Speed limit cuts
Wednesday 18th January 2012, 2:57PM GMT.
Protests for a reduction in the speed limit on the road outside St Clement's Church have been successful
MOTORISTS will be forced to slow down on several Island roads after the Transport Minister approved changes to speed limits.
Roads in St Clement, St Lawrence, St Peter and St Brelade are among those that will have speed limits lowered to 30 mph from 40 mph in the move to be implemented this week.
Transport Minster Kevin Lewis said that it would cost about £5,000 to put up the necessary signs.
‘It will come from the TTS budget,’ he explained. ‘It’s all being done in-house.’ Deputy Lewis said that the changes came following requests from parish officials.
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£5000. That’s about 1/20 of the cost of one fatal acident investigation. So where’s the problem?
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I am so wedded to my ‘Len Norman’ 30 MPH, I stick to it all the time, even when in go getting Grouville. It just makes sense, Jersey roads do not favor speed..
No I am not 30 MPH road hog, I favor 80 MPH (130 KPH) for my motorway driving
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“Deputy Lewis said that the changes came following requests from parish officials.”
Sorry, I thought the whole idea several years ago of taking the control of speed limits away from Parishes and put with TTS was to prevent exactly this – inconsistant and inappropriate limits being implimented. These are main arterial routes and should be 40mph were possible, the St Johns main Road and Mont les Vaux ones beggar belief !!
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Good idea, now that cars are safer than they have ever been force them to drive more slowly. Of course the idiots who drive at whatever speed they please will continue to do so but it will be sucessful in frustrating the law abiding motorist.
I’m astounded that a bunch of ill informed fools can exert such influence, speed does not kill bad driving does, whay don’t you insist that bad drivers be identified and forced to re train. Lets start with people who fail to indicate, drive without lights in the winter months, run amber or red lights – nah couldn’t do that it might work, lets just reduce speed limits instead.
Bunch of bloody idiots, do some research to discover what causes accidents, lack of concentration, using mobile devices, not being aware of road conditions or allowing enough stopping distance.
Modern cars can stop in half the distance quoted in the highway code, can drive into granite walls at 30mph without injuring the occupants, even hit sleeping pedestrians with a lesser impact due to impact absorbing zones.
Aargh, the lunatics have taken over the asylum!
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I so agree with you about mobiles. I drive a bus in London. The two biggest bum twitchers, drivers and pedestrians texting whilst moving, and cyclists with personal stereo’s. Mind you the ‘You WHAT!!!’ prize has to be the numpty peddaling down a busy high street on a bike while holding the mobile in one hand , using the other hand to text. They must practice for hours, you surley can’t be born that stupid!!
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How about old man in a silver merc sl going towards town on the avenue,10.45 tuesday morning-right hand holding steering wheel,left hand holding electric razor having a shave!!!
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I kind of agree to be honest, there is no point in lowering limits if there is no enforcement. Perhaps if there had been enforcement on these roads before there would have been no perceived need to reduce the speed limit. You can lower all the roads limits but as can be seen from the green lane I live on unless someone is there to enforce the speed limits today’s selfish arrogant drivers will drive down it as fast as they like. Often munching sandwiches, texting, applying make up, swigging from a can of beer, you name it I have seen it. I would also like to be unpopular and support the use of far more speed traps to catch the mindless idiots on our roads. Getting well fed up of the complete indifference to the dangers of poor driving a lot of drivers have these days, I’m sure it wasn’t this bad 10 years ago!
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Is this a joke? This will not save any extra lives…. Educating idiots will though on the following subjects…..
1. Pedestrians – How to safely cross roads (i.e when traffic is not approaching)
2. Cyclists – How to observe road signs (i.e not riding up a No Entry)
3. The Ageing Motorist – A car test retake (i.e for when your over 90 and blind)
For those that don’t agree, yes, you are among the idiots!
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4. Drivers – Red lights mean stop (i.e. when you jump them every morning at the Don road junction)
5. Drivers – How to observe road signs (i.e not driving up a No Entry)
See youtube channel BadJerseydrivers for proof of the above.
Sorry reality CHECK but you forgot the main culprit of offences in your list, the motorist.
If you don’t agree you are among the idiots!
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Whilst I agree with most of Reality Checks comments, I agree in part with yours, there is blame on both sides. I think more care from all road users and that includes, pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicle drivers would keep our island more safe.
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What a joke! It’s just been proven that most people drive faster than the speed limit already in place. Oh well.. i shall continue to speed whilst on my mobile phone as Jersey police only bother to catch you a few weeks out of the year anyway.
