Reducing road speed limits

[On the Hoof]

Just wondering if anyone had had any success in getting speed limits reduced on rural roads. My main hacking route is a totally inappropriate 60mph aswell as a cut through for lorries to access an A road. The road narrows in many places and there are lots of bends. The route is on the national cycle route and there are a few livery yards in the area so I felt that there would be enough evidence of vulnerable road users to maybe try and get the speed limit reduced. Just getting fed up with it as it stands. Any advice? Success stories ?

 

[cobgoblin]

You need to write to the parish council as a first step and get others to do the same.

 

[Antw23uk]

Its a lovely thought but reducing the speed limit wont stop people who drive over the speed limit anyway. Those are generally the ones who cause the accidents! We have a speed limit around where I live of 30 mph ..... its very rare you will see someone driving 30mph or under!

 

[pennyturner]

You need to write to the parish council as a first step and get others to do the same.

This. But it takes ages. Parish has to go through Highways, there's a consultation process etc. etc.

We had a tiny little dead-end lane, basically a paved path, and access for a couple of cottages, which was part of a local riverside walk, and has more kids, dogs and pedestrians down it every day than cars by a factor of 50:1. It still took 3 years to reduce it from 60 (insane) to 30 (ridiculous), with the full assistance of an good Town Council.

 

[pennyturner]

Forgot to add.

...unless there's been a fatality. Fatalities speed things up.

 

[be positive]

Its a lovely thought but reducing the speed limit wont stop people who drive over the speed limit anyway. Those are generally the ones who cause the accidents! We have a speed limit around where I live of 30 mph ..... its very rare you will see someone driving 30mph or under!

It also won't stop people going too fast for the conditions, even a 30 mph limit will not always be the appropriate speed for the average rural lane when you have no idea what is round the next bend, the national speed limit applies to most of the lanes in the countryside and a few think that is the speed they should drive at, nothing will change their mindset, put in a 30 limit and they drive at 30 if you are lucky with no thought to going slower.

 

[Antw23uk]

It also won't stop people going too fast for the conditions, even a 30 mph limit will not always be the appropriate speed for the average rural lane when you have no idea what is round the next bend, the national speed limit applies to most of the lanes in the countryside and a few think that is the speed they should drive at, nothing will change their mindset, put in a 30 limit and they drive at 30 if you are lucky with no thought to going slower.

It's scary that the country lanes round us are national speed limit. I'm by no means a slow driver but getting to fifty is enough for me on half the roads so 70 is ridiculous!

 

[cobgoblin]

It's scary that the country lanes round us are national speed limit. I'm by no means a slow driver but getting to fifty is enough for me on half the roads so 70 is ridiculous!

Umm...70 is for dual carriageways and motorways. Otherwise the limit is 60.

 

[Horsewithsocks]

Good luck with that, depends on the council I guess, I live on a 15mph lane - people routinely go at 40mph - the worst offenders are the mummies with their large vehicles at child collection time.

 

[On the Hoof]

Oh well, You have all depressed me now ! Nevertheless I will continue to investigate and see what can be done - toddles off to find contact for parish council...
thanks all, its as well to know it would be a hard and long fight. I still think its worth it although I take the point that you cannot legislate for idiots (my words ).

 

[Biglets Mummy]

Im going through this at the moment. I live and keep my horses on a " C " class lane that has the national speed limit on. Its also used as a cut through by big cement lorries,gravel lorries etc. Outside my cottage the lane is under 6 foot wide and their is simply nowhere for horses,cyclists or dog walkers to get out of the way.
My Parish council have been fantastic and we are going through the lengthy process of getting advisory signs put up saying " Unsuitable for HGV " etc. We have also put our own signs up asking people to slow down.
I've been advised that getting a speed limit lowered could take up to 15 years !! And poss up to 5 to get the signs approved but I am keeping going.
The best advice I can give you is get your Parish Council on board. Make sure you go to the meetings and put your point over with as much evidence as poss - I write letters and phone transport managers when I see these idiots hurtling down the lane ( sometimes on their phones) and CC the Chair of the parish council, videos, photos all add to your argument. Get others to write to the parish council as well.
My father had a very near miss a few months ago and I reported it to the Councillor who immediately rang our local PCSO who logged it as a " Near miss" on the lane.
I may be perceived as a nuisance by some but my parish council have been nothing but supportive. If it saves one life be it human,equine or doggy then being a nuisance is worth it in my humble opinion.
Good Luck OP xxx

 

[Blythwind]

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Agree with what others have posted though - it will be a long and slow process, and may never be approved. Councils tend not to reduce speed limits for any reason other than road safety (usually after a series of accidents and/or a fatality). This is mainly because they do not want to leave themselves open to enforcement issues - e.g. if they make it 30mph but people routinely drive at 40mph etc.

 

[On the Hoof]

Thanks Biglets mum..you have given me some hope that we might be able to do something even if this doesn't lead to reduction I'd speed limit.