Talk Morgan Forums Thread Like Summary - New speed limit in Wales clarification

For anyone coming to visit us from outside of Wales from tomorrow  🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

There seems to be some significant confusion here in Wales ahead of tomorrow's Speed Limit change and so, I thought I would help by briefly explaining how the change works so that there can be no confusion:

Any roads that were previously 30 will now be 20 apart from the roads that aren't going to be 20, which will still remain as 30. When you see street lights you have to assume that the roads will be 20 even if the signs still say 30 because despite the signs saying 30, the roads could be 20, apart from, of course, the roads (as explained above) which will remain 30 despite them being 20. It's also important to remember that there will still be a number of roads which despite them having streetlights will not be 20, and in these cases they could be 30, 40, 50, 60 or even 70, however, always bear in mind that even if the signs on these roads still state 30 they could, of course, be 20 unless they are one of the roads that have been designated 30, in which case the 20 restriction will not apply.

I trust that clarifies. It's really not difficult.

It amuses me when I see comments from people saying they won’t visit Wales due to the 20 rule. That seems like a knee-jerk reaction based on the media reporting and focus on very opinionated sources.
I live in West Wales in Llanelli. The largest urban/population centre West of Swansea. I drive in the urban area and rural with regular visits to Cardiff using the M4 then a route through Fairwater, a route I searched for as an alternative to the one you’d consider first.
My views AND experience of the 20 limit.....
Pre imposition I was in favour of limited zones where sensible. Schools etc. Make as many of these variable so 20 at key times.
When driving I was puzzled at why some speed limits are in place when roads suggest different ones. Both higher and lower. Single track rural lanes with NSL ! Really? Excellent roads with no population, industry, side roads etc set lower than other roads with potential hazards. The logic seems inconsistent.
Lee Waters is the politician behind the 20 limit imposition ( yes imposition). His idea is that the default limit was always 30 with options to change in the hands on local councils. He decided to change that to default 20 with council options to amend where they thought appropriate. Reasoning being saving lives ( from a quoted 10 to lower, but what lower number) plus the added plus point of cleaner air.
Reality.....not every previous 30 limit road was changed to 20. In Llanelli there are many roads still at 30, the ones I use are basically through routes and side roads linking to these become 20 limit. The same in Cardiff on my route to visit sospan jnr.
Over the years I have used local knowledge to choose routes through built up areas to avoid congestion at busy times, speed bumps, changing routes to suit time of day, weather etc.
Since the 20 zone intro I have experienced the following.......
Drivers , myself included, looking for and wary of speed zone changes. Yes, changes down and up. There are so many that it gets confusing as to which zone you are in. Looking for signs and speedo is more prevalent. This isn’t just me but others I speak to.
Congestion is higher. My impression based on what I see on regular routes before and after. Queues at choke points are longer. Good for air quality and driver exasperation? There is more stop-start type driving due to changes, the speed bumps were bad enough!
Quality of signage is not consistent. One place I pass through is signed 20 yet within yards there is a 30 sign still in place yet the road seems to stay a 20 zone based on published data and other signs. A significant number of signs have been sprayed with paint obscuring them. Is it 20 or 30?
Effect on journey time is not, so far, an issue for local journeys but I can see how longer ones through villages can be affected. The ambulance drivers I commented on in an earlier post show an effect. My Cardiff trips are not really affected as there were 20 zones on my route anyway and I am ok with them as the route is a better one than others.
Cost......estimated £33M .
Reasoning.....rather than increase and enforce speed limited zones where sensible a blanket change was thought better. That seems, to me, a politician looking to be influenced by extreme group influences as if to “ look good”. Fear of being seen and accused of negative views. Surveys of the population were ignored as if done purely for show.
The petition.....shows a very significant negative opinion on the change.
So, my conclusion is change the zoning to one where local knowledge can put sensible limits in place where appropriate. Vote of no confidence in Lee Waters. When interviewed his tone, language, body language indicate “ do as I say “. My guess his days as a Sennedd Member are limited, not just for this topic but others as well. A career politician with strong personal views and thick skin.

Oh, and forgot to mention it was quite wet some days

I wonder if all this will focus some attention on the anomaly that cycles (and I presume by extension e-bikes) are completely exempt from speed limits ... and focus a good look at the legislation around bikes in their modern incarnation.

K

We have had a blanket 20mph limit in our area for several years now, supposedly introduced to reduce harmful emissions and make it safer for kids walking to school. Personally I stick to the limit which really winds up some drivers in a rush, and Amazon, supermarket vans, DPD, Tesco, EVri, DHL, FedEx, UPS, local postie...

Funny thing is I have NEVER seen the limit monitored or imposed, NEVER heard of anyone getting a speeding ticket despite seeing it happen on a daily basis, and as for kids walking to school, huh, it's the school run cars that are the worst offenders

Apparently we have to modify the national flag too


[img]https://www.tm-img.com/images/2023/09/25/IMG_0154.webp[/img]

I’ve heard the same buffoons are proposing extending birihdays to once every two years for all concerned citizens, far too many of us are killed by old age and something needs to be done.