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bring back the red flag.
lets red tarmac the areas too, so the easy target motorist knows where they are and not looking for the sign, which is becoming over grown.
the fact that it will save lives and cut accidents remains to be seen.
it will boost the parish coffers though, bet the hobby bobbies will be out in force.
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The more speeders the Honorary Police catch and charge, the lower your Parish Rtaes will be!!
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This decision should be based purely on scientific data but unfortunately it has been based on peoples opinion. If they had £5,000 to spend on reducing the number of road accidents only £500 should have been spent on lowering the speed limit. The £4,500 balance will not see any return on investment.
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The descion is the diffrence bettween hit by a vehicle of about 1.5 tonnes at 40 mph and 30 mph is At 40 an 80% chance of death at 30 an 80% chance of survival. I was extremly sceptical when I first saw the figures, but they do appear to be acurate. Scource was ROSPA.
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Tony B,
The stats you quote are valid, but they have to be cross referenced with absolute numbers in terms of serious injuries and fatalities. So tell me: when was the last time a pedestrian was seriously injured or killed by a car travelling at 40mph in Jersey when there were no other factors (e.g. alcohol, due care etc.) involved? A few years ago is the answer which is good on a densely populated island with hundreds of miles of roads. Yet look at the statistics from the 1960′s, when there were far fewer cars on the roads and far fewer people; on average 2 or 3 pedestrians were being killed every year. The stats show a clear downward trend of pedestrians being killed year on year so why reduce the speed limit now? Because people will feel safer, not actually be safer which is ignorant.
Obviously in the very unlikely event you are struck by a car you want it to be doing 30mph rather than 40mph but the current compromise shows that 40mph isn’t causing a major problem because so few people are hit. Life is risky and it is far better to educate drivers and pedestrians to avoid the situation altogether as not getting hit in the first place guarantees 100% survival. I suspect that is too difficult for some so instead it’s easier to provide what is effectively a placebo. The 30mph is a step further toward the erosion of sensible compromise and if you don’t want to compromise living life with the possibility of being killed one way or another then statistically it is too dangerous to get out of bed in the morning.
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Jocker, I agree that education of all road users is important. I am old enough to remember the Tuffty club and cycling profeciency . I also spent many years educating and examining Horse Riders for the BHS Riding and Road Saftey test. You can educate people to lessen their risk, a 30 mph sign should tell a good driver that there is a risk ahead, and to be prepared. As for a downward trend in pedistrians being killed, one point to make is there are less people walking outside towns. Two vehicles colliding at 30 mph rather than 40 mph makes a lot of diffrence to the occupants chances of injury and death as well!
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The counter intuitive fact is that the traffic on busy road flows better at a lower by sustained speed. This not just about safety but about better use of our limited roads.
Joker give it a try, you will find that a 25% reduction in speed from 40MPH to 30 MPH will have little or no impact on your journey times.
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If it is counter intuitive then explain why all speed limits shouldn’t be set at 10mph?
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It does work Mark. Doing my job you have to run to set times along a set route. Running early is THE capital crime, so 28 mph for Transport For London is the bench mark. It is one of the few perks of the job when someone in a car does everything to get past you, to come gently up behind them after a mile of so, and that includes stopping to let passengers off. A friendly little wave also cements the bond
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Science in motion! This being Jersey chaos theory will be the next logical step.
Thank you for your support. This is higher level maths.
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Is there such thing in the Guinness book of record as :
How many Ferrari and Porsche can you overtake in two hours with a beewee scooter ?
Can someone also tell the people in St Clement that the Tour de France is not coming to Jersey …
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Old flabby men in cycling gear…..surely after seeing that one needs to take ones eyes off the road!
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Can we have this enforced please? ie have some people out with a speed gun.
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Looking at recent accident statistics, a 30% reduction in road deaths would be achieved by outlawing motorbikes !
You know, if it saves just one life, it will be worth it……….
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If you had ever ridden a motorbike , you would appreciate that having done so makes you a better car driver. As a motorcyclist, You become much more aware of road conditions and others (drivers and pedestrians) potential actions. It’s not motorcyclists that are the problem, it’s drivers who are cocooned in vehicles that they can barely control.
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You’ve obviously never ridden a motorbike or you would know that you gain invaluable road conditions experience that cannot be gained by those who have only ever driven a car.
Motorcyclists make better drivers.
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A good motorcyclist does Nigel. The bad ones are a menace to all, To tweack your tail I’d say more so than bad car drivers as the motorcyclist seem to think if there is a two inch gap in the traffic they have a perfect right to blast through it. Intrestingly if a motorcyclist is caught in France or Belgium blasting down the outside of a queue of traffic, they are fined on the spot, and often escorted back the way they came. And yes I have had bikes in my time.
