20mph Speed Limits-Wales

[Ronaldous]

I live in North Wales and in September there will be a default 20mph speed limit brought in.

So I have a question.

The Cruise control on my 2017 Auris GB25 only locks on above 24mph. Can anything be done to the Cruise Control to re set the system to operate it at 20mph or less?

Ronnie Lambert

LMBRTRN@TALKTALK.NET

[Cyker]

Hmm, I hadn't even considered that as a problem of the 20mph limits!

Does yours have a speed limiter? The only way I can make my Mk4 hold a speed lower than 20mph is by holding the accelerator with the speed limiter switch on...

 

[jcps001]

I'm sorry to say, but that speed limit is so low, that not even cruise control systems can lock on the low value...! I'm sorry to say, 20 mph as a speed limit is ridiculous. If the police is enforcing it, even more ridiculous it is, taking into account how many more serious problems there are.

I guess nowadays nothing is too ridiculous.

[fred88]

If I'm below 20mph then my speed limiter sets to 20mph. I also have a device in the car that displays gps speed and I work to that sometimes and 20 on the gps is 23 on the speedo IIRC.

[Parts-King]

I go faster than 20 on my push bike 😂😂😂

I read that Police are not going to follow up on people reporting cars going over 20 as it takes up too much time to process

I live in a 20 zone, on an ordinary estate in Cheshire, it has been 20 for a few years, nobody takes any notice of it and there has been no enforcement whatsoever, I would not lose any sleep over it, just go slow, surely you don't need a speed limiter or cruise to keep you to 20 MPH? 

[fred88]

3 hours ago, Parts-King said:

I go faster than 20 on my push bike 😂😂😂

Said in jest perhaps but that is going to further inflame the already poor relationship between drivers and cyclists IMHO.

[TonyHSD]

There is a war like going on between governments and car owners/drivers. It’s so bad currently to drive and own a car if you live in big cities or denser populated areas. Roads are in horrible condition, everywhere there are huge potholes, unnecessary restrictions and stupid speed limits, speed bumps, traffic islands, private roads restrictions, parking restrictions, ultra high prices of fuel, road taxes, cars are expensive like never before, service is at lowest ever from all dealers, all makes no exception. It is anything but stress stress stress to drive a car these days. On top of that majority of drivers are acting like zombies. It is not travelling anymore but racing with others, period. Not to mention how the professional drivers like buses and lorries are driving, van drivers , taxis. Unless highly necessary having no car currently it’s the best solution. I didn’t drive for 5-6 weeks recently and I felt so relaxed and happy. I love cars and driving , but I rather drive on the most dangerous roads in Pakistan or Colombia rather than uk , period. 

[Cyker]

The funny thing is, if we all stopped driving the government would be absolutely  

Imagine, the loss of all the tax - from the sale of the car, the VED, the insurance, *double* tax from the fuel, etc. - yet they are seemingly waging war on motorists like they don't realize how much of their revenue comes from that!

They're already scared at the impending deficit now they've realized the massive amount of money they get from double-taxing fuel is going to go away due to them pushing EVs, but instead they're doubling down on it. If everyone switched to e-bikes it would serve them right!

[Rhymes with Paris]

Aye Tony, I live in a city and find a lot of the theory of help for disabled drivers falls way short of the reality.

For example, earlier tonight I went for a meal at a restaurant in the tourist area here.

A rare treat for me, but I was in town anyway for a haircut, and thought ok , I've not been on holiday or anywhere much for many years.

The  clowncil car park gave+1 hour for a paid hour for blue Badge holders.

So found a disabled space fairly near the restaurant, the problem being the machine to pay was a long way from the space and the entrance, so no thinking at all about the users.

Without my Yaris I would be housebound,so dreading the day when either I am not allowed to drive anymore due to illness or age.

Or legislation forces me off the road due to having an older car, the walking and cycling utopia promoted by the obviously fit save the world brigade on £30 grand+ a year income,is not available to me, and I suspect many others.

Edit: BTW how's the hip replacement?

Mine,10 years ago this year is creaking a bit,is it recommended to get a grease gun on to it?

[Roy124]

I checked my  CC today

  I engaged it below 20 and it set 19.  I could increase but not reduce below 19.

[TonyHSD]

26 minutes ago, Rhymes with Paris said:

Aye Tony, I live in a city and find a lot of the theory of help for disabled drivers falls way short of the reality.

For example, earlier tonight I went for a meal at a restaurant in the tourist area here.

A rare treat for me, but I was in town anyway for a haircut, and thought ok , I've not been on holiday or anywhere much for many years.

The  clowncil car park gave+1 hour for a paid hour for blue badge holders.

So found a disabled space fairly near the restaurant, the problem being the machine to pay was a long way from the space and the entrance, so no thinking at all about the users.

