Call for 20 mph limit in urban areas
Saturday 14th November 2009, 2:57PM GMT.
Deputy Daniel Wimberley who is campaigning for a 20 mph speed limit in urban areas
A 20 mph speed limit should be enforced in all urban areas, Deputy Daniel Wimberley has said
The politician called for the change in a statement in which he strongly criticised a recent report on the Island’s speed limits.
The report, carried out by four States Members, said that the Island should introduce a maximum limit of 40 mph, reduced to 30 mph in urban areas and roads with no centre line and 20 mph in green lanes, housing estates and other residential areas.
It also suggested introducing on-the-spot fines and a penalty points system for motoring offences.
But the St Mary politician has warned that the recommended limits could endanger pedestrians. He said: ‘If this policy goes through the States I predict appeal after appeal as local residents in built-up areas demand the lower speeds which this review denies them.’
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That will worsen C02 emissions, as cars will have to be in 3rd gear maximum.
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On yer bike, Wimberley!
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Deputy Wimberley is one of those making a great deal of noise but failing in his duty to respond to e-mails correctly put to him by those who elected him into office. Perhaps if he concentrated more on substance and less on rhetoric then he might be better received.
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20mph !!!! does he mean for the cyclists?
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lets beat the motorist, he is such a easy target,
what do you want to do , bring back the red flag?
your time and others in the states should be better put to use.
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When will someone shut the this guy up, get a real job and life and maybe you’ll see how ridiculous your idea’s are. People have lives to get on with not be stuck in 2mph traffic everywhere.
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10 miles an hour makes a big difference when a car hits somebody. Sometimes a life or death difference. 30 is too dangerous for built up populated areas. If you do some research into tests that have been made the results make Daniel Wimberley’s proposal very logical.
In saying this most important of all would be sufficient facilities for pedestrians to walk to their local facilities.
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Be realistic. The traffic problems we have at the moment caused by speed limits are bad enough with out imposing more. If a little bit more common sense could be used in some of our politians attempt to use their voice to justify their position it wouldn’t be so frustrating reading these articles.
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Is he a friend of Rosemary Bead?
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Nobody observes the limit so why tamper with them until you are able to control them?
Emmissions are only relative to fuel consumption so just tax the fuel use without causing extra inefficiencies.
OK, not Deputy Wimberley’s solution. but creating a Vehicle Emmissions Duty will not be proportionate to emmissions because the duty is not relative to the use of the vehicle in any way. Some vehicles are rarely used whilst others are used all the time. The only rational solution is to tax consumption of Hydrocarbon fuels.
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Good call Deputy Wimberley, those who complain obviously do not about the vulnerable road users, those who perhaps can’t drive and are forced to walk along roads such as that which Deputy Wimberley is standing by in the above picture. It has a miracously disappearing pavement and cars ignorantly pass pedestrians at speed and very closely. Think about those who are forced to walk before complaing and if your still not bothered try walking from St Mary’s Church to St Mary’s garage.
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Flog that nonsense all you need to do is properly fine and sentence bad drivers. In the UK and Jersey people get away with hit n runs and killing other road users, They get 6 months and a £2000 fine no wonder this issue is a contentious one. There are many a loon on the wrong side of the road in bends and this random manner in which people pull out only happens in Jersey. As a car, bike, motorcycle and van driver the bad driving needs to stop. Yes old people need to get about and mobile phones used and the young can be a bit impatient at times as can I. But if you hurt someone because you don’t want to spend £50 on a hands free or have had enough of that git in front, It should impact your life as much as it has impacted there’s. I myself have caused accidents and have been on the other end as well. So if I were to be killed because of dangerous or careless driving, what ever punishment I would see fit for them, That should also be the punishment dished out to me.
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So Mrs Rosemary Bead reveals his true identity, it’s Bimberly after all.So 20mph in residential areas, that’ll be most of the island then, of course there is an alternative – people can look where thay’re going. I maintain that it is is impossible to get knocked over by a car unless – 1. you are a child, 2 – an imbecile, 3 – blind drunk and I should know, I’m a blind drunk imbecile.
