speed limits

NorhternMonkey

Morning all,

Is it just me or are more and more people ignoring speed limits? I spend a lot of time on the roads and try and stick to speed linits, but I have noticed that I am constantly holding up traffic!

I was 1. The m1 yesterday all the signs were set at 40, traffic was heavy in all lanes but people were still flashing me an driving round me although I was doing 40. It's really starting to annoy me.

I'm I the only one?

worried_jim

Driving around you? Were you not driving in the left lane?

jb66

Just keep yourself right and move to the left and if they get caught they get caught, it's not your job to police the outside lane

pompeyrich

NorhternMonkey wrote: »

Morning all,

Is it just me or are more and more people ignoring speed limits? I spend a lot of time on the roads and try and stick to speed linits, but I have noticed that I am constantly holding up traffic!

I was 1. The m1 yesterday all the signs were set at 40, traffic was heavy in all lanes but people were still flashing me an driving round me although I was doing 40. It's really starting to annoy me.

I'm I the only one?

If the 40 had a red circle around it, then it is enforcable and you risk a speeding penalty if caught exceeding the limit. If the 40 was displayed on the older style signs with no red circle, it is an advisory limit only and not legally enforceable in it's own right. See pics below


Left hand signAdvisory, Right hand sign Compulsory

Also if you were guided by your speedo, 40 is more likely 36 or so when compared to a more accurate GPS device.

Weird_Nev

Flashing motorway signs are only advisory anyway. It's the standard format signs like you find on the M25 that are enforceable. The speed limit was most likely still 70.

sarahg1969

There is a stretch of the M1 which has variable speed limits, but it's not clear if this is where the OP is referring to.

However, if other drivers were driving around him and having to flash, it does rather sound as though he was driving in one of the overtaking lanes but not overtaking anything.

Wig

Hopefully OP, you were in the leftmost lane what I would call lane 1. If that was the case then what goes on around you need not concern you, should trouble happen ahead you would be able to safely apply your brakes and come to a complete stop easily at 40 mph.

As said, most motorway speed signs are not mandatory.

Just please ensure that all your lights are working properly and you don't have your fog lights on.

Last night, I passed 2 loons The first had one tail light working, and that bulb although working was severely worn out and should have been replaced, when he braked he had one brake light working. The second guy was towing a trailer (with no numberplate) which had no working lights and the large object on his trailer was completely obscuring his cars rear lights!

iolanthe07

It is no wonder drivers ignore the advisory speed limits; they are often left on for hours after any incident is over and sometimes for no discernible reason at all. This brings their use into disrepute and so hardly anyone takes any notice of them. It is a shame really, because if used properly they could be a life saver.

Nearly_Old

I was on the M1 (Northbound) yesterday evening, traffic was very heavy from around J26/J27 and there had also been a minor accident that closed Lane 4 for a brief period. Due to the congestion mandatory speed limits had been set - a mixture of 40/50/60 with gantries changing all the time.

At times when all 4 lanes were not full I found it OK in Lane 1 at an indicated 44/45 (41/42 on the Satnav) but there were some slower vehicles in Lanes 2 and 3. My experience to date in the new sections of managed 4 lane motorways is that the old middle lane hoggers now seem to inhabit Lane 3. This is fine as when I'm in Lane 1 passing the slower traffic in an adjacent lane there is an empty lane between me and them. Record so far when there was light traffic so running under 70mph limit in Lane 1 is passing a line of 17 cars all doing 60/65 in Lane 3.

vaio

Wig wrote: »

........Just please ensure that all your lights are working properly and you don't have your fog lights on.

Last night, I passed 2 loons The first had one tail light working, and that bulb although working was severely worn out and should have been replaced, when he braked he had one brake light working. The second guy was towing a trailer (with no numberplate) which had no working lights and the large object on his trailer was completely obscuring his cars rear lights!

Whilst I share your irritation at badly maintained lights I'm struggling with the concept of "a bulb although working was severely worn out and should have been replaced"

MonkeySaving?

Nearly_Old wrote: »

I was on the M1 (Northbound) yesterday evening, traffic was very heavy from around J26/J27 and there had also been a minor accident that closed Lane 4 for a brief period. Due to the congestion mandatory speed limits had been set - a mixture of 40/50/60 with gantries changing all the time.

Those don't enforce the limit and never have, even when the widening works were taking place and they had yellow "average speed cameras" with no connections to the back of the cameras