ADUK Archive

I came to driving after years of cycling, and initially wondered how I would ever take in all the information about speed limits.

Lots of AD applies to cycling in some shape or form, but roundels (and indeed most road signs?) are something you can ignore, with the loosely applied exception of how fast other traffic might be going.

Turns out, it's easy.

Generally I can almost always tell you what the speed limit is; occasionally I forget to speed up/slow down accordingly, but usually I know the number. Even more occasionally, I might wonder whether I'm right about the limit, but it usually turns out there was nothing to worry about. This is usually without recourse to looking at streetlights, so comes down to the basics of: if you haven't seen a new sign, then it's still what it was.

If anyone regularly finds themselves not knowing or having to deduce the limit, then I suggest their observation needs work.

Zebedee wrote:,,,and the IAM Skills for Life programme.

Aaarrghh - it's 'IAM Skill for Life' - "IAM SKILL FOR LIFE" in the same way it's 'Tesco', 'Bruce Forsyth' etc.

Sorry...and breathe.

trashbat wrote:If anyone regularly finds themselves not knowing or having to deduce the limit, then I suggest their observation needs work.

I'm not sure about "regularly" not knowing, but I've certainly found myself wondering about limits on occasions, particularly when not in a familiar area, and usually in one with a draconian approach to limits (such as South Glos, or Oxfordshire), where the limits are often significantly lower than a road with a similar hazard density in a different area would be.

For example a South Glos 50mph vs a northern NSL

(the South Glos one is relatively recent so in the streetview is still NSL, but look at the multiplicity of hazards )

I know what you mean; there's a major difference, though, between thinking that a limit doesn't make sense, and not being able to recall what the last arbitrary-number-on-a-stick was.

martine wrote:

Zebedee wrote:,,,and the IAM Skills for Life programme.

Aaarrghh - it's 'IAM Skill for Life' - "IAM SKILL FOR LIFE" in the same way it's 'Tesco', 'Bruce Forsyth' etc.

Sorry...and breathe.

Really? Oh

I'd have expected more than just one skill.

Which one is covered and which others get left out? Are they available from other providers?

Horse wrote:I'd have expected more than just one skill.

I guess THE 'Skill' is 'Advanced Driving'.

If they had retests, perhaps they would retain the skills for life, as well ...

PS I've never heard anyone refer to "Bruces Forsyth" ...

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:
PS I've never heard anyone refer to "Bruces Forsyth" ...

That's because... Bruces (ie. Bruce's) would be possessive, and nonsensical- (a plural Bruce would just be silly [and scary ]).

Whereas Skills for Life is a perfectly acceptable plural.

jont wrote:

trashbat wrote:If anyone regularly finds themselves not knowing or having to deduce the limit, then I suggest their observation needs work.

I'm not sure about "regularly" not knowing, but I've certainly found myself wondering about limits on occasions, particularly when not in a familiar area, and usually in one with a draconian approach to limits (such as South Glos, or Oxfordshire), where the limits are often significantly lower than a road with a similar hazard density in a different area would be.

For example a South Glos 50mph vs a northern NSL

(the South Glos one is relatively recent so in the streetview is still NSL, but look at the multiplicity of hazards )

Yeah, they're a bit different are they not?

The first one looks good for NSL + 50% in anybody's money, and the second one looks like it could reasonably be a 40 limit to me; and I wouldn't feel too bad about it being a 30 from what's shown there.

Having said that, they do sometimes look a bit different when you see them for real.

Edit:
BTW, Balderhead Reservoir (a few miles to the south) is a good overnight stopping point for motorhomes - just in case anybody is interested.

TripleS wrote:The first one looks good for NSL + 50% in anybody's money, and the second one looks like it could reasonably be a 40 limit to me; and I wouldn't feel too bad about it being a 30 from what's shown there.

It's only an isolated group of six houses on an otherwise rural road, though - you have to have some kind of de minimis rule for speed limits otherwise you'd have half a mile of 30 for every single cottage (I know this seems to be the objective of some council officers ).

You could probably find many similar examples across the country - for example this row of maybe 8 bungalows.

TripleS wrote:I can't offer any useful comments to TI about this case, though it does sound as if there was a bit of carelessness in terms of failing to appreciate what the limit was likely to be. Even so, I hope the outcome isn't too painful.

