SR ([info]llyander) wrote in [info]uk_bikers,
2009-04-21 06:15:00
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Changes to UK Speed Limits

If you haven't heard about this, read this link -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8009364.stm

You need to write to your local MP, if you're a member of any pressure groups then you need to start making sure they're putting pressure on the Government to drop this stupid proposal. I can understand this in crowded town centers where you have pedestrians all over the place, but to make this a town/city wide plan? No. Simply unneeded and totally unnecessary.

This Government's obsession with speed is reaching ludicrous proportions now. Speed cameras, average speed cameras, under-road tracking of motorbikes, NPR cameras, mobile speed detectors, speed bumps, sleeping policeman, those stupid fucking slalom things in the roads... Nevermind putting money into awareness and training, nevermind looking at the way they plan roads and cities, nevermind looking at addressing diesel spills or the conditions of our roads. Nope. It's SPEED that kills in the eyes and minds of this Goverment.

Load of crap.

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  • 19 comments

[info]unclesatan

April 21 2009, 05:48:22 UTC 3 years ago

"Road safety researchers say only one in 40 people who are hit by a vehicle at 20mph die, compared with one in five at 30mph."

and if you are doing 50 you'll be long gone before that fucker even steps out onto the road ;-)

[info]twokan

April 21 2009, 05:59:51 UTC 3 years ago

urgh, they can do anything with numbers

But like the man said, in built up areas, fine! I endure 20mph speed limits because people are stupid, but looking at dropping the speed limit everywhere is just stupid. and TBH how many of us will actually pay attention? I'd stay at the usual limit just out of spite

[info]andrewwilde

April 21 2009, 07:52:24 UTC 3 years ago

To be fair to the article, it does say in urban locations (i.e. NOT across the board) and re-itterates "in residential areas and outside schools"... Oh, also the mention of higher risk areas helps.

Although TBH I wouldn't trust them to pick the right places, and not miss some that really should be...

Deleted comment

[info]sciamachy

April 21 2009, 09:18:18 UTC 3 years ago

More than 3000 new criminal offences made by legislation passed since 1997. Habeas corpus abolished. Any offence now arrestable. CCTV everywhere. To quote System of a Down "They're trying to build a prison!" - namely the panopticon.

[info]andrewwilde

April 21 2009, 07:55:20 UTC 3 years ago

Heh. I'm a cynic:
It's SPEED that kills in the eyes and minds of this Goverment
More like, it's the only measure they can think of that can increase their revenue...

Also, the article doesn't say anywhere it'll be a city-wide p[lan - just that they will give recomendations to councils to lower the limit on higher risk areas, residential areas and outside schools.

However, I've yet to see a rule like that implimented sensibly...

[info]llyander

April 21 2009, 08:18:29 UTC 3 years ago

Yup. This is a country where the local councils are quite happy to use laws brought in to combat terrorism to spy on people who might be letting their dogs take a crap on the pavement or, god forbid, are sending their kids to a school outside the official catchment area!

Give them powers like this and they WILL abuse the shit out of them.

[info]andrewwilde

April 21 2009, 14:40:11 UTC 3 years ago

LOL!
If only you could recommend me a country where that wasn't true, that had employment & reasonably security, etc etc...
*le sigh*

[info]fuzzygoth

April 21 2009, 08:13:33 UTC 3 years ago

Personally I think their full of shit, 20 mph is very very slow and
even on public transport (because one would assume busses would be subject this too it would have increased my journey time from 45 mins
to 1 hour then another 15 minute either side walking). I think they should maybe consider putting fucking barriers up to prevent stupid
sodding pedestrians wandering onto the road willy nilly at danger
spots, and try to educate both drivers and pedestrians.

There are some 20mph zone around where I live in leeds, and I have no
problem slowing down for those, the roads are narrow with lots of
crossroads and requires higher concentration but a blanket drop is ludicruos, what next the goverment says walk because if you hit someone at walking only 1 in 100000 will die?.

*grumble* I've just woken up It may have been on the wrong side of
bed. I kind of like getting where I am going in a reasonable time frame I think they should leave it the f**k alone I'll be writing to
my local mp.

[info]hazeii

April 21 2009, 08:41:48 UTC 3 years ago

Obviously, the government desperately needs to raise more money. All those lovely fines for doing 25 in a 20! Mmmm....

[info]fenjer

April 21 2009, 09:11:08 UTC 3 years ago

pretty soon they will be employing people to carry red flags while walking in front of every car...Or better still just fining you for owning a car.

*sigh - where's a good emigration website?*

[info]sciamachy

April 21 2009, 12:04:09 UTC 3 years ago

If they implement this, we might end up having to ditch our motorbikes for push-irons. You can do 20 on a pushbike easy enough.

[info]alpha_c3ntaur

April 21 2009, 17:39:41 UTC 3 years ago

Yeah and you can be done for speeding on one as well. You can do almost 30 on a pushbike without too much hassle if your reasonably fit.

[info]andrewwilde

April 21 2009, 21:19:44 UTC 3 years ago

38 down the hills in Bath earlier today...

Though how can they give you points if you don't have a licence? (Or more to the point, how can they tell if you've got a licence?)

[info]sciamachy

April 21 2009, 22:57:31 UTC 3 years ago

I got up to 45 downhill with a following wind on a fully laden mountainbike with front & rear panniers, a tent & various other bits of camping gear attached. Total weight was about the same as a 125cc motorbike but the following wind (going eastwards along the Scottish north coastal road from thurso to John O'Groats) gave me a heck of a boost. Couldn't have stopped if I'd wanted.

[info]hrafen

April 21 2009, 17:55:28 UTC 3 years ago

My understanding is the 20 and 50 limits are not blanket restrictions.

The 20 limit seems to be mostly aimed at residential roads, not A roads in towns per se although may be imposed near schools etc. Many urban roads will remain at 30 and there will still be urban highways that have higher speed limits.

The 50 limit is aimed at single carriageway roads outside of towns, but again may not be applied everywhere. If you think about it on a single carriageway at 50mph vehicles are actually passing each other at 100mph with no barrier between them.

What it will do is save lives.

There is also a review of speed bumps and bloody slalom things, these seem to be less in favour now. Hopefully some will be removed. Similarly speed cameras are becoming less in favour in some areas and now are painted bright yellow so are easier to see in advance.

I am actually more concerned about idiotic councillors who think pot holes should be left as "traffic calming devices". Fine for cars, worst case some minor damage. Pot holes and bikes are a far more dangerous mix.

[info]sciamachy

April 21 2009, 22:58:40 UTC 3 years ago

So this is basically central government legislating again to make law what's already in effect anyway in a heck of a lot of places. Do we need more laws?

[info]drpete

April 21 2009, 18:03:14 UTC 3 years ago

It's all crap - but I keep noticing the creeping 40 and 50 limits.

[info]alpha_c3ntaur

April 21 2009, 19:14:01 UTC 3 years ago

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Not reduce the national speed limit to 50mph

Number Ten Petition Here

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/noNSLreduction/
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