Speed limit at or near sign

Greekisland

I know that the law says the limit changes at the sign. IE if you are approaching a 30 limit you have to slow down to be doing the limit or slower when reaching the sign. Likewise you can't speed up until you get to the change of limit sign. I'm asking if there is generally some leeway the police use approaching signs. Speed cameras temporary or permanent seem to be outside the immediate area of the sign so I'm wondering if there is a grey area there.

The reason I'm asking is that our work vans are tracked for speed. I'm ok with that and make sure I stick to the limit. The problem is that they have taken to disciplining people for the most trivial of reasons. Eg one guy regularly gets shouted at because the database is wrong, and despite taking a manager to the site and showing them the sign head office know better.

In my case I think I might be not slowing down quick enough or speed up too quick. The time I'm doing over the limit is typically only a couple of mph over for 5 seconds or less. I now make sure I'm slowing down by the signs as I can't be arsed with any arguments. 

But should they decide it's my turn to be "Talked to" im wondering if there is some argument to be used that the police wouldn't bother with this, so neither should you. 

I'm ok with the trackers. They have been using it for 10 years with no problems. I think there is a new person at head office trying to get themselves noticed - probably will but not in a good way

Car_54

I'm not aware of any leeway, apart from the general one where speeds up to 110% of the limit plus 1 mph aren't normally subject to action. No grey area.

The police are obviously well aware of the tendency to slow down too late or speed up too soon, and we see lots of cases on Pepipoo where people are nicked by mobile units just inside the limit.

williamgriffin

Police speed enforcement and your company policy are two separate matters.  

lincroft1710

Just continue to slow down well in time and wait until past the derestriction sign before you speed up. Then you won't have to get into any arguments.

Greekisland

Ok thanks. I think making sure I am doing the correct speed is the way to go. If idiot at head office decides to get angsty I'll kick off about their stupidity, but that type of name maker usually disappears without trace quite quickly.

Greekisland

williamgriffin said:

Police speed enforcement and your company policy are two separate matters.  

Oh how true! 

Herzlos

williamgriffin said:

Police speed enforcement and your company policy are two separate matters.  

That's the crux of it. Your employer could insist you never made any right turns if they wanted to. If they want you to slow down earlier and speed up later then just do that for the sake of any easy life (and reference it whenever someone complains about you taking too long to drive somewhere).

Legally you can't exceed the speed of the sign once you reach it so you need to slow down to the limit before the vehicle crosses the line, and you can only accelerate up to the new speed limit once you've passed the sign. There's no rules on how long that can take, so in a supercar you can slam the brakes on right before the sign or race up to the limit right after, though at some point the police may stop you and ask you to go easy.

Stubod

...I think its perfectly OK to approach a 30mph speed limit at 60mph and slam your brakes on at the last second possible, I think the Police turn a blind eye as long as you are doing the actual speed limit within about a mile after the actual speed limit sign starts as they deliberately position the signs a little bit earlier than they need to just in case this sort of things happens, likewise you can start to accelerate past the current speed limit about 1 mile before the actual speed limit sign increases for the same reason....

Flight3287462

Just remember if the day comes that they are handing out P45s  this could be a perfect excuse.   I know a very large national haulier who got rid of of all his "troublemakers" over the first lockdown.

TadleyBaggie

Stubod said:

...I think its perfectly OK to approach a 30mph speed limit at 60mph and slam your brakes on at the last second possible, I think the Police turn a blind eye as long as you are doing the actual speed limit within about a mile after the actual speed limit sign starts as they deliberately position the signs a little bit earlier than they need to just in case this sort of things happens, likewise you can start to accelerate past the current speed limit about 1 mile before the actual speed limit sign increases for the same reason....

What a lot of tosh. It's a well known practice for camera vans to sit just after a change to a lower speed limit and then measure the distance by pinging the sign with the LASER. This is recorded in the session log and is how they can prove a speeding vehicle had passed the speed limit sign.

Stubod

TadleyBaggie said:

Stubod said:

...I think its perfectly OK to approach a 30mph speed limit at 60mph and slam your brakes on at the last second possible, I think the Police turn a blind eye as long as you are doing the actual speed limit within about a mile after the actual speed limit sign starts as they deliberately position the signs a little bit earlier than they need to just in case this sort of things happens, likewise you can start to accelerate past the current speed limit about 1 mile before the actual speed limit sign increases for the same reason....

What a lot of tosh. It's a well known practice for camera vans to sit just after a change to a lower speed limit and then measure the distance by pinging the sign with the LASER. This is recorded in the session log and is how they can prove a speeding vehicle had passed the speed limit sign.

..yes you are probably right, I originally thought they allowed about a mile either way, but it's probably nearer 2 miles??...(I think it's mentioned in the highway code, but I think there may be exceptions for BMW drivers?)