Diesel

Excuse me if this comes over as a bit of an April Fool post, but, I just found that they have made the whole 15 odd mile stretch of M4 motorway between Cardiff and Newport a 50mph limit This is a 3 lane motorway...or was...

I am absolutely astounded by this dumbing down and would like to know more about the logic/justification. Yes there was a very serious accident that closed the whole motorway for a very long period fairly recently, no doubt hurting the politicians & economy here, but that was caused by a trucker falling asleep. Also the other recent deaths in that area were scumbag thieves going the wrong way and horrendously killing an innocent family of holiday makers etc etc.

Looks to me like typical New Labour reaction in 'being at least seen to be doing something' rather than any application of real solutions or common sense.

Anyone know the score here before thousands of ordinary decent drivers have to get the cheque book out and arrive late due to third world travel policies

D

bugeyeandy

From the South Wales Argus.

I'm guessing there's Armco at that stretch at the mo? A lot of the M25 has been modded with concrete central barriers now mainly because of the larger European lorries which plough straight through Armco in an accident causing mayhem and long repair times.

Seems sensible enough to me but I don't drive that section, everyone moaned about variable limits on the M25 when they were introduced but with some exceptions they do seem to have worked. I live near the busiest section A3-M4 and over the last ten years i'd say things have improved including less jams at peak times (it still has it's moments though )

It'll take you an extra 5 minutes to go through that section while the work is being done, small price to pay for these improvements.

Diesel

Thanks Andy - the Argus clearly doesnt get to North Cardiff (ust be the tailbacks ;-) )

Lots of what you posted seems logical mate, but just driving the road on a beautiful day as we have had recently implies its a new nonsense and more reason for motorists to resent/dismiss some speed limits as an irelevance or politics in play. It severely frustrated me I'm afraid - and I've driven that bit of road for over 15years, without nodding off.......so far.......

If it seemed intelligent or used brush strokes slightly less broad than 15 miles wide you might have me on-board. Bring on the cheque books no doubt...

D

GarethE

iTrader: (1)

Mate, tell me about it. I travel that section of motorway regularly, often a few times a day.

It's been planned for some time, partly to attempt to slow traffic before it hits the contraflow after J28 westbound, which has been 50mph for a while (and has gatsos to enforce it), and also to attempt to slow traffic at peak times due to the number of incidents caused by traffic coming off at J28 westbound and J26 eastbound.

I can understand it at peak times, but it takes a hell of a lot of restraint to keep to it when the road is clear at night, when I'm often travelling home. I know thats when I'd end up getting caught, and whereas before the police wouldn't have concerned themselves if I passed them at 80, now its 80 in a 50 - even though there is no greater risk/change in road conditions. I talking about the 3 lane open stretch of motorway by-the-way, not the enforced 50mph limit in the contraflow - I fully endorse a speed restriction in roadworks/contraflows and always adhere to them.

I have no problem when the variable speed limit comes into effect, as to be honest at peak times, you're lucky if you can get near 70 !.

Gareth

Diesel

Completely agree Gar', as another sensible safe motorist

It was 2230 on Sunday for me coming back from York and had a totally barren motorway. It was however no doubt a licence troubler for daring to use some common sense and apply what was once considered legal, normal and safe progress.

Dumbed Down D

Leslie

Trouble is, they have to change the speed limit to suit the worst conditions. It is frustrating of course.

Les

Playsatan

iTrader: (2)

No they don't.

You could have a thick fog, rain storm, snow etc and that doesn't mean you should be charging ahead at 50mph.

What is truely frustrating is the goverment thinks because a few idiots have no common sense neither do the rest of us. Drivers should be trained to use theirs insteaded of being lumbered with laws that are brought into deal with the lowest common denominator who have a habit of ignoring those rules anyway.

Diesel

France reduce the national speed limit when its wet - how sensible! We couldn't possibly cope of course! D

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

If you are going to Cardiff, it gives you longer to think about it, not good.

richieh

Also takes longer to escape again
cheers richie

Removed.

Thought that was only on Autoroutes where it goes from 130kph to 110kph?

GarethE

iTrader: (1)

Er, disagree there...if that was the case then the speed limit would be 20mph along the whole of the M4.

Baring an incident, the motorway in the area is usually only a problem for the 2 hours between 8am and 10am and between 4pm and 6pm. There will always be problems in this section at these times because of the Brynglas Tunnels being 2 lane as opposed to 3 and the dedicated offslip at J26 E. At these times 50 is optimistic.

At least when the variable limit comes in, hopefully common sense will prevail and at off peak times it will revert to 70 - I won't hold my breath though.

Gareth

Diesel

I've lived in a few places mate, and between, you, me, Bangkok and a cardboard box, its aaa-right! On Sunday I even had a traffic warden tell me not to put any more money in the meter after 4pm, as he 'knocked off' then. That, compared to the centre of the world (aka London), is quite a civilised and human way to co-exist in my book You can also ramble far easier should you not have a car to park

D

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

The M1 in Hertfordshire was 30mph for months last year. It was a nightmare

SVXNUT

Errrrm, any one think the answer this query might be Kerchiiiiinnnnngg. Will top up Darlin pot a bit I think.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

I have lived in Bangkok and believe me it is far nicer than Cardiff

scrappydoo

...