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I am worried about Worried, and his/her contribution to this thread.
Worried has told us that “creating a Vehicle Emmissions Duty will not be proportionate to emmissions because the duty is not relative to the use of the vehicle in any way”.
He/she then concludes by saying that “the only rational solution is to tax consumption of Hydrocarbon fuels”.
Dear Worried, a tax on hydrocarbon fuels, such as petrol and diesel, is in itself, a way of manipulating vehicle exhaust emissions (only one m, by the way).
If the tax on fuel as it comes from the pump into car petrol or diesel tanks is raised, then the incentive to burn that fuel drops.
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OK Deputy Wimberley, Le Main & Ozouf – lets just do it now get rid of all motorised transport and go back to a horse & cart. No polution,speeding etc – in fact we wont have a transport co to subsidise anymore – no traffic wardens or what ever they are called now, no DVS and most of the police force can go, no road works or delays, cor, the saving to the states in these areas alone would be 10′s of millions. No car parks, lots of green areas instead and better still, no need for clampers.
and finally no motor trade – poor little old Jersey can go back to the dark ages where the residents of St Ouen will be fearful of crossing the parish boundaries.
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Like i’ve said before, If Bimbleby wants to make St.Mary’s a 20 zone all well and good,But he has not got an island wide mandate so he should have no say with what happens outside of his parish.
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He wants to get off that junction I have seen many a crash there from the usual I am coming out you stop! My car is superior to yours.
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Why do so many of the above correspondents get uptight about the speed limits that Daniel Wimberley has suggested?
Surely the limits are all just about right for the conditions described. We are talking about real life hazard ridden road conditions not about what a car can do in the hands of the Clarksonesque.
What is wrong is that they should need to be obligatory when most drivers should be able to work out for themselves that the speeds make good sense.
If cars can’t run efficiently at lower speeds (the current favourite justification from the pro speeding lobby)it means that they need redesigning to cope with the current market instead of the 1970′s sales rep. culture of the road warrior.
Diesel engines and some electric motors are very capable of providing plenty of torque at low revs. It is underpowered petrol engines that have to scream in order to do any real work.
Anyone who finds driving at a lower speed than they are accustomed to excruciatingly boring should try walking the same route when they have some spare time.
They might then realise what a boon wheels are, over shoes as a mode of transport. They will also notice quite how many cars nearly leave the road whilst doing their Clarksonesque cornering.
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While on about speed limits lets make HGV limits the same as cars, it would stop the lunatics overtaking a 30mph HGV on a single lane car 40mph section.
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I don’t doubt that 20mph is safer in an accident than 40mph, but 10mph is surely even safer, so why not go that low?
How many accidents are caused by exceeding the speed limit? I don’t know about Jersey, but Home Office figures in the UK put it at around 5%.
I used to just drive at whatever speed seemed safest for the road/conditions, and this method served me well for years; then I got stopped by the Police and accused of speeding. As it happens they were at fault, I was in fact driving below the speed limit, but it made me more wary of their presence as my job now relied on my licence to drive.
So I started to obey more acurately the speed limits, and this has proved even more dangerous as I spend more time braking while looking at my dashboard than I did; more time worrying about being rear-ended by the frustrated driver behind me; more time bored at the wheel and losing concentration of the tast in hand.(using the same HO stats. as above I am therefore now more likely to cause an accident than I used to be!)
To drive at or below the speed limit is actually quite hard if you’re a good driver, less so if you a poor one.
At least it’ll stop me getting stopped by the Police though… well actually no; drive at the speed limit on an empty road at night and the Police car that ‘speeds’ up behind you will assume you’re hiding being DIC and almost always pull you over to be breathalised!
Don’t reduce the speed limit, improve driving standards and get those damn cyclists to obey the highway code/common sense.
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20mph seems a bit low, although I have not found many roads in St Helier, where it was safe to drive as fast as 30mph.