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To be honest Nigel, Warren J has a valid point.
Whilst I would never support a ban on two wheeled vehicles, Warren’s comment makes a mockery of the speed limit reduction idea which is a shot in the dark approach to saving lives. If the States really did care about reducing serious road injuries, no matter the flack they would take or effect on the economy, then statistically banning bikes is the first thing they should do. But they don’t really care, they’re just pandering to a bunch of NIMBYs.
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Lets get back to the original thread, and that is that by reducuing the speed limit to 30 mph on certain roads, this will make them safer. Well no, those who gun it will still crash, while those going about their ligitimate daily business will live in fear of creaping over a now reduced limit. Basically, the more idiots who crash, the lower the limits will go for the rest of us ! (Remember at school when someone did something wrong and did not own up, the whole class got punished !)
Nearly 30 years ago, I got caught doing 57mph in a 40 zone, and was duly punished. I had done wrong by a fair margin and took my punishment and I respected the police and magistrates decision.
Metering out the same punishment to me now for drifting up to 35 mph in one of the new 30 zones while driving my wife and son to the shops and my lasting impression of the judicial system would be significantly different.
The circumstaces of recent fatal accidents beggar belief ! A car crashes racing style, bouncing off walls on both sides in a 30 mph zone. Someone else drove straight into a wall ! And recently, a biker has somehow been killed in a 20mph zone, in an accident involving no other vehicle.
And it is on these statistics that my remark that banning bikes would reduce fatalities by a third ! And yes, I have a full bike license
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Yep, and outlawing cars will reduce 95% of the accidents…
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there is a bloke on a honda trail bike who appears from nowhere in the morning plod up le varines hill.
i am a bike rider of of 34 odd years , both on and off road .
and you sir are a total plank, one day i will phone the ambulance when you are spread on the floor .
also you are the bloke who gives bikers a bad name .
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Don’t really know what to say to this, TOTAL JOKE!
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Sad, oh so sad. I agree with everything you say Mulvie! And all you others too.
The pleasure of driving and I emphasise the word pleasure has all been but taken from us.
All I ever do now is worry about who is lasering me or following in an unmarked car ready to pounce for any infringement possible. Lewis YOU are no better then the last incumbent!
Jersey is going ever backwards with the driving saga and is it any wonder why so many road users are frustrated.
Wel, I shall continue to drive on these road that SHOULD be 40mph and sod the 30mph, i’ve lost all respect for the law now.
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How convenient that they are able to change the 40 mph to 30 mph, but when asked to increase the 15mph to a more realistic 20 mph we were told it couldn’t be done!
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If all the people who like ‘growth’ push off to Hong Kong and all those who don’t like these perfectly reasonable speed limits push off to Germany, The island could end up as a half decent place to live.
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push off to Germany ???
Yes parts of the Autobahn network have no formal speed limit just an advisory 130 KPH (80 MPH). Go above 130 KPH and get into any trouble and watch out you will be held to blame even if only in part.
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C L V
It will surprise you to know that Germany’s autobahns are statistically among the safest roads in Europe.
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This is just another example of our dictatorship going to another level.
This will NOT save lives. It will criminalise the rest of the law abiding population though.
This is not about the loss of life that we have seen recently but about filling the coffers of the parishes with our money with new fines.
It is unrealistic to drive at the speed limits that they have now passed it simply won’t happen.
Welcome to Jersey’s new dictatorship.
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Here’s my take on it… IF motorists adhered to 40mph these speed limits would probably continue to exist? but unfortunately folk tend to believe that creeping up to 45 maybe 47/48 they are staying within what maybe an acceptable speed? but 40 means 40 so you folk that want to break that limit maybe you just spoiling for yourselves? like i say just my take on it ;o)
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Good point. People generally know that they will not get pulled over or summonsed to the parish hall if they are doing only 5 mph over.
So why not make the limit 35? Then these people would drive at 40.
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Usual States easy-fix crock on sh…
For those who believe that this reduction in speed limit is designed to reduce road accidents/deaths, ask yourself this, how many road accidents/deaths are due to alcohol rather than excessive speed?
Driver education is the answer rather than reducing speed limits, but that would be too much like hard work for our States.
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When I read the bit about 40 means 40, for one moment I thought you were discussing a future tax level. Phew!
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Don’t hold your breath !
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Tony B “The descion is the diffrence bettween hit by a vehicle of about 1.5 tonnes at 40 mph and 30 mph is At 40 an 80% chance of death at 30 an 80% chance of survival. I was extremly sceptical when I first saw the figures, but they do appear to be acurate. Scource was ROSPA”.
