Safe Speed Forums

I was driving to Brighton last night along the Ditchling road from Ditchling. This was a NSL road, which after the steep windy climb up the Beacon opens up into a nice fast smooth level road where you can safely cruise along at 60mph (or much more if you were inclined). It's got a few good overtaking zones, so is a good place to get past the odd crawler, and is rarely busy. It is completely rural with no buildings whatsoever and has good visibilty all the way.

But last night, I had a nasty shock to see a couple of miles of it had been dropped to a 30mph limit!! I could not believe my eyes. If you drove this stretch at 50mph you would get overtaken or tail gated. So how can they justify this limit?

Is there anything that can be done about it?

Off the top of my head, your best bet is to get as many people as you can to write to the council. Even then though, they'll probably only put the limit back up to 40 (or 50 if you're lucky).

Also have you checked to make sure it isn't a temporary limit for roadworks or anything like that?

That sucks anyway.

That sucks

What also sucks is the way middling routes are being put down to 20mph zones and the normal streets left at 30, so you now have endless signs saying '30mph' as you leave a more significant road. The one near us also has a lorry ban, in one case you have derestriction signs for the lorry ban as you head into a cul-de-sac and in another you get the same derestriction turning into a road that is signed 'Unsuitable for large vehicles' (and it is, there's a corner you can hardly get round in a car let alone anything bigger).

Don't get me started on the way they've also introduced artificial give ways all the way up this road right next to junctions, e.g. so that traffic going straight on is on the wrong side of the road, NEAREST to joining traffic as it passes a joining road.

Ian

Local Authorities have to "review" (i.e. lower) all speed limits by 2011 under the DfT paper issued in Jun/July 2006 using average speed as the yardstick instead of the eminently sensible 85th percentile rule. Then there is the talk of a blanket lowering of the NSL on rural roads (whatever they are) to, say, 40mph.

It's all a farce.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

The Old Bill are totally against this as they say it would be totally unpoliceable and would just bring all speed limits into disrepute. The logic of this is very clear as to police all the single track lanes, country roads, rural 'B' roads and every 'A' road would be totally impossible. No-one would really take any notice of the limits, in the same way as no-one took any notice of the blanket 50 mph limit we had at the end of 1974.
We would be the only country in the World with such low limits and the law would just fall totally into disrepute.

Until road pricing with "spies in the car" becomes a reality. The fine is in the post.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Thought limits need two signs up to be legal - and if one lolipop should accidentally fall- they'd be an llegal speed limit an all an alll --- as the song says

I know the road that davemar describes although I've not driven it for some months. It's not exactly true to describe it as having 'good visibilty all the way' - there are a number of bends in the road (one quite sharp) and, in addition to the natural contours, visibility is often hampered by vegetation. Towards the southern end of the road, there are access points (car parking or whatever) which can be a hazard when vehicles are rejoining the road.

However, the road generally doesn't merit a restriction of 30mph and I'm certainly not aware of any significant accident record that could justify it. I'm interested to see the signage used.......it is a rural stretch with no street lighting and would easily be taken as nsl if not clearly marked.

On a better note, whatever the limit, there really is only one point that a scameravan could safely be sited (not that things like that are a hindrance to them) and that is both clearly visible and, I believe, private land

OK, good visibilty most of the way. There's one bend that needs a slight easing off, but still can be taken way above 30mph. Where the carparks are at the southern end of the road you are usually slowing right down for the junction and the inevitible queue of cars.

There do appear to be roadworks appearing now, they seem to be placing kerbstones along the side of the road. I'm hoping this limit is just temporarily in place for this, even though it covers a good mile north of the roadworks. The signs are on what looks like new but permanent looking posts, and there are a lot of them, you really can't miss them! I just hope they come down when the works is done (in a couple years time at the rate these things happen!!!).

As you say, there aren't really many places a scameravan could hide along this stretch, so I can't see too much money making opportunities there. I am concerned about the speed differentials we might get though with some drivers keeping tightly to the limit and others treating it with conpempt and driving at their old speeds.

I suppose they could always use the police helo to time traffic over a distance, it's far from unknown. A handheld unit could be used. And they could also install speed humps. They'll soon be installing cams on rural roads anyway, and as soon as the new gps is instaled the in-car speed, location and time spies will be used.

Was in Brighton today and decided to look at this road on leaving - ie: driving north.

At the start of the road it is signed NSL; after about 50m there is a single on the left with a plate below it saying "ahead". About 250m further and temporary traffic lights signal the road works mentioned - and, after another 200m or so (ie: within the course of the roadworks) the seems to start, continuing for some distance beyond the roadworks before reverting to NSL; there are regularly spaced repeaters along the way (no street lamps here - no houses either!).

It was dark and difficult to see the signage for southbound travellers but it appeared that the limit in that direction extends to the junction at the end of the road.

The signs do appear permanent and I would hazard a guess that the roadworks are to do with the limit rather than the other way around. As davemar says, a stupid and unecessary limit. Can anything be done? Depends on the traffic order made - worth checking, it MAY be only a temporary restriction - on the other hand it could be an invalid order! A petition would be a time consuming pastime with little hope of achieving anything, beyond wasting some council weenie's time - which may not be an issue, but letters and/or phone calls could achieve the same effect for less effort.

I didn't think to look, but presumable the Ditchling Road continuing into Brighton is still NSL as far as the golf course entrance?

i imagine they are trying to discourage this route's use for through traffic.

I couldn't really see any justification for this speed limit. I travelled in a car along this 30mph section of road yesterday at a steady 50mph, following a line of traffic travelling at around the same speed.

Finally we reached the NSL sign, and shortly afterwards all the traffic reduced its speed to 25-30mph for a particularly narrow, steep and bendy section of road. Where's the consistency? A road where 50mph or so is safe is made 30mph whereas the speed limit increases as the road only becomes safe to drive along at 30mph tops.

Its a good example of of appauling signage. The only time I've managed to stick to that 30 limit is when its late at night and by doing so am an avoidable risk to other road users. I risk winding everyone up by even attempting to stick to that limit.

Fine, over the roadworks 20-30mph is reasonable, but for a mile afterwards?

Whatever happened to signs telling us about roadworks and temporary lights, surely this would suffice? I can see that the verges are narrow and don't allow for that much room to put the usual triangular sign and sandbag type affair, but these restrictions make a mockery of limits. I do welcome the road improvements, however.