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

AFAIK speeding fines raise about 60 million a year. I don't know if that includes or excludes the cost of administering them. Either way, I think that nice Mr Darling is in a far deeper hole than that...


M

Diesel

There may soon be an element of revenue raking here, but, as usual, the thing is to be BEING SEEN TO BE DOING SOMETHING. This, as is often the case, is NOT the right thing and is based on the reaction to dozy truckers and car thieves causing carnage fairly recently.

The proper traffic cops we need to intelligently police errant motorists/bad drivers/drugged/drunk/dangerous/un-roadworthy are out helping cats out of trees and squabbling with shoplifters - I know I seen it on telly! This leaves the M4 to the tw@ in the van 'COMPUTER SAYS NO' approach.

D

MarkGArgyle

Regularly travel this stretch too at 50mph - has anyone seen a scamera van policing this 50mph zone?

Diesel

Give it 3 months 'grace'...

Steve vRS

I drove this stretch on Monday night and Tuesday afternoon.

I think I was the only one sticking to the limit! Even the HGVs were passing me! That didn't feel safe I can tell you.

Steve

Leslie

Not absolutely sure what you mean in your first paragraph.

The authorities will cater for the worst drivers and set the limits accordingly, I cannot see how you can blame them for that. It is their responsibilty to prevent accidents as far as they can of course.

They are certainly not going to cater for "star" drivers like yourself to drive at high speeds for your own convenience and ignore the capabilities of those whom you consider to be idiots for driving more slowly.

I think like Diesel that the French are very sensible to reduce speed limits in the wet too.

Les

Leslie

Er what?

Do you really think that I meant to reduce the speed limits to such a low level? Or are you using it as an excuse to post anyway? It must be reasonable to assume that I meant the sort of speed that they expect all drivers to be able to drive at safely! As they do with any speed limit anywhere. Of course they go over the top at times. How would you do it if you were responsible for road safety? What is more important to the authorities, allowing you to drive at high speeds, or reducing the chance of an accident?

It is understood of course that one should drive according to road conditions within those limits should there be other problems on the road such as weather etc. of course.

The French idea as Diesel reported is also sensible since wet roads reduce safety margins especially on roads with a high speed limit.

Les

Diesel

Les I get what you are saying, but the problem is that approach is a self fulfilling prophecy. Reduce and reduce until the point where we all stand still and live forever!!! This blanket 50mph is misplaced, poor logic and we should challenge it not accept it.

D

GarethE

iTrader: (1)

Perhaps I should have put a wink after the 1st paragraph.

My point was that the worst conditions on this section of the M4 are congestion related, - this tends to apply to most the busy sections of the M4. The worst traffic conditions, in the time period I mentioned, 50 mph and even 20 mph is optimistic. The rest of the time the traffic is easily free flowing at 70mph and perfectly safe. It shouldn’t be that a 8-10 mile stretch of open 3 lane motorway should be limited to 50mph because of problems which occur in 4 hours of a 24 hour period.

When you start, as seems to be happening, setting speed limits according to the standard of the worst drivers/poorest weather/heaviest congestion, then the National Speed limit will be 30mph everywhere.

You hit the nail on the head when you said “drive to the conditions” but in this situation the mandatory 50mph doesn’t allow you to drive safely at a safe speed upto the usual legal max.

Hope that clears it up.

Gareth

PS. Picking up on the “Or are you using it as an excuse to post anyway?” comment, considering our join dates and our post count, its probably fair to say that I wasn’t - I posted because I wanted to comment on a situation which is actually something I have first hand experience of in my locality

Leslie

Yes ok Gareth, I see what you are saying, and also what Diesel said. When I said the limit should be set to the abilities of the worst driver I did mean within sensible limits of course as required by the limitations of the road in question. If the drivers are that bad they usually drive pretty slowly anyway. I also find that many of the newer 20 mph limits around here are quite unnecessary and encourage drivers to break the limits which is stupid.

I have driven along the M4 often enough but not recently and of course with heavy traffic the speeds will be self regulating to less than 50. I can also understand why it is annoying to have the 50 limit when the road is clear and I agree that it should not be restricted like that when not required. Somehow I can't see the authorities bothering to increase the limit on the occasions you mention. Could it be done on timing accurately enough or would they need to monitor actual conditions at the time. I certainly see no need for restrictive limits on clear motorways and in fact I think that the speed limit should be raised from 70 mph on motorways anyway.

I think what we have to really worry about is that the PC Plonkers who can't drive and hate people to even own a car will eventually push for an overall limit of 30 mph on the grounds of safety and also Global Warming, or Climate Change as they now call it!

Les