Sure but how do you get hit by a vehicle in the first place. If you have chosen a sensible place to cross the road, have stopped looked and listened and chosen to cross when nothing is coming. The only way you can get hit is if some idiot is speeding and really tanking it in which case the speed limit wouldn’t have made any difference.
It’s about time that pedestrians and cyclists and any other vulnerable group accepted responsibility for their own safety on the road rather than force drivers to adopt punitive speeds on the off chance that a sleeping/texting/drunk pedestrian strays into their path.
People who obey the speed limit are not the problem, it’s those that don’t who will ignore the new limits that need targeting.
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Ideally a pedestrian should stop , look, listen and then look again. Nothing new there the Tuffty club was blasting that message in the 1960′s. However the mobile phone and personal stereo didn’t exist in those days. Wether it is your fault or not, hit a pedestrian , horse, motorcyclist or brown cow, YOU as the driver have to live with the consequenses.
The first word’s my instructor said to me after I passed my driving test were ‘Congratulations! You are now licensenced to kill’. As I’ve said in another post, a 30 mph limit sign will tell a good driver a hazard exists and be prepared. Death in life is certain, no known way to avoid it, but lets do everything possible to make sure that old age is the main cause. I’ve given eveidence in every type of court in England except a Coroner’s Court, and my life’s ambition is to avoid doing so.
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You would think, with all today’s modern technology there could be some sort of device that is strapped or attached to lamp posts in built up areas that will send out a signal to each car fitted with a sensor, this device will regulate your speed just like some vehicles are fitted with a governor. You could set the sensor at the desired speed to slow vehicles down; the only vehicles with out the receiver sensor fitted would be emergency ones.
It is also a fact, speed is not the killing factor, careless drivers with out thought for others are the problem; numpties who drive in fog or early morning and late at night with out warning lights. Boy racers showing off to friends, business man/woman in big cars thinking they own the road, and of course those who tail gate.
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Actually the technology for speed restrictors already exists – Sat Nav’s pick up the posted speed limit, subject to it being updated and some cars, such as Mercedes have speed restrictors that can be set. Link the two together and hey presto, you are there and no more speeding.
Trouble is that people would simply switch off and not realy concentrate on the road = more accidents, and no revenue from speeding fines !
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Great, what we have here is Government by Vocal Minority. If we get enough miseries to moan about having to drive too slowly, will they reverse some of these limits?
If we listened to minorities, we would have the death penalty back too!
The correct thing to do would have been to monitor speeds and set the limit so that no more than 15% of drivers exceed the limit. Like they’re supposed to. Like they do elsewhere in the civilised world.
Most drivers know what’s safe. This will just make criminal out of safe drivers and bring in more revenue if they can be bothered to enforce the new limits.
Another bit of draconian regulation from a Deputy most of us never got to vote against!
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No, if we listened to majorities we would have the death penalty back.
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You know something Baz, most driver’s will claim they are Safe! Even the numpties who have just spread some kid all over the road.
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The clue was in the word ‘most’.
Those ‘numpties’ are not in ‘most’.
Most drivers, while claiming they are safe, are indeed safe. Otherwise it would be constant carnage out there.
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What do the driver’s (sic) own?
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Brilliant, I can drive even more slowly now! We’re constantly being told how incredibly dangerous it is to drive at 31mph or above, so I do about 24mph instead. That should be safe and acceptable, right?
It’s great fun to look in my mirror at the queues of angry drivers stuck behind me. I just laugh and think “Tough luck – you can complain to the States if you like. You should vote, or vote better!”
Such fun.
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I also take much pleasure in getting as close as I can to the car in front and watching the panic in their faces when those irresponsible and more importantly DANGEROUS drivers are going well below the speed limit.
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BR, I’d suggest then you learn what information a maximum speed limit sign gives. That is a circular sign, white background with red edge and black numerals. The clue is in the word ‘MAXIMUM’, it means the highest speed in IDEAL conditions. It is the blue circular sign with white numerals that is the minimum speed limit. And I really cannot think of any of those in Jersey.
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Tony B
In your time at the Tuffty Club did you not teach people they can fail their driving test if they do not maintain a reasonable speed safe for the conditions? It’s called ‘making good progress’. If the conditions are good and you do not make good progress (i.e. unnecessarily drive below the speed limit) you will fail.
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We all know that the signposted limits are too low. People who insist on doing 30 in a 30 zone are a blasted nuisance and it is they who cause exasperation and ultimately accidents.
The only people who take the 30 limits seriously (they were introduced in 1987 without any consultation and arguable in breach of the law) are elderly people and those who cannot drive competently.