As in the UK we seem to have a driving syndrome, that feel that they are required to drive at the legal speed limit regardless to the prevailing conditions.
Sadly; up until about 10 years ago; I used to recommend Jersey as a fine example of its courteous and considerate driving.
Since then on both the Island and the UK, standards have deteriorated so badly, I now breathe a big sigh of relief, and feel so much easier when I get on the French roads.
What both jusisdictions need is more appropriate penalties for offences of dangerous or reckless driving, especially those that result in death or serios injury, to include meaningful prison sentences, and vehicle confiscation.
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It seems that this argument has two possible solutions
1.Force the driver of any motor vehicle to get out and push in urban areas.
2.For Deputy Wimberley and company to move to Sark.
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Where is the proof based on studies that this is the case. I have walked many times on the pavements on the road in St Mary he refers to and not felt threatened. I suspect that if he acheived his way he would very soon be after 10mph and so on. He should be more honest and reveal that he is a push bike rider and hates cars!
Come on Wimberley get on with what we are paying you for, to address the serious issues and stop jumping on the populist band waggon. You are not going to be re elected anyway so try and do some real good in your remaining time!!!!
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some years ago(70s)a group of motorcyclists were taken to task, for going too slow on vic avenue.
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Fantastic! Now, is there any chance of some joined up thinking coming from these guys? More 20mph limits would be terrible for the environment. I believe we cared about the environment recently? I remember reading something about taxes to get people off the roads? Never mind that 20mph at night is ludicrous, it should be 8am-6pm ONLY.
I walk on the roads regularly (as well as driving). It’s easy to not get knocked down, as lond as you have a brain, clearly many citizens of Jersey are just thick as mince. Make yourself visible for one, stay aware (no headphones in your ears), cary a torch at night, … Too many walkers are utter idiots with no concern for their own welfare, then they want to blame the drivers! It’s getting beyond a joke how much pedestrians and cyclists are getting away with blaming drivers.
Pedestrians, take some responsibility for yourselves. Be seen, be safe! Same goes for cyclists, most of your reflectors don’t even reflect anymore, keep them clean!
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Leah Holmes #5
Good post, excellent advice !
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Go Wimberly, Go, Go, Go!
Leah Holmes you are so so wrong. The 20mph speed limit would force those who think it necessary to buy large gas guzzling 4 x 4s, Super Sports cars, and cars with top end speed limits which eat gas like theres no tommorow, to think again and buy greener cars than ‘show off look at me im great’ cars! And before you argue the point about needing a 4 x 4 to protect children, and disabled people needing bigger cars – there is no argument. A vehicle is a vehicle.
This is neither an argument about how easy it is to avoid being knocked down. You have missed the point. The point is accidents are a reality, call them acts of god if you wish, the chances of serious injury are lessened when hit at 20mph than 30mph.
why are you all so negative about this proposal – it helps the Island and the world. Stop being a bunch of moaning old NIMBYS and find some real issue to raise the hair of your hairy backs about – like the war in Afganistan, world wide poverty, child abuse (you get the point).
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Don’t mention the war in Afghanistan and Iraq I could post reams on why these shouldn’t have happened.
Normally an accident at 20mph is safer than 30 or 40mph fact.
It is crass stupidity to have 40 mph country lanes when the main road next to it is 20 mph.
It is also crass stupidity to have a 15mph green lane which, because it changes parish, becomes 40mph.
It is therefore logically to standardise all of the above and doing away with the 15mph green lanes and making them 20mph along with built up areas is a good step as far as I am concerned. 30mph should be in place in other areas which border these zones so as to prepare people to slow down or speed up when entering or existing these 20mph zones.
Unfortunately due to excessive numbers of vehicles on the island roads this is the way of the future. As car numbers go up grid lock will ensue so 20mph may come to be viewed by those in the future as a golden era in the past when people could drive at a minimum of 20mph and up to 40mph!
The elephant in the room which no one is addressing is population growth. Without controlling this draconian measures on car ownership, and the use of, must surely be on the cards, whether people like it or not.
