"smart" motorways

jimbo6977

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/m5-speeding-fine-police-court-16862312

flashg67

IMHO, the drivers are right to be royally !!!!!! off. I'm imagining a virtually empty motorway showing a 20mph limit - seriously who would think that was correct...

AdrianC

Whether you think it's correct or not is beside the point. For all you know, there's something ahead that they're trying to slow traffic so they can clear - like a "rolling roadblock". When you get there, you may see nothing - because it's worked.

Read the article - the imposition of the limit was correct. What was not was that it should have been lifted.

439 people got photographed in 14 hours - about one every other minute. How many people passed and didn't get photographed... because they were obeying the limit? So the truck driver doing 40+mph was doing twice the speed of those around him.

SHAFT

AdrianC wrote: »

Whether you think it's correct or not is beside the point. For all you know, there's something ahead that they're trying to slow traffic so they can clear - like a "rolling roadblock". When you get there, you may see nothing - because it's worked.

Read the article - the imposition of the limit was correct. What was not was that it should have been lifted.

439 people got photographed in 14 hours - about one every other minute. How many people passed and didn't get photographed... because they were obeying the limit? So the truck driver doing 40+mph was doing twice the speed of those around him.

A 20 mph limit for 14 hours is neither smart or managed.

mcpitman

I'm a bit conflicted on this one....


I would be annoyed if I got to a "smart" motorway and it was restricted to 20mph, for no apparent reason.


I also understand that as a driver, I would not be aware why it was 20mph and would likely slow down, (animals on the road, spillage of some sort).


However, ploughing through at twice the limit then moaning about it seems a bit rich.


That said, mistakenly leaving a 20 mph limit in place for 14 hours, as said above, is neither smart nor managed.

AdrianC

...and, reading the article, they acknowledge the error - down to local failures to follow the correct procedure.
The signals should have been turned off once other traffic management was in place. Given it was a fatal where five people died, it's entirely likely that there were still police and other crews on site for that whole 14hrs.

SHAFT

AdrianC wrote: »

...and, reading the article, they acknowledge the error - down to local failures to follow the correct procedure.
The signals should have been turned off once other traffic management was in place. Given it was a fatal where five people died, it's entirely likely that there were still police and other crews on site for that whole 14hrs.

Its unlikely the police were there for all that time but repair work is the most probable reason. 50 would have been a more sensible speed.

UncleZen

I saw something like this on the M25 once, a single overhead speed limit said 40 but the next one wasnt lit. It was at 1am and the road was clear. I slowed, just in case it took a picture and I got a NIP in the post.

Supersonos

UncleZen wrote: »

I saw something like this on the M25 once, a single overhead speed limit said 40 but the next one wasnt lit. It was at 1am and the road was clear. I slowed, just in case it took a picture and I got a NIP in the post.

Often on the M25, there is a low speed limit because of roadworks/traffic/accident/non-existent object in carriageway, but then the signs simply stop showing the variable limit. No national speed limit sign is displayed, but no variable limit either.

I often wonder what to do in those situations. As a road user, am I allowed to "assume" the limit is back to 70mph, or would the police/courts tell me I was wrong to speed up until a NSL sign is displayed?

And in the case of the OP's link, it can be really scary when the signs are clearly incorrect, but I'm driving at the posted limit whilst huge lorries are roaring past. I'm sure I'll get rear-ended or cause an accident one day because of this.

wongataa

Supersonos wrote: »

I often wonder what to do in those situations. As a road user, am I allowed to "assume" the limit is back to 70mph, or would the police/courts tell me I was wrong to speed up until a NSL sign is displayed?

The previously seen speed limit applies until you see a national speed limit symbol or a new speed limit. I suspect they might have trouble prosecuting in reality though.