+1
A colleague who often was supposed to relieve me at 1pm was frequently 30 or more minutes late. His excuse was always interesting - "had to take the cat to the vet" was probably the most believable - "Overslept" was not.
The argument should be whether the law needs to be changed to allow a higher speed. You might not like it, you might have sound arguments against it, but if the law says there is a 70 mph limit on a motorway, then that should be adhered to. (Yes - loads of hypocrisy there.)
I used to do a journey where on one road there were countless speed limit changes. Trying to keep up with them consistently was a mare. I appreciate why lots of limit changes are problematic.
The law is a blunt instrument at the end of the day.
NT
A decent satnav should have up to date speed limits.
Well, I do speed on occasions but have no feeling that I am doing something wrong in the 'that's a bad thing to do' way.
Many years ago I used to drive more or less the length of the A34 - call it Winchester to Preston - on a regular basis. OK - M6 for a bit! Wasn't too bad. After a gap of years, I tried it again. Horrible with loads and loads of reduced speed limits - many seemingly for reasons other than safety, like "go another way, you idiot".
I think variable speed limits over 70mph would be OK now the technology exists. At least it would get the BMWs and MERCs off my rear end. Otherwise it should not be left to the driver to decide what is safe.
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Then those people should be more careful, They did try a while back linking fines to income in the name of fairness. Bit of a disaster
Which makes them a greater danger to other road users and so a ban is quite appropriate.
There are now so many changes in speed limits on most A roads in Cheshire that its almost impossible to remember what speed limit you're under.
In article , Richard writes
Well it's that little bit about "competent". So many are not.
Round here they've downgraded the dual-carriageway bypass from 70 (for cars) to 50, but left the adjoining single carriageway at as 60. So you're stuck behind a lorry, reach a dual carriageway stretch and then (theoretically) still can't overtake. Still not as bad as Nottinghamshire where they've reduced dual carriageway bypasses to 50 (or 40) with average cameras.
Wonder why
"What's your income?" "Zero as I am banned from driving"
The variable speed limit system on the M25 is a great idea. But cutting corners on running costs make it mostly worse than useless.
NT
I do a journey like that regularly - motorway from Preston to Oxford, dual carriageway to Winchester, I think the only permanent 50 limit is Oxford for a couple of miles, the rest is standard 70 unless you hit the variable limits on the busier sections of motorways. One roundabout at Oxford, slip roads for the rest - I think that counts as a pretty easy drive :-)
I was doing it when most of the A34 wasn't dualled - there were a few little bits between Winchester and Oxford, yes round Oxford, then little all the way to Birmingham.
Variable speed limits do have their limits!
The other week I was approaching the Severn bridge with variable speed limit of 50 or 40. Passed the "end of variable speed limit" signs, very obvious national speed limit applies, straight into queues of stationary traffic just a few yards after them. The non-variable speed limit informational signs were not showing any issues.
You should be able to work it out from the road and street lighting. If the limit varies from that default there should be small repeater boards every few hundred yards.
Having said that I know of stretches of road that are "ambiguous". Single carriage way A road. Leave a village and go past a National Speed Limit sign (60). However the full street lighting continues but there are no repeater boards (30). Entering next village, after the best part of a mile, there is a single ordinary sized NSL sign on the right (60). The village has street lighting and building(*)(30). On leaving that village you don't pass any NSL signs, the street lighting and buildings just end. In the opposite direction you don't pass a twin 30 boards as you enter that village.
(*) Note the use of "street lighting", it is the presence of street lighting that triggers the 30 limit, buildings do not have to present. "Street lighting" is lighting designed to primarily illuminate the carriageway. Lighting designed to illuminate primarily walkways/pavements etc is not "street lighting" but "footway lighting".
Find a better route. B-) Does the Trafficmaster YQ system still exist? That was very good, portable unit with zoomable map of whole country, that showed the average speed on sections of road. As you could see the whole country you could decide if the better was was up/down the M6 or up/down the A1/A1M/M1. Or if not in a hurry, wait until the M25 cleared from the morning/evening crawl before setting out.
Though I take your point, I used to travel into Leeds for an 0700 start around two hours driving. If the start was 0800 or heaven forbid 0900 I'd still have to leave at 0500. Bloody sheple, all wanting travel in the same direction at the same time...
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes
Don't know whether TomTom counts as decent, but though freshly updated there were at least two places near London last Friday with permanent 50 signs but the satnav showed 70.
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