Wales 20mph limit starts Sept 17th - a heads-up

colinm said:
Due to the nanny state only around 1/4 the people killed on the road nowadays than in 1970.
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Sorry Colin but that's very misleading. I drove the 70s and the brakes, tyres, steering and suspension etc were pretty crap, so any reduction is more likely to do with vehicle development, and that has nothing to do with any state nanny or not but the manufacturers wanting to sell safer cars.
 
Pudsey Bear said:
Sorry Colin but that's very misleading. I drove the 70s and the brakes, tyres, steering and suspension etc were pretty crap, so any reduction is more likely to do with vehicle development, and that has nothing to do with any state nanny or not but the manufacturers wanting to sell safer cars.
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Maybe your memory is getting poor, seat belts where a major part in cutting deaths, before the law changed very few people I know bothered with them. Then there was 'everyone' taking the piss out of Volvo bumpers, now crumple zones and pedestrian safety is all part of the 'nanny state' rules, this is why Tesla's Cyber Truck is unlikely to be sold in europe.
 
Volvo were one of the first if not the very first to fit seat belts, and sold a lot of cars on that basis, but your point was you seemed to be happy with the nanny state.

But why do it the way they are they used to have TV adverts on safety aspects, like seat belts, crossing the road etc, now because it cost them they just make regulations and laws.
 
The main problem with all of this is that it’s a money saving populist move rather than a real road safety measure.

It’s takes a lot of time, effort and money to determine which roads genuinely need a 20 limit. So it’s easier just to apply a blanket limit. But because drivers will see that many are not appropriate, they will ignore them.

Add into that the huge problem that many motorists ignore zones like this unless they are actively enforced, and it’s a great opportunity to save lives that’s been missed, all because councillors want to win the “I’m green and care about kiddies” badge” without having to do the hard work.
 
Rolyan57 said:
The main problem with all of this is that it’s a money saving populist move rather than a real road safety measure.

It’s takes a lot of time, effort and money to determine which roads genuinely need a 20 limit. So it’s easier just to apply a blanket limit. But because drivers will see that many are not appropriate, they will ignore them.

Add into that the huge problem that many motorists ignore zones like this unless they are actively enforced, and it’s a great opportunity to save lives that’s been missed, all because councillors want to win the “I’m green and care about kiddies” badge” without having to do the hard work.
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That's exactly what happened on our Urb in Spain.
 
We decided to not go to Wales as there are enough rules when driving as it is, it's a lovely country with mostly good roads and so are the people but there are limits to what I will do to keep people happy, 20mph isn't on it, except in housing estates where there may be kids playing.
 
Pudsey Bear said:
We decided to not go to Wales as there are enough rules when driving as it is, it's a lovely country with mostly good roads and so are the people but there are limits to what I will do to keep people happy, 20mph isn't on it, except in housing estates where there may be kids playing.
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England and Scotland have more people covered by 20mph limits, I think England has more miles of road covered by 20mph, but a quick google and I didn't see the figure.
 
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colinm said:
England and Scotland have more people covered by 20mph limits, I think England has more miles of road covered by 20mph, but a quick google and I didn't see the figure.
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This may be true, but I've not really noticed it in England or Scotland so far.

It's not so bad in the car and it's normally local anyway with only one 20 limit but the van isn't happy in the lower gears, and I'm not sure it'll do the EGR valve any good labouring it in 4th or 5th.
 
Pudsey Bear said:
This may be true, but I've not really noticed it in England or Scotland so far.

It's not so bad in the car and it's normally local anyway with only one 20 limit but the van isn't happy in the lower gears, and I'm not sure it'll do the EGR valve any good labouring it in 4th or 5th.
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You should never 'labour' a vehicle in a unsuitable gear, here in rural Bedfordshire I regularly drive through 20mph zones, in either the car or van I use 3rd gear.
 
colinm said:
You should never 'labour' a vehicle in a unsuitable gear, here in rural Bedfordshire I regularly drive through 20mph zones, in either the car or van I use 3rd gear.
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On a speed awareness course I was told that you should drive in as low a gear as possible to avoid drifting over the speed limit.
 
colinm said:
You should never 'labour' a vehicle in a unsuitable gear, here in rural Bedfordshire I regularly drive through 20mph zones, in either the car or van I use 3rd gear.
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As I said it doesn't like low gears.

We used to educate people/kids on how to cross the road (so much for the nanny state) we used to educate our kids as parents but now they get driven to school and spend a lot of time on games consoles, we used to ride to school on our bikes.

It seems all the responsibility is being put on the driver these days and of course we should take care when driving but so should everyone else, take responsibility for your own safety, don't rely on someone else who may be distracted from looking where they're going.
 
this just reinforces my plan never ever, ever again to ride / drive in Wales ever again.. :mad:
its such a small place with hardly any crime but the coppers must have something to keep em occupied I suppose :unsure: like nabbing folks going over 20mph .. sad buggers
The Welsh government, like the Scots, completely overreacted to the Covid nonsense a few years ago to score brownie points
 
As I posted earlier, the problem is they promised to do this if elected, and nobody believed politicians would do what they promised.
 
Robmac said:
On a speed awareness course I was told that you should drive in as low a gear as possible to avoid drifting over the speed limit.
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So pretty well all cars will do at least 20 in first, then stay in first all the time, as it's possible, really. And in an auto ??? Sound advice 😀😕🙄
 
Pudsey Bear said:
It's not so bad in the car and it's normally local anyway with only one 20 limit but the van isn't happy in the lower gears, and I'm not sure it'll do the EGR valve any good labouring it in 4th or 5th.
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You are going to love travelling through French villages and small towns. The number of roundabouts, ramps, chicanes, and 30 KPH sections will have you working those gears.

Do remember though, that in France, when you come to a stop sign, STOP, and count to 3 before moving off as it is said the Gendarmerie like to hide and pounce on transgressors.

Davy
 
yeoblade said:
So pretty well all cars will do at least 20 in first, then stay in first all the time, as it's possible, really. And in an auto ??? Sound advice 😀😕🙄
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They actually recommended 2nd or 3rd in a 30 zone and said if you go up into 4th you automatically speed up to keep the revs down.

Back then the course included a spell out on the road driving and when you do it it does kind of work. But no, not in an automatic.
 
TeamRienza said:
You are going to love travelling through French villages and small towns. The number of roundabouts, ramps, chicanes, and 30 KPH sections will have you working those gears.

Do remember though, that in France, when you come to a stop sign, STOP, and count to 3 before moving off as it is said the Gendarmerie like to hide and pounce on transgressors.

Davy
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Davy. you are on the money. Travelling through France is no longer a pleasure. the speed limits have dropped and as you say a plethora of horrible ramps in small towns which play havoc to my motorbike trailer. French gendarmerie eager to stop and fine for the smallest of misdemeanors too.
What's wrong with em? its a massive bloody country?
 
Robmac said:
They actually recommended 2nd or 3rd in a 30 zone and said if you go up into 4th you automatically speed up to keep the revs down.

Back then the course included a spell out on the road driving and when you do it it does kind of work. But no, not in an automatic.
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Rob. I have done 2 speed awareness courses.. so they really work don't they :unsure:
the class instructor said keep to 30mph in 3rd gear
But my car is a 4.2 L V8 auto .. ??
a bit difficult but not entirely imposable
 
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