New speed limit in Wales?

[cee-dee]

What do people on here think of the reduction down to 20MPH?

They say it will reduce deaths because not only will the force of a collision with pedestrians at 20MPH in residential areas be much less but the stopping distance will be much reduced too.

However, has anyone actually checked the speed at which such collisions occured? Don't you think that those driving in such collisions were exceeding the speed limit anyway and that type of person won't slow down anyway? Meanwhile, everyone else will conform but the speeders will just carry on regardless?

[cee-dee]

No-one got any comments?

I've been out and it doesn't seem to me that drivers are sticking to the 20MPH limit. The ones I've followed were doing 30MPH or above!

Also, I see some 30MPH signs have been changed to 20 but one that I've had my eye on (about a quarter of a mile from here) since the new limit was announced is still showing 30.

[four_mid_able]

It's just another way for the government to make money.

It costs more to drive at 20 MPH than 30 MPH and because of poor road surfaces it causes more damage to vehicles which is a massive KERCHING to the government.

It also causes delays to deliveries as couriers will now deliver less items in a day because of this restriction ,yet another KERCHING.

Hmmm ,ULEZ ?.

[uk.yourgiftsdelivered]

We went out today and the road signs by us are still all 30 so that's what we did, I can't see it being enforceable on EVERY street theres not enough speed vans! I do agree that on many street including mine the speed at which some maniacs drive by is insane and I don't think the new speed limit will stop that kind at all ..... as a mother to a little one though I do kind of like the idea that while walking on the paths most cars will now only be going past us at 20mp so I'm not against it....... yet 😅

[uk.yourgiftsdelivered]

I would agree...... but it was the Welsh government that came up with it and pretty sure that's not where any of the money from fines will go?

[margaret*e]

I suppose now it's starting in Wales it'll spread everywhere.

We already have a few 20 mph here, mostly around schools.

[tuckerbigdaddy5ngv]

Aparently they did a survey of 1000 people and 600 thought it would be a good idea , so they now have a 20 mph speed limit because 600 of 3.1 million said so.

[******lynda******]

We already have 20mph areas...and not just round schools. Residential areas. But then we have 40mph /50mph motorways too and the others are mostly 60mph 

[cee-dee]

So 600 thought it was a good idea but will they take any notice of the over 450,000 (who've signed the petition against it) who DON'T think it's a good idea?

Driving round I find it's being largely ignored! What have others found?

[uk.yourgiftsdelivered]

In all honestly I haven't noticed any difference....

[cee-dee]

So they (the Welsh Labour "government") can waste millions on Drakeford's pet idea but they can't do something that was really needed? They've not even done "planning" for this even though this happened two and a half years ago:-

Denbighshire villages separated by destroyed bridge since 2021 - BBC News

[tressygirl]

40 mph on a Motorway !!!!

Where do you live ?   @******lynda****** 

[******lynda******]

I'm in Scotland. Most of the M8 is less than 70 and some is 60, a lot is 50 and some is 40. The M77 is never 70, part is 60, much is 50 . The M74 does have a lot at 70 and drops to 60  further north. I understand they've lowered the limits on the M9 too, but it's years since I drove on that.

[messier44000]

A village near us (UK) is having a pilot test scheme 20mph when it was 30mph.

Finding myself looking more at the speedo, taking your eyes away from the road 

ahead more than usual. Just a thought

[mrq-private]

"40 mph on a Motorway !!!!

Where do you live ?"

....You'll find some eijit has designed a link from the M9 to the M90 northbound which has a 30MPH 'loop round' on it.  The 'limit' is an 'advisory' but if you break it you risk being done for dangerous driving - and you'd need to be unhinged to go round any faster.   - People try it, spin out and ruin everybody's day!   ...it's an incredibly stupid piece of road design but there you go.

The variable speed limits on the approaches to the Queensferry crossing are very often down to 40MPH; even late at night - and I've seen the southbound  down to 30MPH if its stormy. 