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I have faced months of degradation, mockery and personal attacks by bloggers on this site rearding my opinion that a 20mph speed limit should be enforced in Jersey.
It seems all of those who wrongly attacked me and mocked my ideas now have a serious amount of egg on their faces. As they say here in Jersey, if you don’t like it “theres a boat in the morning” So take your bitter eggy faces off the Island and go and live somewhere else!
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Why all the fuss about reducing speed limits to save lives??
Exactly how many lives have been lost on Jersey roads due to someone speeding?
There really is NO PROBLEM so it would be nice if these politicians actually looked at trying to sort out REAL PROBLEMS, such as drugs, feral youth, benefit fraud, tax evasion, wasteful states spending etc, etc.
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Waow #27 if only making assumptions were an Olympic sport.
I have never argued about 4WDs being safer, they’re not!
Disabled people do sometimes need bigger cars, but again these are NEVER what YOU would call a 4×4 (a misnomer anyway) Most 4x4s are too high off the ground for disabled people.
I really don’t know where you get your information from but it certainly brightens up an evening
You only need a 4WD if you need one, the one car I use is 4WD but does very few miles. So I do my bit for the environment. It also does get used off road (as a necessity) so no-one can argue on that front.
Do I like it? Not really, I don’t care much for it but I won’t be taking a Maserati down the ‘roads’ I have to go on.
I’m not materialistic at all so your arguments are really not intended for me one little bit
The 20mph WOULD be worse for the environment so you won’t actually be happy with a 20mph limit (if your previous posts were your genuine opinions). Most accidents actually do NOT have to be a reality. Pedestrians and cyclists are often just complete idiots, especially those with pets, or they rate looking ‘cool’ above their actual safety when using the road. If I’m using the road as a pedestrian I do so in a way that keeps me safe, and I’ve had quite a few drivers thank me for it too, so they obviously agree that there are things pedestrians can do to keep themselves safe.
It’s so easy in life to pass the buck. And it’s now common place to pass the buck. Well for once people should actually take responsibility for themselves and their own behaviour and stop blaming everyone else.
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Should say, out of all the people I’ve got to know in my life, only ONE has even been hit by a car and that was a drunk driver (something that the speed limit won’t do anything about!)
That’s a lot of people, a lot of years and only 1 incident.
But then the people I’ve got to know tend to be sensible and use their brains, they also take responsibility for themselves.
It’s amazing how the frequency of accidents (which are hardly any in Jersey anyway) could be reduced if people just used the brains they were given! To get knocked down in Jersey you either have to be the victim of a crime (someone driving dangerously or drunk) or a complete idiot. I reckon the most that do are probably in the latter category, and I make no apologies for that, hopefully being knocked down has made them take more care on the roads!
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to put it simply, this proposal would have validity if the traffic on our roads caused a correspondingly high level of fatalities or casualties.. the same issue in essence as that to enforce the wearing of seat-belts in the back of cars..
while both wearing seat-belts and reducing speed limits does reduce the risk of fatality in an accident, one has to consider that such a risk is relatively minor in jersey..
regarding fuel efficiency and the environment, due to our speed limits no vehicle in jersey can run at it’s optimum legally.. the general ideal speed is approx 55mph for most cars, probably intended for motorway conditions..
as J Lamborrari put it, what’s really required is adequate driving standards..
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@ Mrs Rosemary Bead #27
“…why are you all so negative about this proposal…”
Because 20mph is a ridiculously slow speed at which to drive a car. As such, people will not adhere to it any more than they will to proper lane discipline, better parking, indicating, appropriate speed; and if you’re going to suggest the 20mph speed limit will be enforced, why not just enforce the current laws and vastly reduce accidents without slowing traffic down?
It’s pointless, if well-meaning, legislation; it shows how the Dep. and people like him think up on-paper ideas that won’t work practically; all bark, no bite.
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Leah Holmes #32
Which is why police now refer to what was called an RTA (road traffic accident)as an RTC (road traffic collision). They are caused by lack of awareness, stupidity or recklessness.
There is no such thing as an accident !