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Tony B,
As entertaining (and patronising) as your post is, it still misses the point that the most dangerous drivers are those who think it entertaining to drive as slowly as possible.
In most other countries it is an office to drive needlessly slowly, and it is these drivers who cause accidents, they may not be in an accident themselves but cause drivers to overtake when unsafe to do so, or make ill advised decisions because of the these ignorant people.
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When that happens, I get even more pleasure in slowing down even more! If someone is too close behind for the speed we’re doing, then I slow down until the speed matches the stopping distance. If that means a 5mph crawl, so be it.
You’re only going to get where you’re going even later than you were!
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PLEASE PLEASE STOP THE AMBER GAMBLERS…. People running red lights at junctions is such a joke, they did a feature a few weeks back but nothing has changed, ive nearly been hit several times this year already on my bike due to cars just going even when its red because they cant wait. All these traffic lights with cameras on top MUST be fake, as i thought they were to catch those who run red lights? but they dont. This goes for cyclists as well as motorists.
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The cameras on top of the lights are traffic flow cameras, if there is a queue of traffic at red and no traffic coming the other way on green it will change the lights earlier.
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The NIBYS strike again. Jersey does not have speeding problem but a NIMBY problem. If we continue to bow to the vocal minority we will have an all island speed limit of 15mph. To say this is in the name of safety is at best naive and at worst dishonest. It truth it is simply pandering to the vocal minority by the Connetables to get them off the phone! Most people who complain about speed have no idea whether the car they are complaining about is doing 40 or thirty. This is proved by the monitoring put in so called hot spots!!
The nanny state wins again
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I feel the reason for a lot of accidents and speeding is due to the fact that there are too many people driving well below the maximum limit, causing drivers to APPEAR to be driving recklessly/speeding to pass them. And others hogging the ‘OVERTAKING LANE’on The Avenue when they want to turn right as far away as La Rue du Galet.
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That’s because if we try to change lanes closer to our turn right, we won’t be able to get into that lane because of the constant stream of other drivers (almost bumper to bumper) who are too selfish to let us in. We’d end up having to stop in the left lane, waiting for a chance!
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Totally agree AP, Old git I get your point but when you try to change lanes for example at the town end of the avenue before the grand traffic lights you have had it. No one will let you in, even when it is not rush hour.
No wonder there are so many hoggers who stay in the “overtaking” lane.
Don’t get me on to the idiots who don’t understand the merge concept either.
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How would appearing to be driving recklessly/speeding cause an accident and how would incorrectly hogging the overtaking lane do the same. Similarly, how would someone driving well below the speed limit cause speeding. If they are moving well below the limit, you can overtake without going over the limit.
Annoying as these things might be, I cannot see how accidents will occur unless it’s to do with the anger that this causes. In which case it’s the anger that causes the accident, which can be controlled, if you want to.
The main cause of speeding and accidents is bad driving. Speeding is a form of bad driving. You can see from many of the attitudes of drivers on this discussion board that there are plenty of you bad drivers out there.
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I will drive my Honda Jazz flat cap special at 25 mph all along the coast road. It is fun to see how many cars I can accumulate behind me as I enjoy my slow-motion driving antics. The drivers’ faces represent every colour of the red spectrum. Those who drive for a living or who are trying to keep an appointment are particularly rosey. I like to go slowly to the supermarket during the morning rush hour. I never pull over to let anyone pass, not me, oh no. These people should leave home earlier.
The “flat cap” Honda Jazz edition will not exceed 30 mph and is not fitted with indicators.
It also has a slipping clutch as standard, so that the engine can run at 9,000 rpm while reversing and parking.
I have never had an accident in my life although I have been told that my slow driving has caused quite a few. I am, ins hort, a moving road block.
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Nice one, me too!
The only way to drive in Jersey is to trade in the sporty car for a wheezy underpowered lump of pig iron with the handling of a supermarket trolley. Fit it with a decent sound system so you can get some enjoyment out of the tedium by listening to good sounding music instead.
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An easy fix to all these problems would have been for the plastic bobbies to actually get out of their warm parish halls and do some work for a change.
They should be out every night of the week with speed guns on all the stretches of road that they have shown to be a problem with speed.
They didn’t do this because it was about generating revenue from fines. Not stopping speeding.
You can make as many laws as you like but it doesn’t mean people will adhere to them.
look at Deputy Rondels questions on dog poo! Its a law that they should’t defacate everywhere but the owners are still not prosecuted.
Why?
Because the motorist is an easy target and will have to cough up the dough for going 2 mph over the speed limit.
Welcome to the state of jersey, a dictators paradise.
