Speed Limit sign

[Robster59]

A question for those who know. A road near me has reduced its speed limit from 40mph to 30mph (as well as putting in cycle lanes and 1 metre high posts every 3 metres to split the cars and bikes).
They have put in the signs on the photo below, but no normal 30mph (30 on white background in a red circle) signs.

There are the signs that are all up and down the road,,


But none of these...
Now, just for clarity, I don't speed down this road, but I am just curious to the legality of the top sign should anyone be caught speeding.

 

[Smiffy]

Are the posts they've put up lamposts?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I thought that was for a roundabout

 

[Smiffy]

I thought that was for a roundabout

So did I

 

[Robster59]

Are the posts they've put up lamposts?

Between the cars and the bikes? No, black and white plastic posts that have a flexible base to bounce backwards if hit.
The 30mph warnings have been put up on lamp-posts generally.

 

[GreiginFife]

AFAIK if they have taken down the 40 signs that would have needed to be there and its a built up area with street lamps, its a 30 by default.

 

[Robster59]

I thought that was for a roundabout

So did I

This one....

 

[nickjdavis]

AFAIK if they have taken down the 40 signs that would have needed to be there and its a built up area with street lamps, its a 30 by default.

This.

 

[Robster59]

AFAIK if they have taken down the 40 signs that would have needed to be there and its a built up area with street lamps, its a 30 by default.

This.

Fair enough. Thanks.

 

[Miller]

Same kind of thing happened near me. All they did was take down the existing 40mph signs so that the original 30mph limit sign took precedence.

It doesn't really make sense to have a 30mph sign and then another one a couple of hundred yards down the road.

 

[larmen]

AFAIK if they have taken down the 40 signs that would have needed to be there and its a built up area with street lamps, its a 30 by default.

This is technically right, but also a way for a lot of people that are used to 40 to fill the accounts of the local council.

 

[Bratty]

A question for those who know. A road near me has reduced its speed limit from 40mph to 30mph (as well as putting in cycle lanes and 1 metre high posts every 3 metres to split the cars and bikes).
They have put in the signs on the photo below, but no normal 30mph (30 on white background in a red circle) signs.

There are the signs that are all up and down the road,,
View attachment 38043

But none of these...
Now, just for clarity, I don't speed down this road, but I am just curious to the legality of the top sign should anyone be caught speeding.

My understanding of the highway code is if the number is in a white circle with a red border, then it is an enforceable speed limit. Anything else signed is advisory, such as 20mph in school times. You can still be prosecuted for doing over 20mph in those situations if it can be proved it was reckless or careless, so always best to treat the advice as the limit.
My assumption would be that was an advisory sign to let people know the speed had been changed to 30mph.
Finally, if there are street lights, then the speed is by default 30mph and no signs are required, as Greg and Nick have said.

 

[GreiginFife]

This is technically right, but also a way for a lot of people that are used to 40 to fill the accounts of the local council.

It's right, technically or not. It is up to us, as drivers, to be aware of our surroundings and react accordingly. Living rurally, our speed limits change with alarming regularity and several roads that were recently 60s are now 40s (with some 30s thrown in) and drivers need to be watching the signage.

 

[larmen]

It's right, technically or not. It is up to us, as drivers, to be aware of our surroundings and react accordingly. Living rurally, our speed limits change with alarming regularity and several roads that were recently 60s are now 40s (with some 30s thrown in) and drivers need to be watching the signage.

I know it is right, but it feels sneaky. At least over here they changed from 30 to 20, lots of signs.

I think what also will help the council to generate money is that satnavs need a while to update. My iPhone still calculates times like I drive 30 mps and displays a 30 mph sign. N idea what google or garmin say, but I imagine they also need time to update their map files.

 

[backwoodsman]

This is technically right, but also a way for a lot of people that are used to 40 to fill the accounts of the local council.

Given that they have apparently put up a lot of the text "reminder" signs, I'm not sure that the "fill the accounts" bit is really a true consideration.

?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Just to confuse the good folks coming up from Crookfur…?

 

[Kellfire]

Given that they have apparently put up a lot of the text "reminder" signs, I'm not sure that the "fill the accounts" bit is really a true consideration.

?

Correct. Just an urban myth. No one ever knows anyone from the council who’s sat in on these meetings where they discuss how to generate loads of speeding ticket money.

 

[backwoodsman]

I know it is right, but it feels sneaky. At least over here they changed from 30 to 20, lots of signs.

I think what also will help the council to generate money is that satnavs need a while to update. My iPhone still calculates times like I drive 30 mps and displays a 30 mph sign. N idea what google or garmin say, but I imagine they also need time to update their map files.

I'd suggest that anyone who relies on Satnav to tell them the speed limit is a fool? You can (ie should) only go on what is signposted and/or set out in law.

 

[Smiffy]

I'd suggest that anyone who relies on Satnav to tell them the speed limit is a fool? You can (ie should) only go on what is signposted and/or set out in law.

Newer cars have road sign recognition where a camera will display what it sees on the dashboard.
Very handy for speed cameras and the like
???

 

[Miller]

Newer cars have road sign recognition where a camera will display what it sees on the dashboard.
Very handy for speed cameras and the like
???

I have this system on my car. It doesn't pick up everything and can't absolutely be relied upon to get it right. The only thing preventing me from speeding is me.