Anyhow, while out walking this afternoon on a rural road (single carriageway, single vehicle width) I saw four speed limit signs, white disc, red border, all showing a black 20.

You mean these, presumably.

There must be thousands of miles of NSL country lanes of similar standard, so you have to wonder why the council went to the trouble of implementing a 20 limit - possibly a localised problem of irresponsible motorbike riding or suchlike.

PeterE wrote:

TripleS wrote:I can't offer any useful comments to TI about this case, though it does sound as if there was a bit of carelessness in terms of failing to appreciate what the limit was likely to be. Even so, I hope the outcome isn't too painful.

Anyhow, while out walking this afternoon on a rural road (single carriageway, single vehicle width) I saw four speed limit signs, white disc, red border, all showing a black 20.

You mean these, presumably.

There must be thousands of miles of NSL country lanes of similar standard, so you have to wonder why the council went to the trouble of implementing a 20 limit - possibly a localised problem of irresponsible motorbike riding or suchlike.

The fact there's moss growing in the middle of that lane suggests to me that perhaps it's not bikes that's the problem, but actually people driving too fast in cars then when they misjudge where the moss in the middle starts, hit it, then lose control. Or perhaps animals walking down there are common at certain points of the year because it looks like farmers who keep animals in the fields surrounding that road might use it to move herds around.

PeterE wrote:

TripleS wrote:The first one looks good for NSL + 50% in anybody's money, and the second one looks like it could reasonably be a 40 limit to me; and I wouldn't feel too bad about it being a 30 from what's shown there.

It's only an isolated group of six houses on an otherwise rural road, though - you have to have some kind of de minimis rule for speed limits otherwise you'd have half a mile of 30 for every single cottage (I know this seems to be the objective of some council officers ).

You could probably find many similar examples across the country - for example this row of maybe 8 bungalows.

Ah, Comberbach. Been to the Spinner & Bergamot recently, Peter? We spent some very pleasant Saturday evenings there in the 90's when visiting our Mike who lived in Northwich for a few years.

Anyhow, I appreciate what you say about having a chunk of 30 limit for every isolated property alongside a road, and clearly that's not appropriate.

All I would say is that I treat these situations on an individual basis, taking account of three things: safety, the posted speed limit (if there is one), and consideration for the community I'm passing through. I wouldn't do it every time I pass an isolated property, but in general I do try to drive through/past communities in a manner that preserves their general peace and quiet. It's merely being considerate.

PeterE wrote:

TripleS wrote:I can't offer any useful comments to TI about this case, though it does sound as if there was a bit of carelessness in terms of failing to appreciate what the limit was likely to be. Even so, I hope the outcome isn't too painful.

Anyhow, while out walking this afternoon on a rural road (single carriageway, single vehicle width) I saw four speed limit signs, white disc, red border, all showing a black 20.

You mean these, presumably.

There must be thousands of miles of NSL country lanes of similar standard, so you have to wonder why the council went to the trouble of implementing a 20 limit - possibly a localised problem of irresponsible motorbike riding or suchlike.

Aye, that's one of the four. It's near Cloughton Fields Cottage, a property we looked at buying round about 1983, but it was too far to walk to the post box, especially on a bad day in winter. It is very much 'away from it all' which seemed very appealing at the time.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

TheInsanity1234 wrote:

PeterE wrote:

TripleS wrote:I can't offer any useful comments to TI about this case, though it does sound as if there was a bit of carelessness in terms of failing to appreciate what the limit was likely to be. Even so, I hope the outcome isn't too painful.

Anyhow, while out walking this afternoon on a rural road (single carriageway, single vehicle width) I saw four speed limit signs, white disc, red border, all showing a black 20.

You mean these, presumably.

There must be thousands of miles of NSL country lanes of similar standard, so you have to wonder why the council went to the trouble of implementing a 20 limit - possibly a localised problem of irresponsible motorbike riding or suchlike.

The fact there's moss growing in the middle of that lane suggests to me that perhaps it's not bikes that's the problem, but actually people driving too fast in cars then when they misjudge where the moss in the middle starts, hit it, then lose control. Or perhaps animals walking down there are common at certain points of the year because it looks like farmers who keep animals in the fields surrounding that road might use it to move herds around.

It's a 'no through road' so I very much doubt if it sees much traffic at all. There's only the one cottage at the corner, and some derelict farm buildings a bit further on, but there is no habitable farmhouse.