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Dictator’s paridise? Try London all of the above, plus congestion charges, LEZ and mobile CCTV, bus lane cameras, mobile VOSA car tax camera’s……….
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So the new speed limits come into force today. I have no doubt that there will be much kicking and screaming initially, but, as ever, given time, we will all get use to the new limits and then at some point in the future, the Island will become a 30 mph limit. This will no doubt be driven by the Islands constables based on no evidence whatsoever of excessive speed on the roads causing accidents/injury to pedestrians. Don’t get me wrong I love my speed,but I keep it to the track. I support any road safety incentives for which where there is clear evidence to bring in calming measures. Were the Police consulted regarding the new limits? What was their input?Did the TTS just cave in to the Constables and what were the results of their study along these roads. If speed is such a problem then TTS should have a year round speed add in the JEP/CTV/ROADSIDE BANNERS etc etc. and maybe the driving test/training should be changed. Even with speed limits people will still speed, fact. Please don’t penalise the majority of law abiding drivers. Personally I think the new speed limits are a JOKE., as are TTS. Food for thought,Island wide speed limit 30mph means greater full consumption= less revenue for States!!!!
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I actually heard someone on the radio this morning saying “if they see that there’s no-one around, they go for it”.
Um, but if there’s no-one around, it’s quite safe to speed up a little, isn’t it? Who’s going to get hurt if the driver can plainly see there’s no living creature in (unobstructed) view for hundreds of yards?
Logic is beyond these complainers. Half the time they’re fuming behind their net curtains because of the sound of traffic. It’s not a safety issue at all for them, they just don’t like the 21st century.
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There is a downside to reduced speed limits. Lower limits lead to drivers concentrating less on their driving and taking in the scenery more. I know because it struck me that I was not paying as much attention while driving along St Clement’s coast road which I know like the back of my hand because of the number of times I drive along it.
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‘St Clement’s coast road which I know like the back of my hand because of the number of times I drive along it’
In which case, Nigel, you will have noticed that the route is extremely well endowed with hazards which make a 30 mph limit about right.
I remained fascinated as to why so many posters are hell bent on using as many facile arguments as possible to justify their urge to drive faster than is sensible in an island where there are so many dangerous roads. To me it highlights an obsession with being participants in the rat race.
Perhaps if a few of them walked or cycled their driving routes more often they would realise that 30 mph in the comfort of a car isn’t such a bad deal and a more than reasonable speed on most of Jersey’s roads. It’s been good enough for countless, far less hazardous urban roads in England for many decades and in recent years the trend has been to lower many of them to 20. I don’t recall seeing many, if any, raised.
To all the inevitable posts of ‘There are no such thing as dangerous roads only dangerous drivers’, by all means carry on deluding yourselves but don’t expect me to buy into the belief that a catch phrase automatically becomes a fact if repeated enough times.
To all those who are poised to tell me that brakes and tyres have improved, I won’t argue but I would suggest that you be thankful that they have improved but that will make no difference to collisions where speeding motorists are too inattentive to brake in time. Texting and talking aren’t going to go away and the growth in the number of ‘important’people constantly tweeting or checking email on smartphones will become widespread.
In fact, I might start reducing my speed by the same factor that the approaching car is exceeding it, in order to bring the impact speed down to a safer level!
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Yes, C. LE V., I know all the hazards on the coast road. What I meant is that when there was a 40mph limit you pay more attention to your driving than now there is a 30mph limit.
It was an observation of the effect a too low limit has on your driving.
Ps When I write your , I do not mean driving in particular but am making a general observation.
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What has the accident rate on these stretches been? I know the part of St John’s Road that was already 30mph is a bit of a black spot, but the stretch up to Sion has always seemed pretty safe. It is probably zero in the last decade or two for all of them, so there is no room for improvement, even if they went the whole hog and went back to requiring a pedestrian with a red flag to escort every car, Nineteenth Century style. Making trouble for nothing.
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My car has a built in data recorder that tells me my average speed in Jersey over several months has been 18mph.
And have you seen the bollards going up on one of the bends on the main road down from Woodbine Corner to St Aubins (a new 30mph stretch). What’s that all about?
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The roads “authorities” like to build bollards, dwarf walls and other dangerous road hazards.
The idea is to make the road less safe in order to force people to drive more slowly.
Our roads are being downgraded by a covert and barely legal process which we, as the taxpayers, are funding.
It is a perverse philosophy. Most sane road engineers strive to make roads safer. Those who engineer our roads are, however, apparently intent on making Jersey roads more dangerous in order to prove a political point.
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Cone heads, thank you. Now I understand – and I was right – it is a load of bollards!
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I actually believe that TTS have taken delivery of a bulk order of bollards at some point and they are just now trying desperately to use them up!
