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How Slow Can You Go?

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    How Slow Can You Go?

    I thought most London councils had lost it but seems the Welsh have hit the crackpot.

    https://metro.co.uk/2023/09/18/wales...co=mosaic_news

    Wales has become the first country in the UK to reduce maximum speed limits in residential areas to 20mph.

    Restricted roads, many by homes and schools, saw the speed limit drop from 30mph to 20mph yesterday.

    The limit on hundreds of stretches of asphalt comes after Senedd, Wales’ parliament, passed laws to bring the national speed limit down in July 2022.

    Mark Drakeford, Wales’ first minister, said the policy will ‘keep people from losing their lives’.

    ‘It’s going to take you a minute longer to make your journey, and we will save 10 people’s lives in Wales every year as a result of that one-minute contribution, it doesn’t seem an unfair bargain,’ he said.

    Motorists caught driving over 20mph by under 30mph will receive advice from police rather than a ticket.

    The RAC has said motorists should follow road signs rather than relying on Sat Nav.

    The Welsh government says the cap is a no-brainer. Road casualties are on the up compared to last year and the £32,500,000 plan will protect lives and save the Welsh NHS £92,000,000 a year.

    ‘The evidence from around the world is very clear,’ transport officials said in a September 15 guidance sheet.

    ‘Decreasing speeds will reduce collisions, save lives and reduce injuries – helping to improve quality of life and make our streets and local communities safer for all.’

    Capping how much motorists can hit the gas will also help encourage people to walk and cycle, they added.

    Not all roads will be affected, however. About 3% of roads will keep the 30mph limit, according to DataMapWales, with local councils having leeway to impose exceptions.

    Ministers stressed it is not a ‘blanket speed limit on all roads’ but rather notches the default speed limit down in ‘residential and built-up areas where there are lots of people’.


    "You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR

    #2
    Buy a bicycle - what speed limit?
    Old Greg - In search of acceptance since Mar 2007. Hoping each leap will be his last.

    Comment


      #3
      Drakeford has long been a puppet of the UK Labour party, being too dim to understand the impact of any of his, shall wee say "acquired" bright ideas and fully wedded to his socialist philosophy of enforced equality for all.

      Weird really, us Welsh are a sensible and pragmatic people on the whole, it baffles me why they keep electing these idiots to the Senedd.

      The other point is that the people who cause the kind of accidents they are talking about are, in the main, either careless pedestrians or the kind of drivers who will take no notice of speed limits anyway. There was a study from several years ago where a speed restriction had to be removed over some legal point and while it was off the accident rate dropped by 30% or so...
      Blog? What blog...?

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by malvolio View Post
        Drakeford has long been a puppet of the UK Labour party, being too dim to understand the impact of any of his, shall wee say "acquired" bright ideas and fully wedded to his socialist philosophy of enforced equality for all.

        Weird really, us Welsh are a sensible and pragmatic people on the whole, it baffles me why they keep electing these idiots to the Senedd.

        The other point is that the people who cause the kind of accidents they are talking about are, in the main, either careless pedestrians or the kind of drivers who will take no notice of speed limits anyway. There was a study from several years ago where a speed restriction had to be removed over some legal point and while it was off the accident rate dropped by 30% or so...


        They missed hiding a statistic last year. 50% of in car deaths last year were people not wearing seatbelts. Sort of tells you a lot about what sort of drivers they are. Hopefully next year they will tell you whether they have a valid drivers license or a nose full of coke.

        Oh and pedestrians just because you have a right to step in front of cars regardless of how close they are doesn't mean its sensible.

        Get a dash cam everyone!
        Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by vetran View Post
          Oh and pedestrians just because you have a right to step in front of cars regardless of how close they are doesn't mean its sensible.
          Pedestrians stepping out in front of cars isn't so much of a problem it is when they step out or do tulip in front of larger vehicles.

          Still remember when I saw a guy step out in front of an HGV. I've never seen such fear in the HGV driver's eyes as he hit the brakes. Luckily the guy was just fast enough....

          "You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by SueEllen View Post

            Pedestrians stepping out in front of cars isn't so much of a problem it is when they step out or do tulip in front of larger vehicles.

            Still remember when I saw a guy step out in front of an HGV. I've never seen such fear in the HGV driver's eyes as he hit the brakes. Luckily the guy was just fast enough....
            A mate was a bus driver you should hear his opinions on pedestrians, now he drives 40 tonners again.

            They are getting worse since the highway code change. They turn look you in the eyes and wonder why you can't physically stop.
            Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by vetran View Post

              A mate was a bus driver you should hear his opinions on pedestrians, now he drives 40 tonners again.

              They are getting worse since the highway code change. They turn look you in the eyes and wonder why you can't physically stop.
              Maybe when deceleration of objects is taught in school science lessons they need to use teens stepping out in front of a bus/HGV as their main example.
              "You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by SueEllen View Post

                Maybe when deceleration of objects is taught in school science lessons they need to use teens stepping out in front of a bus/HGV as their main example.
                only if I can pick the teens!
                Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I can see accident rates going up because you have to check the speedo more frequently in a 20 mph area to make sure you're not exceeding the limit. To reduce traffic speed, surely some evil speed bumps would be a far better method?

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by ladymuck View Post
                    I can see accident rates going up because you have to check the speedo more frequently in a 20 mph area to make sure you're not exceeding the limit. To reduce traffic speed, surely some evil speed bumps would be a far better method?
                    Yes accident rates will go up because you do have to keep an eye on the speedo when the difference between 20 and a bit more isn't noticeable from the drivers seat and pedestrians and other road users will think it's safe to assume the car's going too slowly to be an issue so step out or pull out without looking or thinking Speed bumps don't work as most cars can straddle the humps and the big full width berms are too dangerous for emergency services to navigate safely Bumps also take the drivers eyes of the road which isn't a good thing!

                    Comment

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