Safe Speed Forums

Spotted tonight that they have removed the ~10 mile NSL section from the M6/J22 junction all the way down to Leigh and set up a 60 limit.

I also read that a proposal to reduce the speed limits of the sections linking Leigh to Swinton from 60 to 50, and from Swinton to Manchester from 50 to 40 has been approved, and this is to be enforced with a new static camera (location unknown) and mobile cameras.

What happened to driving at a speed which kept your emissions to a minimum? Surely a slower speed will inevitably lead to more pollution!

I they needed evidence, they need only look to the Urban Cycle figures, as opposed to the Travelling Figures provided by all manufacturers at the Governments behest!

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

"Damn! Not enough accidents are showing up as being down to exceeding the speed limit! - I know ! let's make the limit lower"!

It will certainly lead to more congestion .. but this is the story behind it as uploaded to my hoster courtesy of the "Manchester Belles" ( my sisters )




The speed limit used to be 40 mph in the late 70s on that Salford to Swinton stretch. They upped it to 50 mph. It has not apparently changed in terms of "residential area" and my sisters both say the free flowing speed in rush hour into Manchester is about 20 mph It's only 50 mph off-peak if you like

Still .. that should cop the mumpties who carry on into town to do a bit of shopping after dropping off the kids. (assuming them bollards don't get 'em first )

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

So you won't be able to accelerate to find a gap between the long string of lorries that this will cause in order to make a left turn.......

sounds safer dunn'it ..........


May as well shut down the second lane then.............

the NSL section at the western end (from Knowsley into Liverpool) has also been reduced to 60.

Amazingly, despite what you read around here, I've not seen any new fixed or mobile cameras on the stretch, although the reduction in speed limit was not very well publicised (simply removing the NSL sign and replacing them with 60 roundels; that said, "they" could have been sneakier by simply removing the NSL signs as the preceeding stretch was already a 60 limit).

I calculate that reducing the speed by 10mph will have the effect of delaying my journey to work by as much as 15 seconds. Should I demand compensation?

_________________
COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

A580 at a glance, looks amazingly like ASBO doesn't it?

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

What practical difference does a reduction from NSL to 60mph actually make??

For me, I reckon as much as 15 seconds occasionally. I'm not really that bothered.

_________________
COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

I don't see the point, as it makes no odds whatsoever from a safety perspective.

I think it's huge from a safety perspective. The continuing ratcheting down of speed limits is bound to have a negative effect on experience-learning.

And the quality and quantity of our experience is the largest determinant of average crash risk.

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Loooads more signs and all the energy used in creating and installing them. More people getting used to driving illegally.

Strange they show lorries there, surely they will all be limited to less than 60mph anyway?

_________________
Andrew.

It's 10 mph less for car drivers, therefore off-peak the journey time is potentially increased by 15%.

Whether it is a reasonable idea on this road I couldn't say, I've never driven it. However, as Paul says, any reduction of speed limits leads to drivers relying more on just driving-to-the-limit and less on setting their speed according to the conditions.

As there are traffic lights every couple of miles the real-world journey time won't increase by that much.


Some sections are lightly built up, but there are long open-country sections too where I don't see 70 mph as unreasonble. The central reservation has armco all the way, and all the unprotected gaps have been closed.

_________________
"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

But what a nice big earner it will be, all in the name of safety

I'm a regular user of this stretch of the A580, albeit when I'm working, so it not being: "MY" time ..... I'm in no rush whatever the emergency.......I'll leave that up to my Employer..

All I can say is: "Watch this space" and I'll report back on any "scamola" activity as soon as I see it.......

A mobile speed camera unit was operating on the A580 the other night.

Curiously, it was not in the recently reduced speed limit bit, but over half a mile away (past a roundabout) opposite Catchdale Moss Lane.

_________________
COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

I don't like that road at all, and have said so in the past. If doing 60, it can be very difficult to stop in time if the lights begin to change against you at the most inopportune moment. A driver has to make that go/no-go decision and only has about ½ second in which to make it.

Given that there ARE traffic lights, would be better than ?

How was Sharon Lowe killed? Did she cross the road believing that an approaching vehicle was going to stop, but didn't?

Surely all you need to do is back off a bit when approaching a set of lights on green rather than assuming you can barrel through at 60 (or indeed 70). I don't see that the presence of signals justifies a blanket 50, or 60, limit along the entire road.

I know we've discussed before whether it's a good idea to have signals on NSL roads, and current guidance is certainly that they should never be installed from new. However, if the principle is accepted, then the likely result is not going to be a sudden wave of building grade separated junctions, but the installation of 400-yard 50 or 40 buffer zones on the approach to all signals on roads with higher speed limits.

Reducing the East Lancs to 60 has removed the largest single cluster of NSL traffic signals in the country, but there are still a fair number about in Lancashire and Cheshire.

_________________
"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

I think a more significant influence on safety at these lights is the presence of traffic light cameras (don't drive the route often but I'm sure I saw signs for them once there). When the lights do change there's that moment of "do I stop?" followed by "I'd better, there's traffic control cameras" so you feel the need to stop sharply to avoid getting snapped. Which brings obvious dangers for anyone following too close / not paying attention / thinking you and they can safely go through - which would probably have been the best option in terms of safety and economy of travel but for the fear of a computer-issued fine the choice is removed.