If this is not the case then can someone explain the new bollards that have sprung up on the Albert Quay? Absolutely ruddy pointless.
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C Le Verdic, It’s been good enough for countless, far less hazardous urban roads in England for many decades and in recent years the trend has been to lower many of them to 20. I don’t recall seeing many, if any, raised.
I’m wasting my time posting as no amount of argument will convince you otherwise but for those without closed minds…
Urban roads – define, my interpretation is roads inside built up town limits, those on the outskirts have 40 or 60 mph limits ( I know I’m English and have driven there, not read about it ) You can turn off now I’m making sense, cars are safer, brakes are much better, 40 mph is not fast save for a few ageing beans who have never driven off island and likely never passed any form of driving test.
Hazards, other than the obvious junctions, obscured entrances, absence of pavements all of which should be taken into account by any competant driver. A good driver constantly assesses the conditions and drives accordingly, anyone else should have their licence removed and that’s the point. Penalise those who fail to driver responsibly ( this has nothing to do with speed ) and leave the rest of us alone.
It’s an enforcement issue, it has bugger all to do withspeed save for in the minds of a few flat cap Jazz drivers who despise anyone who can see where they are going.
Oh re my nom de plume, I hold an advanced driving certificate, have passed my bike test, hold a racing licence and also HGV class 1 – in other words I’m death on wheels!
Mr Le Verdic you are mistaken, you and a nominal number of vocal NIMBY’s who have all but removed driving pleasure for the vast majority.
Now head back and take your meds with some nice hot chocolate before nursy tucks you in for the night.
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Fine for you, Advanced Driver/’death on wheels’, but what about all the retarded drivers whose skills don’t match yours?
By the way, I can’t think of many 40 mph roads on urban outskirts in the UK that aren’t usually inherently safer, mainly due to size and layout, than most of Jersey’s roads which are, in my opinion, generously rated at 40 mph.
Maybe the authorities who originally rated the roads at 40 shared your liberal thoughts on driver ability but it seems that the current limit setters are less sure of driver capabilities despite the much lauded improvements in car performance. Oddly, they never thought to poll all the boy racers before coming to a decision.
I find it rather sad that you see driving pleasure for the majority as directly proportionate to speed. However, as I have no desire to ride a motor bike or hold a racing licence we will have to assume that our urges are different.
I don’t wear any type of hat when driving,in the interest of feeling unencumbered and keeping my peripheral vision clear, nor do I drive a Jazz but a very torquey turbo diesel which doesn’t need to prove its vigour and doesn’t complain at slowing down where needed.
In addition to driving locally, I also do 15 to 20,000 miles a year in London suburbs mainly and know Jersey’s roads and Jersey driving habits like the back of my hand so I would say that my comments are generally experience based and safety motivated, as is my lack of confidence in other people’s supposed skills.
I will take your closing comment in good spirit. You might quite like some of my nurses. You would understand why I spend much of my motoring time parked up at beauty spots instead of speeding!
Regards, Clarence.
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You naughty boy, parked up at beauty spots with your nurses are you?
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Nice work if you can get it. Oooh matron!
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One at a time, Nigel, unless we are feeling adventurous.
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What’s the “we”? Are we talking group activity?
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“To be honest, I only really stick to the speed limits when I’m typing a text message out on my iPhone. Wasn’t aware of a speed limit sign in that area before, I’ll probably ignore this one too. I managed to hit a ton the other day in my 1990 fiesta xr2 which is a new record!
Hope you guys enjoy crawling around at 25-30mph, I sure the roads will be much safer now!”
…..
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advanced driver
fully agree….. jersey law is medieval get with the times and listen to the people who pay for signs…….
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concentrate on the bicycle riders who ride 2 or 3 abreast on the avenue or ignore traffic lights or jump off and ride on pavements as a motorcycle rider for over 30 years i do none off the above but people riding bicycles seem to do all the time as do horse riders we are supposed to give way to them but do horse riders pay the same insurances and road taxes as we do ??? NO they should give way to the people who pay to the highway maintenance n not sh?t on it
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….or
Ignorant pedestrians who cross roads without looking because they’re too busy texting.
Idiot drivers coming out of Grande Marche and failing to spot the beware of pedestrians, red stop sign on the wall and yellow stop sign in the road, forcing the pedestrian into the road to pass!
Ignorant driver’s parked on yellow lines on busy roads. (where are all the traffic wardens? They’d have a field day out there and could make a lot of money in fines!)
Idiot’s parked in “Keep Clear” zones.
Idiot’s queuing in the road just to get cheap petrol at the Motor Mall.