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@ PJG #35
“…There is no such thing as an accident !…”
Rubbish! That the police have decided not to recognise that accidents happen is because they want to be able to find somebody to blame.
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#34 well said.
This is a knee-jerk reaction penalising the majority because of a handful of people. In no other part of life would this be allowed but drivers are now villified to this level it seems.
If the authorities actually applied the existing laws properly there would be no problem, but because they haven’t done their job the rest of us (AND the environment) are going to have to suffer! Ludicrous.
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Leah Holmes says:
“Waow #27 if only making assumptions were an Olympic sport”
She then goes on to say:
“Pedestrians and cyclists are often just complete idiots, especially those with pets, or they rate looking ‘cool’ above their actual safety when using the road”
and then,
“…hopefully being knocked down has made them take more care on the roads!”
she then gives us an insightful:
“Should say, out of all the people I’ve got to know in my life, only ONE has even been hit by a car and that was a drunk driver (something that the speed limit won’t do anything about!)”
The madness! is she for real?
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I’m not sure what Deputy Wimberey is on but I don’t think that it’s this planet.
20 mph is insufferably slow and would only contribute to an increase in road rage. I drove through the St Peter’s 20mph zone today and would willingly have slapped someone before I even got to the end of it There is no need to drive that ridiculously slowly.
The reason for driving is to get where you are going quickly, to get from A to B in a decent amount of time. If people intended to travel at just 20mph they would walk, or cycle.
Pedestrians need to accept that they are responsible for their own safety and use the common sense that has pervailed throughout time to keep them safe.
Everyone, drivers, cyclist or pedestrian, needs to face up to the fact that they are responsible for their own actions and take care accordingly
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Rose Bead
“It seems all of those who wrongly attacked me and mocked my ideas now have a serious amount of egg on their faces. As they say here in Jersey, if you don’t like it “theres a boat in the morning” So take your bitter eggy faces off the Island and go and live somewhere else!”
Just because another deluded sole in the form of wimberley has the same ridiculous opinion as your good self it doesn’t make it any less of a ridiculous idea….and it certainly does not make all of us that disagree with you both “wrong” as you put it.
Perhaps you, as the minority in this argument, would be better suited to find somewhere else to live…..perhaps Sark would be more appropriate……if they would have you.
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BS Toilet Roll,
Ridiculous opinion! Its an opinion that you don’t agree with. Wimberley agrees with me and some others on this blog. Rather than mocking me why not think of a constructive argument instead? Typical Jersey response.
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#38 You clutch at straws again. I am for real. They are NOT assumptions, I pass cyclists and pedestrians when using the road myself (either walking or driving) and have noted that the majority do not follow the proper rules or make themselves visible.
I don’t know what your point is in attacking me because it doesn’t change anything. I ACTUALLY want to see the rate of collisions on the road drop, others (like yourself) SEEM to just want to penalise drivers. The two are NOT the same thing!
I’m unsure why you think a change in speed limit will stop drunk drivers but please enlighten me? Remember, drunk drivers are not going to give a hoot what the speed limit is so changing it from 30mph to 20mph won’t mean that they do 50mph instead of 60mph.
As for the people I know, these people all (bar one) live in cities and have to cross much busier (and faster roads). The ONE I know that has been knocked down lives in Jersey and did so at the time also. Despite it not being his fault he is more careful on the road and I genuinely do hope that those who have been knocked down (whether their fault or not) are more cautious because of it.
If you would rather that being knocked down caused them to be more gung ho about road safety then lowering speed limits is probably the way to go. I can just see pedestrians taking even less responsibility for their own safety than they do now. Do you consider that a good thing?
If you want to disagree with me for the sake of it then fine, but I want measures that force everyone to take responsibility for their own behaviour (drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike) AND harsher punishments for the minority of drivers that do break the rules. We are all responsible for keeping ourselves safe on the roads, and we are all responsible for the environment, an environment that you seem to conveniently have forgotten about all of a sudden! 20mph is worse for the environment than 30 or 40 mph, check with the Environmental Protection Agency if you don’t believe me.
