waremark wrote:My objection is to the widespread use of 20's on what I see as arterial roads. As a regular driver in London I find it quite stressful trying to remember whether I am in a 20 or a 30 limit - on what I see as major routes with heavy through traffic. Of course I am happy to drive slowly on narrow roads with cars parked on either side - although even on such roads I think the main emphasis of road safety should be on teaching children how to use such roads safely, whether on foot, on two wheels or in a car. Use of 20's on through routes further slows already expensively slow travel times. I suspect it is too recent a development for there to be good data on the outcomes.
waremark wrote:My objection is to the widespread use of 20's on what I see as arterial roads. As a regular driver in London I find it quite stressful trying to remember whether I am in a 20 or a 30 limit - on what I see as major routes with heavy through traffic. Of course I am happy to drive slowly on narrow roads with cars parked on either side - although even on such roads I think the main emphasis of road safety should be on teaching children how to use such roads safely, whether on foot, on two wheels or in a car. Use of 20's on through routes further slows already expensively slow travel times. I suspect it is too recent a development for there to be good data on the outcomes.
rodk wrote:You can argue as much as you like that you can travel safely at higher speeds than the normal Joe or Jane but the world is made up of Joes and Janes and not Alastairs.
RobC wrote:This is one of the reasons I don't agree with blanket 20 mph zones.
http://www.theaa.com/public_affairs/news/20mph-roads-emissions.html
Choice of gear and driving style, not the number on the speed limit sign, most affect fuel use[3]. DfT guidance states, “Generally, driving more slowly at a steady pace saves fuel and carbon dioxide emissions, unless an unnecessarily low gear is used”.
The likelihood of modal shift to non polluting modes due to better safety brings reduced fumes. Each trip transferred from a motorised vehicle has a fuel consumption of 0mpg and less noise. Plus reduced congestion and standing traffic, which pumps out more emissions than moving vehicles.
A report from Belgium[4] concluded "It is unlikely that imposing strict speed limits in urban areas has a significant influence on emissions of NOx or CO2."
akirk wrote:As far as I am aware - both are equally enforceable - as martine says, one is an area wihtin which the structure is meant to keep you down to 20mph, so they don't need to keep telling you, but they tell you on entry and exit - e.g. a houseing estate might have this...
a 20mph limit is simply a bit of road on which a decision has been made to make the speed limit 20mph and signs / repeater signs / etc. are now needed...
of course if you are on a bike you can ignore both - unless cycling furiously
Alasdair
martine wrote:exportmanuk wrote:The 85th percentile test seems to have been abolished in favor of political expedience and pandering to aggressive lobbying from certain organisations who seem to think we should all be walking or driving at no more than walking pace
The 85th percentile has indeed been officially abolished as a way to set speed limits. Local councils have been give much more freedom to implement lower speed limits as they think fit with few restrictions/recommendations. The guidance from DfT to councils was to review speed limits with a view to adjust limits both ways (decrease and increase) but the latter is extremely rare in my experience.
Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:I doubt if you'd be in 1st or 2nd unless you artificially restricted yourself to that. 3rd should work perfectly well for a steady 20. In your automatic it might even use 4th from time to time.
Gareth wrote:Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:I doubt if you'd be in 1st or 2nd unless you artificially restricted yourself to that. 3rd should work perfectly well for a steady 20. In your automatic it might even use 4th from time to time.
In either of our diesel Skoda cars, and even in our petrol Alfa, I would typically be using 1st or 2nd to travel at 20 mph or less, (2nd at 20 mph, definitely not 3rd). Indeed, I'm often enough in 2nd in a 30 mph limit, (2nd definitely up to ~27/8 mph, sometimes higher if there's a particular need).
akirk wrote:Starting to see their true colours - get people out of motorised vehicles - this is basically an anti-car campaign pretending to be about safety!
Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:I remember you telling me maximum torque in your car was at 3200 ish
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