Idiot’s pulling out just in front of you without looking!
Dangerous driving/vehicles which take up more than half the road….the tractors and their dangerous cutting equipment are far too wide for our roads.
….the list goes on and on….
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What do the driver’s and the idiot’s own?
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What do the driver’s and the idiot’s own?
Vegetable’s (sic), usually, or sell them.
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Usually vehicles for drivers with limited driving ability like Porsche Ccayennes, BMW X5′s, large Volvos etc.
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They clearly don’t own any books on the correct use of the apostrophe.
These book’s are worf there wait in gold, innit!?
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C Le Verdic – thanks for taking my post in the spirit it was intended to be read in, it would seem we agree. The problem is one of enforcement, the current law penalises all for the faults of a few, it’s a blunt tool. There is pleasure to be had driving at any speed although the thrill increases incrementally providing it is enjoyed within the confines of the law and common sense.
Lets have a well orchestrated campaign to remove all bad drivers, not just those who speed, I’m sure our new chief is up to the job. Seriously remove anyone from the road who speeds excessively ( ie who would normally face a parish hall enquiry or court appearance ) or who drives significantly below the speed limit, jumps amber lights, doesn’t pay due care and attention.
Ban the excessive speders for a year and force the rest to abstain from driving for a month during which time they must take and pay for their test again.
Hell that would be a lot of kids walking to school and a lot of 4X4′s sitting in driveways, course the NIMBY’s wouldn’t be happy but then they never are, they would just have to find something else to whinge about.
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Had a good laugh on my way home the other day, pillock in a Ferrari creeping up the road in the traffic jam at about 20 mph gunning it up all the time, what a moron.
I suggest if you want such a stupid car go and live somewhere you can drive it.
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He will be someone who is over-compensating for an anatomical inadequacy.
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Can’t say I’ve ever noticed a Ferrari to know what one looks like, Over Pop, unless they are one of those cars you are supposed to know instinctively.
I used to enjoy pulling up alongside Porsches and asking the driver if that was a Polski Fiat (a kind of Lada lookalike).
Obviously this wasn’t in Jersey as there is seldom room to drive two abreast except at the end of the Avenue and nowadays I’m too busy checking facebook, twitter and my emails to bother about the cars alongside!
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With the roads falling into a third world state of repair it comes as no surprise to me that the speed limit is being cut.
Mind you if the population keeps soaring the speed limit will naturally fall due to continual traffic jams.
38 yes the standard of driving is abysmal. The number who can’t drive properly is growing and when I am out and about it is the 4×4 drivers who are in the majority. The amount who can’t judge the width of their vehicle or even reverse is quite worrying. Most of these are the ones who are on the school run for some reason.
37 have to agree the numbers of inconsiderate cyclists are growing. When they go round in large groups it makes it all but impossible to pass them. As far as I am concerned they should be banned from riding 2 abreast and from going around in groups.
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I drove everywhere this morning at 25mph……..its a lot harder than you imagine but boy it was fun seeing the long queue behind coming up St John’s road……..looking forward to tomorrow when I get stuck behind the usual cyclist, I have the radio full blast and enjoy a relaxing slow drive to work……..could get used to driving at 20 to help stop all these accidents that happen because of speed…….not seen one yet in 40years of driving, but witnessed several due to stupid driving like, not stopping at a junction, or stupid parking on a corner….even an biddy forgot see was in gear when she was parking and smashed the car in front……the TTS are looking in the wrong place……….PS…….still not banned by the Coop for parking in a Mum and children’s spot..but that’s another storey….
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I am driving at 30mph in a 30mph zone, another vehicle catches up, obviously exceeding 30mph, it then slows down then speeds up again and then tailgates me for a short distance, this is then repeated several times, can someone explain what is going on, if it is a hint that I should speed up or let them overtake they are going to be disappointed, ANOTHER PEASANT totally agree with you, JOSE people like me who drive at 30 in a 30 zone are obeying the law
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We are all wasting our time, nobody is listening. If you want action ring up your connetable and give him or her hell. This is what the NIMBY’s do and it reaps results!!! simples
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I wonder if the police will stop you for driving too slow….I got overtaken by a cyclist this morning in town……
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TTS presumably have the expertise to ajudge whether the lawful 40 mph island wide limit is reduced in certain areas or all, but Parish Hall amateurs have gradually usurped that, naming and enforcing their own limits at will, which could actually increase the probability of traffic accidents in certain areas.It’s time that road and traffic management control is retained by those at TTS and not by well intentioned amateurs in individual parishes,whom are steadily introducing their own measures, without the slightest degree of profesional expertise and without recourse to a central Island wide policy.
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