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#39 I agree, these speeds are also difficult in an automatic, which some of us need to use for genuine health reasons!
No-one has stated if common sense will be used to time limit these speed limits. I would never object to 20mph when school kids are around, you can’t trust parenting these days after all. BUT, nowhere should be 20mph at night. This will just turn into another money making scheme and there will be no less collisions on the road.
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J Lamborrari #36
You say accidents happen without somebody’s “lack of awareness, stupidity or recklessness”?
Are you talking about “Acts of God” or motoring incidents, I am talking about the later I have yet to see or hear of one that was not avoidable.
When these incidents occur we need to find out why so as to prevent them happening again, I am not saying the cause has to be intentional or require punishment we are all human and fallible but to just put it down as an accident is to remain ignorant of the cause and a cause there must be.
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Rose Bead
Woohoo….Wimberley agrees with you and a few on this blog. Good for you.
Fortunately for the rest of us you do not represent the majority and those of sensible and rational thought do you want or need this.
As for a constructive argument….we’ve all done thsi already at some point and frankly I am bored of engaging you on the subject any further because you are blinkered in your pursuit.
Furthermore, you are quite the hypocrite considering your attack on Leah (comment 38).
Your comments are more of an irritant than a reasonable argument……no offence
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Road are the safest they have ever been as they are. Sometimes I wonder about these so called politicians only concerned about speed to get voted in. It so happens it’s a minority of people who complain. Maybe we should go back to horse and cart and ride a rusty old bike like he does! Grow up and move on to the 21st century please. Jersey quotation”it’s an accident waiting to happen” How sad can you be! live your life to the full! Let’s make people criminals by going over 20mph…:0)
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@ PJG #44
I’m driving along a well lit road in dry conditions, the posted speed limit is 30mph, I’m traveling at 18mph paying full attention to the road ahead.
A dog runs out into the road 12″ ahead of my car, even though my lightning reflexes allow me to brake, I can’t defy physics and the car travels over the dog; killing it.
Was I acting stupidly?
Was I being reckless?
Was I showing a lack of awareness?
Do I say to the owner of the dog (an 8year old girl, as it happens);
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid there’s been a terrible accident.”
or
“I’m sorry. but there’s been an avoidable incident which we should both learn from.”?
“…we are all human and fallible but to just put it down as an accident is to remain ignorant of the cause and a cause there must be…”
I agree we are all human and fallible, I’ve never claimed otherwise. Nor have I suggest that all incidents should ‘just’ be put down as accidents; of course there’s always a cause, but to not be able to recognise that a cause can be accidental is to remain ignorant of the fallibility of humanity, and of nature.
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There always seems to be discussions and reports about reducing speed limits and yet when ever the subject of driving in Jersey comes up socially 99% of the time people are complaining that the traffic moves so slowly and it takes so long to get short distances in Jersey and that it is almost impossible to overtake a slow moving vehicle due to all the traffic calming measures on our roads.
In my view you can only go as fast as the car in front so what is the big deal. Let traffic flow at the speed that the roads dictate.
I understand that accidents happen and injuries can be caused, but in life these things happen and it is generally not down to excessive speed, it is usually stupidity and lack of attention on one parties part and that can be the pedestrian or the motorist.
Modern cars have such incredibly improved safety systems these days and can stop in far shorter distances than the official statistics say they should that were set decades ago.
Clarkson proved this on Top Gear when he made a modern sports car stop from 120mph in the official stopping distance for 60mph!!
Lets be sensible and put in place an all island limit of 60mph and be dictated by the road conditions and the car in front otherwise we may as all go back to the horse and cart (and even more sh1t on the road)
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Bs Toilet Roll,
You side with Leah Holmes in your comment 45 and use the argument that prople like you and her have ‘sensible and rational thought’. Read my comment at 38 again please, before making such ludicrous statements.