Without my Yaris I would be housebound,so dreading the day when either I am not allowed to drive anymore due to illness or age.

Or legislation forces me off the road due to having an older car, the walking and cycling utopia promoted by the obviously fit save the world brigade on £30 grand+ a year income,is not available to me, and I suspect many others.

Edit: BTW how's the hip replacement?

Mine,10 years ago this year is creaking a bit,is it recommended to get a grease gun on to it?

Thanks Paul, the hip it’s ok and I am doing really well at the moment. I am back to work and I even have washed my car today for a first time since May. Spent 3 hours under the sun ☀️.  You are right about the walking and cycling, just another greenwashed idea but for those who can do,  it is actually good. However the governments and the big companies for cars and fuels are those who made people relayed on cars, and they did that over a decade’s and now they are trying to change peoples lives. Same with the diesels and electric cars which will likely follow the diesel gate destiny. 
There will be even more restrictions against cars and how we travel in few years when the new high speed train line is completed. Drove past few building sites of whom and lol that’s a big thing indeed. Can’t wait for a new documentary about it. For the cruise control my old Auris perhaps the 20mph is the lowest if I remember correctly. I don’t use it anyway, just takes away from my driving experience. 👌

I hope your hip is fine and last for many more years too. Medical personnel says around 20 years on average lifespan and mine is uncemented, with idea. That they may need to change again. Haha, a grease gun is funny, but they are new tech now and if a Toyota tie rod ends can last 250k miles then these hips should do it too, 😂

[Bper]

On 8/8/2023 at 7:31 PM, Ronaldous said:

I live in North Wales and in September there will be a default 20mph speed limit brought in.

So I have a question.

The Cruise control on my 2017 Auris GB25 only locks on above 24mph. Can anything be done to the Cruise Control to re set the system to operate it at 20mph or less?

Ronnie Lambert

LMBRTRN@TALKTALK.NET

The local sheep go faster Then that. I wonder if they will be next to be done for speeding.😢

[TonyHSD]

You know I don’t mind 20mph limits or any speed limits in fact there are there for a reason. What I don’t like and believe it’s totally wrong is the speed humps bumps or whatever is called. These does nothing to stop or slow down the majority of the bad drivers as those jump over them but in practice these bumps destroy cars suspension and increase pollution by much. 
With Toyota hybrids particularly these are often a reason why we can’t glide in ev all along the street but we need to slow down unnecessary way below 20 to drive over the bumps safely and easy on the cars and then we need to push the car to burn petrol and pollute the air like any other ice car where if there were no bumps we could have easily drive in ev, smoothly, quietly and with 0 emissions.
The only thing that eventually slows the fast and furious are the average speed check cameras. There are some installed in towns like Dunstable for example and yes, it works , most of them stay within the limits. 👌 

[Ronaldous]

3 hours ago, Bper said:

The local sheep go faster Then that. I wonder if they will be next to be done for speeding.😢

They are going to utilise the sheep to enforce it!!!

[Cyker]

The problem is, where the road was originally designed for a higher speed, you need something to make people obey 20 limits or they won't - On the roads where it's just signs (Or not even signs, just painted on the road; Talk about doing things on the cheap...!) virtually nobody obeys the 20 limit as the road is designed to be a 30 or even 40 limit and drivers feel this instinctively.

The most effective 20 zones are ones that have been modified to feel more dangerous; Narrower and bendier for instance.

In roads that are narrow with parked cars either side, most people will naturally drive at a slower speed, even if the speed limit is 30.

This is why these limits annoy me - People will drive to what they feel is a safe speed, and trying to impose things like 20mph limits on roads that absolutely do not warrant them, e.g. a straight road that's 3 lanes wide with excellent visibility, is not going to work unless you make it seem  much more dangerous.

But, like the all-lanes running smart motorways, they want to do it on the cheap instead of doing it properly because they don't truly give a flying one about safety, just the appearance that they're doing something.

 

[Eddie G]

On 8/9/2023 at 7:34 PM, TonyHSD said:

There is a war like going on between governments and car owners/drivers. It’s so bad currently to drive and own a car if you live in big cities or denser populated areas. Roads are in horrible condition, everywhere there are huge potholes, unnecessary restrictions and stupid speed limits, speed bumps, traffic islands, private roads restrictions, parking restrictions, ultra high prices of fuel, road taxes, cars are expensive like never before, service is at lowest ever from all dealers, all makes no exception. It is anything but stress stress stress to drive a car these days. On top of that majority of drivers are acting like zombies. It is not travelling anymore but racing with others, period. Not to mention how the professional drivers like buses and lorries are driving, van drivers , taxis. Unless highly necessary having no car currently it’s the best solution. I didn’t drive for 5-6 weeks recently and I felt so relaxed and happy. I love cars and driving , but I rather drive on the most dangerous roads in Pakistan or Colombia rather than uk , period. 

