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Urban speed limits - Bristol

20 replies

TiredTiredTired · 21/09/2012 19:39

Hi there,

I wanted to draw the attention of Mumsnetters in Bristol to a survey the council is carrying out about urban speed limits.

Basically, from summer 2013 they intend much of Bristol to become 20mph, which is great news for anyone with errant toddlers who like to run out into the road, anyone with kids who like to cycle and anyone who wants to walk their children to school without the soundtracks of noisy speeding cars.

Anyway, their current survey has, I'm told become dominated by male non-parent drivers and they're hoping that some of us busy mums might have 5 minutes to add a bit of balance. It's online at www.bristol.gov.uk/20mph and it runs til end of September.

Wouldn't it be great if, for once, the safety of our streets was an issue mums had a say in?

Thanks!,

TTT

OP posts:
preggofabulous · 21/09/2012 23:25

Hey, thanks for this! I'll definitely be giving feedback and posting link on fb :)

flatpackhamster · 22/09/2012 19:16

So what evidence have you got that it's become "dominated"? And why shouldn't people who have jobs and will have to suffer the reduced speed limit not have their say?

Sabriel · 22/09/2012 19:22

So why should the views of people who don't live in Bristol and aren't going to be affected by this trump the views of those who do and are?

preggofabulous · 22/09/2012 19:53

Not sure why people are being a bit nasty about this, OP was just bringing it to peoples attention, whether they agree or not.

Being local, a worker, and a parent, its right that as diverse a cross secti
on of locals respond. And being busy, I hadn't known about the survey until I saw it here. And if you actually read the plans, I don't see why anyone would actually object?

Also, why would non-locals bother responding?

Pixel · 22/09/2012 21:08

I suspect non-locals would respond because they see this as a pilot scheme and may or may not want the same in their home towns?

Sabriel · 23/09/2012 11:13

Then perhaps it should have been in Bristol local?

quoteunquote · 23/09/2012 19:12

Why?

I'm interested I don't live in Bristol (I did once) but I visit a lot for work and friend catch ups, i doubt i would of read it in the local section.

sounds like a good idea hopefully it will catch on, and all urban areas will become 20 miles an hour limits.

flatpackhamster · 24/09/2012 12:20

preggofabulous

Not sure why people are being a bit nasty about this, OP was just bringing it to peoples attention, whether they agree or not.

Actually, OP was trying to get the vote rigged. I would be interested to know why. Does OP work for the local council and wants to get the vote in her favour?

I think we should be told.

^Being local, a worker, and a parent, its right that as diverse a cross secti
on of locals respond. And being busy, I hadn't known about the survey until I saw it here. And if you actually read the plans, I don't see why anyone would actually object?^

I've read the plans and I object.

Also, why would non-locals bother responding?

Because if it's rolled out in Bristol then everyone will have to suffer the same idiocy.

quoteunquote · 24/09/2012 12:27

I didn't get that she was asking for a vote rig, from the OP, it seemed a balanced, just drawing attention to what is going on.

flatpackhamster · 24/09/2012 12:38

Well, your interpretation differs to mine. ISTM that anyone asking for a 'balancing' of opinion in a public consultation is doing the same as someone 'balancing' the results of an election. But perhaps I'm wrong, and OP really is just someone trying to see all sides of the argument.

quoteunquote · 24/09/2012 12:45

I'm not criticising , it's good that we all perceive things differently, it would be unbalanced if we didn't,

I am interested as to why 20mph would be a problem for anyone, why do you think it would be a bad idea? Wouldn't benefits out weigh the need to speed?

flatpackhamster · 24/09/2012 13:34

quoteunquote

I am interested as to why 20mph would be a problem for anyone, why do you think it would be a bad idea? Wouldn't benefits out weigh the need to speed?

I do a fair amount of driving in my job. I basically get paid while I'm working at a site. I don't get paid while I'm travelling to that site. So the longer I spend travelling to a site, the lower my earnings. I'm not alone, of course. Sales reps, couriers, any kind of fitter (construction, plumbing etc), and so on, are all in the same position.

So the 20mph policy will have an impact on my earnings, and the earnings of (if it's rolled out countrywide) millions of people. That means that I - and millions of others - will have to put our prices up. Again.

But this economic effect is hard to calculate, and the safetyists have no interest in calculating it. They prefer to emote about 'my ickle babby might run in to the road and die' than look at the real effects of such a policy.

The roads are the lifeblood of a city. They're already an unpleasant enough experience and it's rare to be able to travel at the speed limit. Lowering the speed limit is going to make it worse. Pollution will be worse, congestion worse and driving even more unpleasant.

quoteunquote · 24/09/2012 13:55

I also have a lot of travel time, we often have several "jobs' on the go at the same time, so tend to have to go between sites a lot, I still would welcome safer roads,

do you think it would make the roads less safe?

MrsTerrysChocolateOrange · 24/09/2012 20:12

We have 20mph near me and NO ONE adheres to them. My theory is that if we were really stringent with the 30mph this would be a better solution. I have a bolting toddler, BTW and I don't want 20mph all over. Why not do what they do in the States and have school zones with variable speed limits? 20mph at school opening and closing and 30mph the rest of the time?

flatpackhamster · 25/09/2012 08:40

quoteunquote

I also have a lot of travel time, we often have several "jobs' on the go at the same time, so tend to have to go between sites a lot, I still would welcome safer roads,

You've got them. Road deaths have fallen pretty much every year for the last 30 years. But there's no evidence that cutting the speed limit doesn't make the roads safer. Most of the safety gains have been made by the car manufacturers - airbags, softer bumpers, side impact bars, anti-submarining seats, safety cages, and so on.

do you think it would make the roads less safe?

I don't think it would make them safer. The problem with the existing speed limits is a failure to enforce, which is the responsibility - or used to be - of the police. AIUI the police are too busy filling in paperwork to do any of that boring old policing.

LilyBolero · 25/09/2012 11:05

It would be interesting to know whether 20mph would make journey times slower - in Bristol the roads tend to always be congested, so changing the speed limits would make little difference on main roads.

I wonder if a compromise could be to lower the speed limit to 20mph on all but the major roads (where tbh a toddler should not be roaming free anyway), and then turning off the traffic lights....this has worked brilliantly in Portishead!

Bilbobagginstummy · 25/09/2012 12:50

There is a 20mph limit on all roads in Oxford, other than the main arterial routes.

It is stupid, the police officially don't enforce it (they did a token one-street effort a few weeks ago), and it hasn't even saved lives.

You're lucky to be able to go about 5mph most of the time in Oxford, but when the streets are clear (like the middle of the night), this speed limit serves no purpose whatsoever.

If your children run out into the road, get reins for them.

MrJudgeyPants · 25/09/2012 14:03

You cannot enforce a 20MPH limit because speedometers aren't built to accurately show you when you are doing 20MPH. I seem to remember an episode of fifth gear from around ten years ago where they put this theory to the test using some common cars of the time. When they drove at a speedo indicated 20MPH, the they found that the speedo was under reading and that the car was travelling above 20MPH.

By the time the car was travelling at an indicated 30, the opposite was true - i.e. the speedo over read the speed.

Pendeen · 28/09/2012 14:50

" is great news for anyone with errant toddlers who like to run out into the road "

Good grief!

Inneedofbrandy · 04/10/2012 12:12

Your toddler should be on reins, buggy or holding your hand, that is no reason to lower speed limits. There is 20mph speed limits in parts eg kingswood for example and it's still a bloody nightmare trying to get through.

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