Correct! There has to be a 'System' of lights which means at least 3 no more than 200 yards (183m) apart. They don't have to be on or working.
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If a road has derestriction signs, what is the speed limit?
Sorry OG but that isn't correct anymore.
A bit off topic, but there is a private driveway just outside of South Woodham which has a speed limit of 60. Yet the main road is only 40....
It doesn't go on street lamps anymore.
If a speed limit is anything other than 30 then repeater signs will be in place to remind you. If say the limit comes down from 40 to 30 then only one big 30 sign will be placed with no repeater signs until the limit changes again.
So if you do miss the big sign that says 30 and you don't see any repeater signs, you know it's a 30.
So even if there is no street lighting fixtures at all there are still no repeaters?
I can't find any refernce to the regs changing. This site confirms my understanding of the regs. If you have found anything different, please let me know as, being the self-proclaimed resident pedant, I hate getting things wrong
Private driveway? This will have no official speed limit as it does not form part of the public road network.
So in the village of Radclive, North Bucks, where there are still several repeater signs what are we to assume?
That it might actually not be a 30mph limit after all? ! ?
Who the hell are we paying to make these ridiculous decisions and rules?
The Highway Code isn't the law, the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 is. I am not aware of any updates that have changed the role of street lamps in determining speed limits.
The way it has been for the 38 years I was working (and before) is:
Single carriageway road with no system of street lamps and no speed limit signs - 60mph
Single carriageway road with a system of street lamps and no speed limit signs - 30mph.
A system is defined as a minimum of three lamps spaced no further then 200 yards apart. I have yet to be shown evidence that this has changed.
Quite simple system which saves a lot of money. If every speed limit had to be signed (including estate roads) the cost of installation (in lit areas they would also have to be lit) would be astronomical and would exceed the annual highway maintenance budget of most highway authorities. Then there is the ongoing maintenance costs. Also, missing signs could lead to limits being unenforcable. Lamp columns rarely go missing
The system has worked for many years, it's the drivers that are the problem as they just can't be arsed to learn the rules.
I don't know the village in question, so I am not qualified to comment on the validity of the limit.
The Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 is pretty tight on how speed limits should be signed. The main problem trained and qualified highway engineers have are the unqualified, untrained, locally elected politicians that often run roughshod over their engineers' advice and recommendations.
There is a road that runs through Cold Norton village (Davalav will know it) that has a system of street lamps but 30mph repeaters were installed at the insistence of a County Councillor. The result was that no one could be prosecuted for speeding as the system was illegal. It took me 4 years to get the signs removed so the police could enforce the limit.
So, the people who cause most of the problems, IMO and experience, are the people we elect to represent us.
I know the one buddy. I was unaware of those facts though, about being prosecuted! I swear there all still there though? There is also a digital one aswell, which smiles when you drop below 30.
I hope not, I took all of the little buggers out many years ago!
I put the pair of flashing speed signs up The one coming from Latchingdon was a pain to set up and was still giving me problems when I retired. The manufacturers said it was due to the steepness of the hill but I can't see how that would affect the sensor.
In that case... They're brilliant then.
They don't bother me at all. I think you'll have to be a lunatic to speed through such a small village anyway.
Are these radar or optical devices?
@OG - what's the problem with costs when it comes to mounting repeater signs everywhere? Especially when the road in question isn't in a obviously built up area . . . . .
That has always been the problem with speed limit enforcement. In order to compare one road's traffic speed to another the method that used to be used (I think it has changed to the mean speed of all traffic now) was called the 85th %ile. This was the speed at which 85% of the traffic travelled at or below.
The thinking was that it would be unfair to prioritise traffic calming/management based on a relativly few idiots exceeding this figure. It was thought better to concentrate limited resources on roads where the majority of drivers were exceeding the limit.
Also, the drivers exceeding this figure tended to be the type that would speed regardless of the calming measures installed. The type of draconian measures that would be required to slow these people down would be deemed unacceptable to the majority of drivers and especially those living near to them.
So you spent a proportion your time working justifying not doing things - just as you're doing here. And then you retire early on a fully inflated guaranteed final salary pension funded by the public purse ...... ??
Actually, no. As engineers we spent a good proportion of our time trying to find ways to do things within the limited budget available. This entailed working out the cost of a scheme, prioritising it against MANY other schemes and then presenting this to the elected County Council Members for them to make the final decision on which schemes get funded.
If we went to them with a proposal to spend the entire highway maintenance budget on repeater signs someone would be in trouble! I can also imagine the media headlines. They would have a field day as they love nothing better than bashing councils, apart from sex scandals.
You may consider that I am trying to justify not spending the money on repeater signs, but I am just pointing out the cost of such a scheme. In real life, EVERYTHING comes down to available funds.
Perhaps you should consider spending a little time justifying why the money should be spent on this rather than essential repairs and maintenance of the existing network which is already in dire need of extra funding
Contrary to popular belief, the majority of council employees don't get fully (?) inflated pensions, hence having to deliver parcels 3 days a week even with a final salary pension!
Aren't all the speed limits vastly outdated anyway? Based on cars about 80 years ago? I certainly know that things like stopping distances are.
Aren't all the speed limits vastly outdated anyway? Based on cars about 80 years ago? I certainly know that things like stopping distances are.
I agree in some cases yes. But I am against raising the 30 limit. In general I'd quite like to see 20mph in built up areas.
Agree. Human evolution has designed us to be able to generally survive a violent impact at 20mph.
It doesn't matter how good your brakes are, hitting a child at 40mph who runs out in front of you still kills them.
OG - is there something in the RTA that requires 20 limits to be self enforcing - ie pinch points etc. or am I dreaming?