Who does a 20mph speed limit really harm?

[joinerjohn]

It's the Nanny State, taking over though. Soon the mandarins in local councils and Whitehall will pervade every facet of out pitiful lives.
You won't be allowed to go to the toilet without having passed a test. Whatever next? Want children?? Sorry Sir, you'll have to take the CITB safety test, and pay £30 for a CSCS card, as all bedrooms are now considered to be construction sites. Your wife will have to demonstrate ability at handling all sorts of erections, as well as having a licence to operate rough terrain forklifts. PS, don't forget your helmet, safety boots and Hi Viz vest. !!!
FFS where will it all end???

 

[Blasphemous]

Some SHOULD be made to take a proficiency test before being allowed children!

 

[noseall]

It's the Nanny State

I don't think it is regards speed limits in urban areas.

There is plenty of research and logic to suggest that vehicles travelling at lower speeds increases the chance of survival of people being hit by cars and that people are most frequently hit in built up areas.

Children are not particularly logical, rational or are concentrating on the inherent road dangers, so motorists need to be vigilant where children amass.

Maintaining a 20mph speed does require a bit of thought in the sense that it is easy to creep above that speed.

I have often asked fellow drivers to travel at a certain speed whilst covering the speedo. Most get it wrong on the high side.

 

[ladylola]

There's good hard scientific evidence that the extent of inury or likelihood of death from being hit slightly above 30mph is much greater than from being hit slightly below 30mph. That's why we have the current 30mph limit.

There's no such step change at around 20mph, so no justification at all for a blanket 20mph limit.

However, in a 30 mph zone most people drive just over the limit, 33-35 mph so the way to ensure cars don't exceed 30 is to put in a 20mph limit .Simply means most people will drive at about 25mph.
And lets not forget as someone has mentioned electric cars the "problems" of driving petrol engined cars such as wear and emissions simply won't apply.Plus it means milk floats will be able to keep up with the traffic.

 

[nickso]

However, in a 30 mph zone most people drive just over the limit, 33-35 mph so the way to ensure cars don't exceed 30 is to put in a 20mph limit .Simply means most people will drive at about 25mph.

indicated speed or actual speed?

 

[ladylola]

Either or really.
Most people are clued up enough to know that their speedos are a bit out and also know that plod is unlikey to do them for being a mile or two over (unless as I'm led to believe in parts of Wales where there is a zero tolerance policy) so drive just over the limit i.e. showing perhaps 35 on the clock.

 

[Inky Pete]

There's good hard scientific evidence that the extent of inury or likelihood of death from being hit slightly above 30mph is much greater than from being hit slightly below 30mph. That's why we have the current 30mph limit.

There's no such step change at around 20mph, so no justification at all for a blanket 20mph limit.

However, in a 30 mph zone most people drive just over the limit, 33-35 mph so the way to ensure cars don't exceed 30 is to put in a 20mph limit .Simply means most people will drive at about 25mph.
And lets not forget as someone has mentioned electric cars the "problems" of driving petrol engined cars such as wear and emissions simply won't apply.Plus it means milk floats will be able to keep up with the traffic.

So it's a question of enforcement rather than lowering the limit.

I'm not against a 20mph limit backed up by cameras in the areas immediately around a school - at times when the children are arriving or leaving - but a blanket lowering of all current 30mph limits to 20mph in all areas and at all times of the day and night simply makes no sense.

Much more could be achieved by a renewed emphasis on the Green Cross Code.

 

[ColJack]

I've said that in the other thread.. rather than penalise drivers, train and penalise the kiddies..

you're supposed to have passed your cycling proficiency test before you can ride a bike on the roads, but do they still do that in schools and do any of the parents or kids stick to that?

do schools still teach "the green cross code" or whatever the modern equivalent is called?

do any pedestrians ever get arrested and fined for "jay walking"? is it even illegal here? it should be..
if there are crossings, use them, I don't care one iota if it's a 2 minute walk out of your way...

 

[geraint]

we have had a 20 mph limit here for the past year. only the side streets..

and across the whole city..

i think its a good thing. does nobody any harm. the main drags are still 30. wish i could do 20 on them....

with children playing on the streets you should not even be doing 20... but hey ho... we are all guilty at times..

 

[ColJack]

children shouldn't be playing in the streets.. they've all got tellys and games consoles now so there's no excuse for cluttering up the roads and impeeding the motorists

seriously though, it's not like it was in our days, there are a lot more cars that go faster than they used to, not to mention all those perv's that the news keeps telling us are out there..

 

[geraint]

not to mention all those perv's that the news keeps telling us are out there..
so keep driving at 20

 

[ladylola]

There's good hard scientific evidence ......

So it's a question of enforcement rather than lowering the limit.

I'm not against a 20mph limit backed up by cameras in the areas immediately around a school - at times when the children are arriving or leaving - but a blanket lowering of all current 30mph limits to 20mph in all areas and at all times of the day and night simply makes no sense.

Much more could be achieved by a renewed emphasis on the Green Cross Code.

Correct in everything you say. I'm just saying that from a practical point of view a lower limit (20mph) will generally make people drive at the speed that they should be or rather at the speed the planners want them to i.e. at 30mph or just under.
Similiary on a motorway the limit is 70 but cars tend to drive at 80ish. We could set the limit to 80 but would cars stick to 80 or would they be doing 90ish?

 

[SteNova]

i struggle to stick to 20mph, so i have resorted to leaving it in 1st gear in these areas

 

[imamartian]

i struggle to stick to 20mph, so i have resorted to leaving it in 1st gear in these areas

i'm the same, so i just drive everywhere in reverse...

.... thinking about it, am i technically doing -30mph?