20MPH or 60MPH????

naomi1010

Hi, Apologies if in the wrong place but wasn't too sure.

On my daily commute to work, I travel along a road which is a newish bypass with speed limit of 60MPH. Over the last week or so it has had road works along the whole section and has signs at the start of the road works showing a 20MPH sign (Triangle shaped and red) due to having loose chipings.
However on my way home today there was a speed camera along the road which I could see as approx 100 feet away and whilst I was doing approx 25 (due to there being lots of chippings ) lots and I mean lots of cars overtook me and the last one even made great hand gestures at me because of my speed, I would also like to point out that the last car was a driving school car.

My question is: what is /was the correct speed 20mph or 60mph and if doing more than 20mph would that be classed as speeding? I am so confused as never come across this before and not sure if I was just being over cautious and therefore the cars overtaking me were correct??

Thanks Naomi1010

Premier_2

Well a triangle implies its a warning sign, not a mandatory requirement symbolised usually by a circular sign.

However it's a speed limit, not a speed target.
You should never be driving at a speed greater that that appropriate having due regard to the conditions at the time.
If the warning sign suggested 20mph because of loose chippings, then that was probably the fastest anyone should have been travelling.

flyingscotno1

Yep the road will have been repaired using a process called surface dressing. Often this leaves a lot of loose stones. The speed limit put up is advisory, usually in a white rectangle with MAX SPEED 20 on it.

Personally I would never do it- I think it is a bit of cover in case someone plays the blame game with a 'blame the is a claim idiot' injury lawyer. I think 30-40 is usually fine on the road, unless there is a severe amount of stones.

Wouldn't affect the speed limit- they need to be proper circular signs and have numerous legal orders applied to enforce it.

scbk

In the first few days after surface dressing even 20 can be too fast (if you care about your paintwork..) but unfortunatly the signs are often left up for too long, weeks/months after the work

Shimrod

I always though the 20mph was (at least in part) to bed the chippings into the tar. If you go too fast, the chippeds are dislodged before they have fully set into the tar, reducing the effectiveness of the road repair.

marvin

Premier wrote: »

Well a triangle implies its a warning sign, not a mandatory requirement symbolised usually by a circular sign.
QUOTE]

Not usually always, if its not in a red circle (unbroken) it is advisory and not manditory which is why the roadsigns in the variable speed sections of motorways like the M42 and the M25 have red circles around the speeds.

Keith

marvin wrote: »

Premier wrote: »

Well a triangle implies its a warning sign, not a mandatory requirement symbolised usually by a circular sign.
QUOTE]

Not usually always, if its not in a red circle (unbroken) it is advisory and not manditory which is why the roadsigns in the variable speed sections of motorways like the M42 and the M25 have red circles around the speeds.

Afraid not, the red circle means the speed limit is enforcable.

Bowdyjan18

Id go with 20 mph

Neil_B

Keith wrote: »

marvin wrote: »

Afraid not, the red circle means the speed limit is enforcable.

That is what he said!?

jackieb

Where we live there are a few schools in the countryside which are 20 zones when the lights are flashing. You have to slow down from 60mph as it's on a main road. I always slow down but the amount of drivers who sit bumper to bumper with me is astonishing. They make me feel stupid for sticking to 20. I've never had anyone overtake me though.

Then you'll be driving behind someone doing 40-50mph on the main road, and they just cruise past the schools at 40-50mph. They make no adjustments to their speed at all. Too slow normally, then too fast when they're supposed to slow down!

Premier_2

marvin wrote: »

...Not usually always, if its not in a red circle (unbroken) it is advisory and not manditory which is why the roadsigns in the variable speed sections of motorways like the M42 and the M25 have red circles around the speeds.

The reason I said usually, is that there are always exceptions to the rules

e.g. A red triangle saying give way is mandatory. Drivers must give way to traffic on a major road.

A hexagon sign with a red background and white lettered 'Stop' is also a mandatory order to stop & give way.

National speed limit applies and minimum speed limit signs do not have a red circle, but are mandatory.

etc