November 28th 05, 09:51 AM
posted to uk.transport.london,uk.local.london
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external usenet poster
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First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Dec 2004
Posts: 23
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NIP: Tower Bridge question
umpston wrote:
wrote:
umpston wrote:
I do not believe there are any speed limits of less than 20mph on
public highways in the UK. I doubt the police can specifically enforce
the lower limits that are often signed on private roads and in car
parks, although they might well be able to arrest you for something
else if they saw your fast driving as dangerous.
There is a posted 15mph speed limit on a public road I visit regularly.
As to whether it is legally enforceable, I couldn't say. What are the
criteria for enforceabililty?
I have been told that the boundary of the speed limit needs to be
signed on both sides of the road for it to be correct, valid and
enforceable, and this particular sign is on the left-hand side only.
Does the lack of a sign on the right hand side make it unenforceable?
Come to that, should the opposite face of the sign show the speed limit
in the opposite direction? This one currently doesn't.
Are you sure it is a highway? Not all roads 'open to the public' are
necessarily highways. Council estate roads, for example, often have
'private road' status even though they may be both publicly owned and
ungated.
Well, it probably is an ex-council estate road, given its location, so
that may well apply. I didn't realise is could be a 'private road'
owned by the council. Weird. Does that mean the limit is unenforceable
if it is not on a 'highway'?
If it is a highway, speed-limit boundary signs on both sides
would be the norm but one side may be sufficient if the road is narrow
(can't remember how narrow).
The main criteria for enforceability are the presence of the correct
signage, where needed, and the existence of a 'Traffic Order', made by
the appropriate authority, setting the speed limit. However, if the
speed limit in an urban area is 30mph on the basis of the street
lighting a Traffic Order is not required since 30 is the default urban
speed-limit. Similarly for rural roads the National Speed Limit is the
default unless there is a traffic order and signage saying otherwise.
And a traffic order will be needed for a 30mph speed limit if the road
is unlit or if the lamp columns are too far apart.
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