Silly traffic laws

[waynne]

What silly traffic laws would you like to see changed or repealed?

The no overtaking on the left is a real pain in the UK! It just causes bottlenecks as people bunch up in the centre lanes!

[turbonutter69]

Agree with that one Waynne.

[Skullion]

Thats Not Allowed?? .... lol I do it all the time

Yeah do agree with you, Gets right on my Nerves when someone stays in the right hand lane and doesn't move while the left hand lane is empty.

There was a cock a few months ago (Chav Racer) haha, In his Pug 106. He was driving in the right hand lane doing 30mph in a 40 zone, so I undertook him. He then decides to speed up, shouting through his window because I was in the wrong

[HDi fun]

I'd change the rules regarding 30mph zones and make it compulsory for repeater signs to be displayed.

[old-git]

Originally Posted by HDi fun

I'd change the rules regarding 30mph zones and make it compulsory for repeater signs to be displayed.

You just knew I would reply to this

The cost of installing and maintaining 30mph signs on every road in the UK with a speed limit currently indicated by lamp columns would run into £millions a year. Are we prepared to pay for this with additional tax or should the money be taken from the pot hole budget?

If one of these signs goes missing, there is a good chance that a speeder could get off his ticket on a technicality! As long as all of the lamp columns are in place there is no get-out clause. They don't even have to be working.

The 30mph law is very simple, even for car drivers. If there is a series (ie 3 or more) of lamp columns the speed limit is 30mph unless otherwise indicated. Pretty damn straightforward and covered in the highway code and written driving test.

If this is too difficult for anyone then I suggest that they should consider using public transport as they don't have the necessary brain power to drive a vehicle safely

If there is not a series of lamp columns and no speed limit signs indicating otherwise then on a single carriageway the speed limit is 60mph. If it is a dual carriageway it is 70.

[old-git]

Originally Posted by waynne

What silly traffic laws would you like to see changed or repealed?

The no overtaking on the left is a real pain in the UK! It just causes bottlenecks as people bunch up in the centre lanes!

If the highway code was obeyed there would be no problem. All lanes apart from the left hand one are for overtaking only.

If people can't cope with that simple rule, can you imagine the chaos with drivers having to check BOTH sides of their car for over/undertaking cars? Most UK drivers couldn't cope.

Although not actually legal in the US (I believe) passing on both sides tends to work on their large interstate highways because drivers tend to chose a lane going at their preferred speed and stay in it. However, if you have a crash when undertaking you are deemed to be at fault (again, I believe).

[HDi fun]

Originally Posted by old-git

You just knew I would reply to this

The cost of installing and maintaining 30mph signs on every road in the UK with a speed limit currently indicated by lamp columns would run into £millions a year. Are we prepared to pay for this with additional tax or should the money be taken from the pot hole budget?

If one of these signs goes missing, there is a good chance that a speeder could get off his ticket on a technicality! As long as all of the lamp columns are in place there is no get-out clause. They don't even have to be working.

The 30mph law is very simple, even for car drivers. If there is a series (ie 3 or more) of lamp columns the speed limit is 30mph unless otherwise indicated. Pretty damn straightforward and covered in the highway code and written driving test.

If this is too difficult for anyone then I suggest that they should consider using public transport as they don't have the necessary brain power to drive a vehicle safely

If there is not a series of lamp columns and no speed limit signs indicating otherwise then on a single carriageway the speed limit is 60mph. If it is a dual carriageway it is 70.

Sorry Steve, but you've totally mis-construed my point. You seem to have assumed that it's me who cannot identify a 30mph restricted area. As it happens, I have no problem at all with indentifying a 30mph limit (or any other limit) and with obeying it. I am also exceptionally aware of what's around and ahead of me, and therefore completely capable of determining a safe speed for any given situation.

My problem is with the idiots who drive down this road, outside my house, at 60mph plus with no regard for the offset junction, parked cars or anything else besides. There is going to be a horrendous RTC soon.

A while ago the limit was 40mph, which, I think was sufficiently low. And, because is was 40mph, there WERE REPEATER SIGNS EVERYWHERE. Therefore the speed limit was generally obeyed. The average speed has increased since the introduction of the 30 limit and the subsequent removal of repeater signs. Progress, err, not in my opinion.

[indiaman]

Originally Posted by waynne

What silly traffic laws would you like to see changed or repealed?

The no overtaking on the left is a real pain in the UK! It just causes bottlenecks as people bunch up in the centre lanes!

As I am not in the UK, perhaps this is out of context, however, we in India keep to the left like you, and of late overtaking from the left is common on the roads in our large cities, believe me it is most disconcerting and frightening when you are being overtaken from both sides-as is common here-

[HDi fun]

"As I am not in the UK, perhaps this is out of context, however, we in India keep to the left like you"




That's the general idea. Some see it differently, I'm afraid

[old-git]

Originally Posted by HDi fun

Sorry Steve, but you've totally mis-construed my point. You seem to have assumed that it's me who cannot identify a 30mph restricted area. As it happens, I have no problem at all with indentifying a 30mph limit (or any other limit) and with obeying it. I am also exceptionally aware of what's around and ahead of me, and therefore completely capable of determining a safe speed for any given situation.

My problem is with the idiots who drive down this road, outside my house, at 60mph plus with no regard for the offset junction, parked cars or anything else besides. There is going to be a horrendous RTC soon.

A while ago the limit was 40mph, which, I think was sufficiently low. And, because is was 40mph, there WERE REPEATER SIGNS EVERYWHERE. Therefore the speed limit was generally obeyed. The average speed has increased since the introduction of the 30 limit and the subsequent removal of repeater signs. Progress, err, not in my opinion.

Ah, you have misunderstood my reply. I would have been very surprised if you didn't understand the law re speed limits. That's why I was careful to say 'they' rather than 'you'

Playing with speed limits is an art, not a science. You are having to consider driver perception, have a degree in psychology and manage the unrealistic expectations of local residents.

Drivers tend to drive at a speed they feel comfortable with, regardless of the posted limit. Trying to change this is difficult.

On de-restricted country roads the 85%ile speed (the speed at which 85% of drivers travel at or below) is usually around 45-48mph. If, after long drawn out campaigns by locals, the speed limit is reduced to 50mph, the 85%ile speed often increases as drivers see the 50mph sign (as it states a speed as opposed to the de-restriction sign) as a target rather than a maximum speed. The complete opposite to what was intended.

So, yes, lowering the speed limit can actually increase vehicle speeds.

The 85%ile is used so that roads can be compared fairly (as opposed to comparing only the fastest vehicles which are the minority). There is a good chance that these drivers can be persuaded to moderate their speed. The remaining 15% are your idiots, the 'I won't be told how to drive' brigade, boy racers etc and changing their habits, frankly, is nigh on impossible.

Unfortunately, these are the drivers that residents hear going past their properties and are the ones they want us to stop! The only way, apart from constant enforcement with police and cameras , to slow these down is with physical vertical deflection - ie speed humps and cushions However, we have removed this type of speed control from some locations because the residents decided the environmental impact was worse than the occasional speeder.