Despite what you say, the 20mph speed limit is coming, and you have therefore lost. At no point did you put forward reasoned argument, your attempts to slight me were pathetic. That said, whatever indiffrences we may have i.e. Im normal and you are from Jersey, the 20mph speed limit is on its way and thats all that matters as far as i am concerned
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J Lamborrari #47
I do hope your scenario at 47 was fictional, if not my condolences to all involved.
As I said before it’s not to apportion blame, it’s a need to stop it happening again.
From your post I cannot see how YOU could have avoided the “incident”.
Your question what do you say?, how about both.
Perhaps to the 8 year old girl, anything that will assist her coping with her loss.
The basic cause of this incident, IMO is a dog was loose on public highway (lack of owner awareness, recklessness or stupidity). So perhaps to her parents if they are the owners who are responsible for the dog, a few questions of why was an 8 year old in charge of a dog on a public road if that was the case (you don’t say how the dog got loose ).Or why was the dog allowed to wander off their property.
I hate what ifs but what if it happened to a not quite so experienced driver as yourself and they had swerved from the dog wiping out the 8 year old girl.
Yours is a sad story, better for all to learn from it than to carry on regardless.
I hope that when you recount this story to others you pass on to them how to react when confronted with such a dilemma, to brake hard hoping to stop in time, or to swerve and hit who knows what?
all can learn from this incident
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If the motorist has ample time to spot that there’s a dog around, off the leash, then the motorist should be careful and slow down. But, if the dog is allowed to run out into the road from nowhere, unexpectedly, then it’s hardly the motorist’s fault, is it? It’s just bad luck and bad timing if the two collide – it could just as easily happen at precisely the wrong moment if the car is only doing 10mph and the dog just happens to slip under the wheel.
In fact, the faster the car, the smaller the window of opportunity for a collision as the car is “in the wrong place” for less time
You can’t reasonably expect all traffic to crawl along at snail pace just in case of highly improbable freak events, that’s impractical. People need to excercise due care and diligence near roads. Let’s keep a sense of balance here! Can’t people realise that roads are potentially dangerous – instead of always blaming just one set of people using them?
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I am amazed no one has noticed wimbles fashion foo-pah of wearing socks under his sandals in the headline photo.
I giggle every time I see it.
If he really wants to be taken seriously he must give more attention to detail.
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D Wimberley – go do a crossword or something to pass the time until your out of office (20mph – ha!)
Get rid of the 20mph zone in st peters and everywhere else is fine.
If your driving a car ensure its road legal and drive safely ( weather conditions etc)
If your walking or cycling do so safely if theres a pavement, use it. if there isnt then be aware that you are on a road and there will be cars passing you. so be safe and been seen (also always walk on the right so you can see the cars coming towards you)
Anyone banging on about the enviroment or about wars in iraq or world poverty please stay focussed on the subject. This is about speed limits nothing else. go hug a tree or something but dont use these as excuses to support a pointless argument!
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48. Well pointed out. Although probably not the best example to cite, stopping distances have advanced somewhat from those quoted in the highway code… What did they test these distances in? A Morris Minor with bald tyres on a wet road?
A little know and very hush hush fact is that the stopping distances in the highway code have NEVER been updated since it was first produced in 1931! From 30mph it officially takes 45feet to stop a motor vehicle, I on the otherhand put this to the test and found my Range Rover can stop from 30mph in 11feet (the dog’s still not forgiven me!). And before any clever clogs with an adenoid issue says ‘Actually the stopping distance quoted in the highway code from 30mph is 75feet’ I didn’t include the distance for ‘thinking time’…
20mph is a silly speed to try and make people stick to… as I have commented before I have a classic car and the speedo on that only starts at 20mph!
Not to mention the fact as already pointed out this slower speed is much worse for the environment than doing 30mph as you are only travelling two thrids the distance whilst using the same if not more amount of fuel.
Although my final point is more of a judgement call than a fact, I would say that the majority of driver going through a 20mph limit spend more time paying attention to their speedos than the road in front of them as they are worried that if they happen to creep over the painfully slow 20mph barrier they will spend the next 45 minutes talking to plod and breathing into machines!
