Single hen

[Lesley]

....anymore

 

I passed my test when I was 17 and I've always loved driving but now we have had 50 mph limits imposed on nearly all the main roads around Stratford.

 

It's not that I want to speed everywhere but 50mph on a decent, wide, main road with no other traffic on it is sooooooo boring. I run more risk of causing an accident by falling asleep than I ever did by 'speeding' at 60mph I'm not talking about an accident blackspot either - that would be different.

 

There is one stretch which they haven't got to yet.....and I managed to be stuck behind someone who pootled at 45 all the way from Stratford

[Cooks]

in this village I get stuck behind tractors all the time, that ruins my driving experience!.

[Guest]

Well around here there are a lot of 50mph limits just on the dual carriageways in town.

 

AND now on a HUGE stretch of the A127 - complete with average speed cameras. It's going to be a MASSIVE revenue generator. It's also dead dangerous as people have no idea where the limit changes (coming on from slips the signposting is diabolical). The response to the complaints about signposting has had them make sure there are electronic signs - the one I passed the other day said the Average Speed Check was Eastbound - BUT from where this road joins it is ALSO Westbound. There is a sign saying 50mph as you go westbound, but it's been put practically on the roundabout - where most drivers are busier watching traffic than reading signs and then there are no signs along the rest of the slip. Further along this road the speed changes back to 70 BUT there are more cameras and motorists keep braking as they are now confused about which speed they should be doing.

 

It's so darned dangerous along there now I avoid it like the plague.

[Lesley]

I can't see that it is all to make life safer either - I think they're mostly just money traps

[Guest]

It is an area where there have been a lot of accidents BUT it's heavily congested for a lot of the day and there may be accidents but not at high speed!

[Goosey Lucy]

I regularly drive part of the TT course. It's great fun!

 

However almost all roads here are single carriageways.

 

But driving is much more fun

[Egluntyne]

We have speed bumps to contend with all over the place in Sheffield.

 

And speed cameras.

[Lesley]

Is that the voice of experience, Egluntine?

 

I think I'll move to the Isle of Man........

[Cinnamon]

The bane of my life is the 30mph limit imposed on the main road between Henley & Reading. Its a ridiculos speed - they also imposed it in the villages, mine included, which is fine, but on such a main road it just doesn't feel right to go so slowly.

 

It used to be 50

 

Just before Christmas I was followed by a Police car, so dutifully pootled along at 30, only to have him, then a Royal Mail van speed past me at 50 ish to overtake

 

I love driving too

[miffy]

the road we live on is part of a coast run that is very beautiful, all single carriageway on bendy roads. Most of it is derestricted including where we are. we live between 2 blind bends and regularly hear the screach of brakes as drivers find they are going too fast we just wait for the crunch. The road is a favorite of the motorbiking fraternity on a sunday

Other roads including duel carriageway in sone places are 50 or even 40 ITS CRAZY

[Egluntyne]

Is that the voice of experience, Egluntine?

 

Yes I got clocked doing 36 in a 30 zone a couple of years ago.

Turns out the signs were all illegal at the time as they were all on yellow backgrounds, which meant that they didn't conform to some traffic act or other. A fact that I found out too late, or I wouldn't have stumped up without a challenge.

[Chickvic]

Just be glad you're not stuck behind one these...or parking next to them

 

 

Edited to add I drive - NOT like this, nor do I assume you do

[Saronne]

What's the rush, everyone? Life's too fast...

 

 

Saronne x

[Plum]

Is that the voice of experience, Egluntine?

 

Yes I got clocked doing 36 in a 30 zone a couple of years ago.

Turns out the signs were all illegal at the time as they were all on yellow backgrounds, which meant that they didn't conform to some traffic act or other. A fact that I found out too late, or I wouldn't have stumped up without a challenge.

 

Yes its advisory you shouldn't have got done. How daft is it charging someone doing 36. Its just trying to make money not keeping roads safe or the police would put more effort in to stopping people who drive dangerously not those who drift a few mph over the limit. speed cameras for speed cameras sake. grrr

 

And I also find it totally frustating having to do 30 or 40 on a wide road with few houses. How daft !!! just so they can make money from trapping people.

[Snowy]

Just be glad you're not stuck behind one these...or parking next to them

 

 

Edited to add I drive - NOT like this, nor do I assume you do

 

Oh my word, that was hilarious. I had to watch it twice I was laughing so hard I couldn't see

 

I also got done doing 36 in a 30 zone. I went on one of the driver training courses - there were 20 of us and everyone had been doing 36! They said that it was part of a gradual process of slowing down the traffic and that at present it was only triggered if you were going 36, but that it was due to be dropped to 35, then 34! I don't mind in towns to be honest, but I do like just a little speed on a lovely long country road

[The Dogmother]

I noticed those speed limits on Saturday Lesley and wondered where they'd sprung from. As you say, they are pointless on that road as it's wide and safe.

 

Love those video clips - reminds me of people who can't reverse; my road is narrow, with cars parked on both sides, so effectively reduced to a single lane. I was driving down the road when a woman came in at the bottom and raced up towards me and we both came to a stop. When she didn't move, I got out and pointed out to her that ther was a parking space behind her that she coudl reverse into so that I coudl get past... she said that she couldn't reverse and was scared to, so with nowhere to go myself other than reverse back up the hill, I parked her car for her and then my own.

 

She shouldn't be allowed on the road!

[Lydia]

There's a stretch of the A4 between Maidenhead and Reading where you can play spot the speed limit. First it's 40 then changes to 50, then you can do 60 for a bit before dropping back down to 40 again, then back up to 60 before going right down to 30, then back up to 40 and finally down to 30 again (or usually much slower because you've reached all the standstill traffic).

 

This is in a distance of about 10-12 miles!

[chickencam]

I have to admit that I really struggle to reverse and to parallel park My husband is confused by this because the rest of my driving is pretty good. I can reverse around corners and do 3 point turns but going backwards in a straight line or getting the angle right into a parking space is tough for me.