We've had 20MPH limits in some places here (near Edinburgh) for some time.  - Some have come and gone as they were causing problems. Others have more justification and are here to stay.  - A blanket 20MPH is sheer stupidity, has the opposite effect to that which they say is intended - particularly in terms of emissions - and is just the usual; ignoramus politicos interfering with things they don't understand for their own self-serving benefit! 

[uk.yourgiftsdelivered]

It's not a blanket 20mph😅 it's the 30mph gone to 20mph. Most roads on my routes are 40-50 so not much change really the 30s that have gone to 20s are all in areas where speed needs to be low....

[mrq-private]

The news coverage gives the impression of a blanket 20MPH; those who are not anywhere near wales only have that to go on.  - As for dropping the 30MPH to 20; when they did that here we had big wide 3-lane roads in some places with the traffic trying to crawl along.    ...They put the main road through the village I live in (and quite a few others)  back to 30 because it was causing chaos elsewhere.  

The better solution would be strict enforcement of the 30MPH limit with 20MPH introduced where necessary.   ...But of course; that requires paying Police Officers (or other enforcement officer) and putting cameras in place; and doesn't get the politicos the attention they crave!

[*knight-rider*]

`We went out today and the road signs by us are still all 30 so that's what we did`

And with respect, that`s why the government does what it does, `the sign said 30 so that`s what i did`, but in the next breathe, you agree with 20mph when your walking with your child on the pavement, well what about everyone elses kids when you saw the 30mph sign and did exactly that!

Speed limits are exactly that, a limit, it`s not a request to drive that speed, it`s a limit if conditions etc are good enough that allow that maximum, it doesn`t mean you have to 🙂

One thing i do agree with though, these new speed limits and everything else the government brings out are fine, but who enforces them all, nobody. i live just off a main road that goes into town and every single day i listen to high end sports cars ragging it up this road with exhausts popping and banging everytime and what`s done about it, nothing, because nothing ever does till someone gets killed.

The next thing i`m waiting for is november, when i`ll be listening to fireworks for the next 6 months. They shouldn`t be set off after 11p.m at night, but every single year without fail, there`s always some idiots who think it`s funny letting them off at 2-3a.m at night, yet another law nobody enforces!

So i guess my point is, if everyone behaved themselves and still used common sense rather than an app, we wouldn`t need to be treated like children 🙂

[btr.style]

It's a silly thing to bring in the restrictions. 

Wales does have other issues anyway which should be tackled. Boy racers being 1 of those massive problems. 

If you go to Caerphilly around late afternoon especially at weekends, boy racers literally use it as a racetrack, speeding, racing each other around the part with the car park, Tommy cooper statue and cafe. Doing laps around it, it's the worst I've seen anywhere and I love a good day out to other towns and cities. No police stopping them and this has been happening for years. 

Then where I live, sadly also South Wales valleys, pavement parking (totally obstructing the pavement so even a sheet of paper could get by and again, huge problems with boy racers speeding along shouting abuse at other people walking down the road. Again, nothing is ever done, no police. 

So how will they enforce the 20 when they can't tackle other road issues? If some boy racer is speeding along in a 30 and the police do nothing, I can't see the police suddenly upping their game and pulling them over because the sign now says 20. 

One of many reasons I want out of Wales. 

[uk.yourgiftsdelivered]

With respect, I can, along with probably every one else say that I feel safer walking on a 20mph road than a 30-40mph , there's nothing wrong with that it's stating the obvious 🙄

And with regards to driving according to the signed speed limits which is what I do, I'm not going to study every single 30mp road that stayed a 30 and didn't go down to 20 instead of adhering to the signs 🤣 if you tell me that you would learn ALL the 30MPH roads that didn't change instead of looking at the signs then I'm sorry I wouldn't for a second believe you! 

I don't think reducing a speed limit has anything to do with being treated like a child 🤣 there will always be the fools that drive insanely and there will always be people wanting to enjoy fireworks at inconvient times.