20 mph limit

[cassa333]

If the speed limit on a given raod was 30mph (and had always been so) and it was changed to 20mph BUT ALL the 20mph signage on the road (and within the whole city) were UNINFORCABLE due to a mistake in placement and lighting what is the legal speed limit?

Does it stay at 30 or have no limit.

To save time these are the following facts:
Neither I nor anyone I know has been caught speeding. However as about 98% of the citys signage is wrong it is waiting to happen to some one.

[ojread2]

Confusing post to say the least!

From what I could decipher, there ARE 20mph signs up so therefore the road speed limit is no more than 20mph.

And where is this city where all the road signs are, apparently, incorrect? Idle curiosity

[cassa333]

I didn't think it was that confusing... but there again I know what I was thinking lol

If a limit is uninforcable how can it be said the limit is that which is sign posted? It's like saying you can't cross the road but if you do there is nothing we can do about it! or you can't murder someone but if you do you will not be prosecuted!

How can you enforce something you are not allowed to ennforce?

Portsmouth

[squarebear]

Why would it be unenforceable if the 20mph signs are on the road?

[cassa333]

Because they are not displayed in the proper manner.

[squarebear]

In what way are they displayed? I'm intrigued now.

[pink-kittens]

Yes, me too squarebear

how are they 'not enforcable'? In what way are they not displayed properly?

[tboo]

I know what you mean Cassa333
For instance if you receive a parking ticket and you then prove the double yellow line was painted incorrectly thus making the parking ticket null and void
For your Q - if the 20 mph speed limit sign is proven to be wrong then it should revert back to 30

Could be wrong lol

[cassa333]

The signs going into the 20 limit zones do not have lights over them.

To the majority of people it doesn't seem a lot but to Mr Loophole it is everything

[sigma]

If the signs were not of the correct type, installation etc. then the following would apply, built up area, street lighting a certain distance apart then 30MPH

[cassa333]

Thanks sigma that is what I though but could't get my head around the loss of the 30 limit signs.

Although I understand that they are not 'doing' people for going over 20 most people caught would just pay the fine not knowing it was wrong.

It's the letter of the law versus the spirit of the law but if that were the case I could put up any speed limit sign I liked and expect people to obey it just because it's there???

[bednobs]

isn't there some sort of "group directive" in portsouth though, that on portsea island ALL side roads are 20 mph? Therefore it dosent atter how the signs are placed does it?

[stonekicker]

personally, i thought that it was good that portsmouth changed all its road speed limits to 20mph...it is the speed that the residents brains work at (as you can see from the original post) so works well for public safety too!

[cassa333]

bednobs, if that were the case then the police would prosecute but they don't.

(((it is the speed that the residents brains work at (as you can see from the original post) so works well for public safety too!)))
What a facile comment.

[jimbob703]

Question seems simple enough to me

The limit would be whatever the general rules say it should be. eg. A built up area with street lighting is 30, a dual carriageway is 60 (i think), a motorway is 70. If you read the highway code you'll see what the default speed limits are.

Speed limit signs need to be displayed on both sides of the road as you enter the restriced area i.e not just on the left. If it's at night and they're not illuminated then you're in the clear. Probably loads of other rules too but I'm not a lawyer so can't say.