
Easier to pull put of junctions.
Easier for people to cross the road.
Fewer people maimed and killed...
What's not to love!?

Its 100% not blanket. We still have 30mph limits where it's appropriate.
Difference is, if you aren't sure whether you are in a 20 or a 30 and the lampposts are close together, if there are no repeater signs to say otherwise, it's 20.

As a holiday maker from England in Wales atm the problem for me is that yes the limit does keep changing and it means you have to change how you drive, which takes a bit of getting used to, as the limit will change from 30 to 20 quickly for no obvious reason (I understand there is a system but I don't get it) and most of us are not used to it. And I'm being as careful as I can but it's stressful driving here - we don't know the roads. Of course the locals know the roads and get annoyed when I go at 20 in an area where they know there are no cameras. I've been overtaken loads of times.

The 20mph speed limits are not a contributing factor for there being cycle lanes on Park Lane. The 20mph speed limits are not a contributing factor for some rat-runs being closed off. The 20mph speed limits are not a contributing factor for there being those dumb rickshaws. The 20mph speed limits are not a contributing factor for the awful traffic that has been the case in London for decades.

They are adding to the congestion. Aren’t we meant to be reducing emissions? The gridlock is making things worse. Anyway, speak to some people who drive in it every day ie the London cabbies.

Sure, every time I'm in nose-to-tail traffic that's creeping from traffic light to traffic light at 5mph in a 20mph area, I think back to the halcyon days of nose-to-tail traffic creeping from traffic light to traffic light at 5mph when it was a 30mph limit and think how much better it was.

There you go.

Where's the facepalm emoji when you really need it?

What nonsense. Why should you need to check your speedo more when the limit is 20 than when it's 30 or 40? At any speed, a quick glance occasionally is all a competent driver needs. If you're struggling, use your car's speed limiter.
And the evidence is that the 20 limit in Wales has reduced death and serious injury - and insurance premiums. So, it seems that welsh drivers manage to get around without their eyes glued to the speedo.

I think you’re in need of a sense of humour x

I've just visited Wales and found driving there much more pleasant than in England because of the traffic calming. I didn't even notice too many of the angry pink faced men in spaceship cars tailgating like I normally get (when driving at or just under the speed limit in the countryside). Would love to see something similar introduced here.

There's no such thing as a 20mph speed camera.

There's a speed limit...
...and a speed camera.

If the speed limit is 20mph, then of course the speed camera will be enforcing a 20mph speed limit!

I don't particularly like 20mph speed limits but I especially dislike unsafe speeding twats on urban/residential roads. We have a road nearby that's currently 30mph and is scheduled to be dropped to 20mph. It should be fine at 30mph except for the idiots who do 50mph+. Several times a year someone gets run over, usually by a motorcycle. Last time the person died when she hit her head on the pavement. Maybe the lower speed limit will make a difference - unfortunately maybe the idiots will just continue to ignore it.

So yeah, drive 20mph where the limit is 20mph.

i know the one although I don’t drive on it much. The one you linked driving to Wrexham is a road I do drive on often and it’s ridiculous how often the limit changes. One of the 20s has recently changed back to 30 I think (I’m sure it was a 20!) it’s so hard to keep up with it all. Plenty of speed camera vans that way too so you have to be so careful

It seems so simple to me.

There are families right now whose loved ones have not been killed because of these measures,

And there are still people posting here who appear to think their right to hurry takes precedence over another person’s right to life, right to life without injury and the right to move safely around their community.

Do any of you even understand what ethics means? Do you not understand road safety statistics? They are not difficult to understand.

Brake the road safety charity said in 2023 that:

10 young children (aged seven or under) are killed or seriously injured on British roads every week

how can you put speed ahead of these poor families?

I accidently did about 26 in a 20, im not moving down small children. Mumsnet is so dramatic sometimes 🤣

I do look at my Speedo frequently but according to the sanctimonious pricks on here if I need to look at my Speedo to make sure I am crawling along like a snail to prevent a ticket I shouldn’t be driving.

No because it’s not difficult to keep to those speeds on the appropriate roads. Keeping to 20 is very unnatural. Especially when everyone else around you is doing 30 as they happen to know where the cameras are….

It’s only unnatural because you haven’t practised it - you probably spent hours learning to drive at 30 when you passed your test

it becomes second nature easily enough

edit / after all there is nothing natural about driving a car

Driving at 20mph is unnatural but 30mph isn't? Were you born driving at 30mph?

Quite possibly and fortunately my borough is not run by arseholes so I only have to deal with it in the neighbouring borough and when I go to Wales.

Ours is 20 in villages towns residential areas in Scotland. My new car can manage that, my old car had to drive in 2nd/3rd gear to do that. Agree it saves lives but some areas with no houses, no schools etc are 20. Worst was driving in areas of city when speed went 20 30 20 driving 200 yards! My street - residential near a school says 50????? Never been that. On way to DSis it’s 30 10 20 on same road within 1/4 mile. These are from whatever in the sky checks your speed!

As a matter of principal, the setting of the driving speed seems questionable. driving in London at 20, or wales just seems too slow. Of course 20 outside schools etc is fine, but most roads 30 is more appropriate and 20 seems over-excessive.

worse still signage of the changes, changing from a 30 to a 20 is not always clear, so that's unacceptable.