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Why dont we just walk?
You can always be a bit safer in every aspect of life
- it would be safer still to drive at 5mph
- it would be safer not to have cars
- it would be safer to stay at home
- it would be safer to lock yourself in a padded room
If Bimbleby wants to live his life like that, good for him. But get a life and stop trying to ruin other people’s
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There is a certain Green Lane with one of thouse smilley face things, and when I drive along this road, my son reminds me not to speed. I am therefore listening to him and watching my speedo and this sign, and I have recently realised how far I actually travel along this road without watching the road ahead !!!!!
Interestingly, I nearly has an accident in this same road one morning ! I was running, without my glasses, and I did not see the cyclist comming the other way !!!
Generally, the slower the speed, teh less attention one pays to what on is doing !
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Rose
You make me laugh…….with your childish name calling….still on your magic mushrooms old girl?
You started your blogs with a semblance of sensible comments, but now you have rapidly deteriorated into childish rants and when you don’t get the following you desire you attempt put downs. Your sanity is now very questionable (and not just because of your silly and selfish pursuit of 20mph limit island wide).
“Despite what you say, the 20mph speed limit is coming, and you have therefore lost.”
This comment just proves you are delusional. This will NEVER happen island wide as you desire….even our clueless politicians aren’t that stupid (Wimberley aside) to allow this happen – they’d have to abide by this limit too and that would be too much of an irritation for them.
Now go an take your medicine and have a nice little nap my dear….you must be quite tired after all this excitement
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#49 Nothing you said in post 38 made any sense, nor was it actually a comment. That’s probably why it wasn’t considered rational?
You have, again, failed to answer any points put to you. Have you suddenly stopped caring about the environment? Do you actually think pedestrians and cyclists should be allowed to do whatever they want on the road with no consequences?
I think we should remove all dangerous drivers from the road, but your suggestions won’t do this, that’s why I disagree with you. I would love to see the environment helped, but your suggestions actually work against it, so I can’t support you on that issue either! In fact, from various studies that have been carried out over the years, all your suggestions will do is allow stupid people to take even less responsibility for their own behaviour and own safety, in a world that is crying out for people to actually grow up and start taking responsibility for themselves. And so while the severity of accidents may lessen in the short term it could return to form in the long term as pedestrians and cyclists take even less care on the roads.
I would find your opinion on this subject somewhat laughable if it wasn’t just a little bit sad. But then many of us seem to have formed the opinion that you’re just in this for a laugh.
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#56 Warren, I have heard from people within the Police force who do believe that to be an issue. There is a level of skill and car awareness that you can only build up if you have driven at higher speeds and on varied roads. And of course, the smoother the journey… I would like it if we had skid control within the driving test, as well as some level of track driving, too many people need a wake up call as to how lethal a car COULD be and how easy it is to lose control.
At 20mph there is also the seatbelt issue. I have spoken to a retired Chief of Police who would recommend not wearing a seatbelt when driving at that speed. Indeed, back home seatbelts are simply not worn (unless my nephews visit, they are not old enough to understand so we do it to set an example). Speed limits aren’t enforced either and drink driving is only enforced by your friends and family. As there is no hospital nearby people are simply more aware of the need to be sensible. If you are considered too drunk to drive someone will take your car keys off you, and if you did behave like an idiot on the road you’d get an earful of numerous people. It must sound extremely odd to Jersey people (N.B I do believe in zero tolerance to drink driving over here) but I can’t remember the last time there was a road accident!
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Its a marathon not a sprint!
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I think that Jeremy Clarkson had the best idea. He suggested bringing in legislation that requires all motor vehicles to have a six inch spike fitted to the centre of the steering wheel facing the driver. This will soon focus the driver’s attention, reduce excess speed when not appropriate and increase the level of driving standards.
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@ PJG #50
“…how about both…”
Are you accepting that there is such a thing as an accident, or saying it’s okay to lie?
What about a tree, being struck by lightning and falling into my path: accident, or avoidable ‘incident’?
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