Totally agree, i tend to use my cycle a lot more and get off the main roads and onto the side roads as there is not a lot of pleasure in car driving these days unless it's after 8 at night when most of the zombie pull out into any gap drivers are indoors.

[Roy124]

6 hours ago, Bper said:

The local sheep go faster Then that. I wonder if they will be next to be done for speeding.😢

They have reasons for going faster 😅

[Derek.w]

I use my speed limiter at 20mph but only on one road as the rest are just short roads and someone always overtakes me even it I set it at 22mph.

My pet hate is speed bumps why not just have one or two at the beginning and re set the road speed limit to 20 MPH.

[Roy124]

Fortunately in my neck of the woods speed bumps and calming measures are recognised to increase noise and pollution in residential areas.

Cars slow and accelerate  and are noisy over the bumps.

[ISL]

9 hours ago, Roy124 said:

Fortunately in my neck of the woods speed bumps and calming measures are recognised to increase noise and pollution in residential areas.

Cars slow and accelerate  and are noisy over the bumps.

I remember years ago a local “rat run” road where residents campaigned to get speed humps installed and got their wishes. Months later they were asking them to be taken out due to noise.  I use to use that road driving a Westfield with low sump and gearbox and therefore had to negotiate speed bump at a snails pace, only to floor it once over with pops and bangs on the over-run.  This gave me great satisfaction at 6am in the morning. 🫣

[yossarian247]

One reason I used to love Citroens with hydropneumatic suspension. They often went over speed bumps more smoothly the faster you drove!

[ISL]

52 minutes ago, yossarian247 said:

One reason I used to love Citroens with hydropneumatic suspension. They often went over speed bumps more smoothly the faster you drove!

Oh yes, the old Citroens were so ahead of the time.  I remember my father changing from a Mk3 Cortina to a Citroen GS.  Even thought the Citroen was only 6 years newer it made the Cortina look totally prehistoric.  With soft rubberised dash board beautifully shaped, aluminium dash, comfortable supportive seats with adjustable headrests it was incredible.  As a young lad of around 12 years old I remember my father demonstrating that you could drive over speed bumps without slowing down.  It was incredible, you heard it, but didn't feel it and no bounce afterwards, 100% damping, incredible.  Still nothing to match the ride of a Citroen now.  In past ownership I owned a Citroen BX GTI back in the day, but always and still do want a Citroen CX GTI Turbo2.  Just love the way they sink down on their suspension when you switch the engine off.  Remember friends and family coming out to watch it rise up (no good for a getaway car!!)

[The Aardvark]

On 8/9/2023 at 10:49 AM, jcps001 said:

I'm sorry to say, but that speed limit is so low, that not even cruise control systems can lock on the low value...! I'm sorry to say, 20 mph as a speed limit is ridiculous. If the police is enforcing it, even more ridiculous it is, taking into account how many more serious problems there are.

I guess nowadays nothing is too ridiculous.

30 mph near people and children can be too fast.

What good does a 20mph limit achieve? Ask this boy's mother: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66525870 

[APS]

On 8/12/2023 at 5:54 PM, ISL said:

Just love the way they sink down on their suspension when you switch the engine off.  Remember friends and family coming out to watch it rise up (no good for a getaway car!!)

Nah...only if you had worn / misaligned suspension cylinders. Otherwise they'd stay up for a day or more. The CX (and DS) is in a league of their own. Toyota and Citroën are just the polar opposites (restrained conservatism vs radical vive la technologie!). You cannot begin to describe the blend of beauty and complete engineering bonkerdom of a CX. I had a Turbo II and it was a motorway monster by contemporary standards. But it had stiffer damping to handle the higher speeds. The normal CXs were softer and had standard, 80 profile, tyres.  You could easily drive up curbs, at speed, without any issue. Obviously helped by the fly-by-wire hydraulic steering. Speed bump, moi?! 🙂 

 

21 minutes ago, The Aardvark said:

30 mph near people and children can be too fast.

100% agree. So so many people have no sense for what safe speeds are. Daily I see people doing 45mph on empty B roads, only to merrily continue doing the same speed through built up 30 mph zones - among dog walkers and cyclists. At best, they vary their speed by 5 mph; National speed limit = 45 mph, 30 mph zone = 40 mph

This is why we see more driving aids and 20 mph zones.  We are ever so grateful.

[TonyHSD]

Agreed with above regarding speed limits. In many build up areas even 20 mph its too fast, especially around schools. People are insane these days. Majority of the drivers does nor drive , they simply race each other.
What I see on daily basis it’s scary., least to say 🫢