20 mph on Peckham rye road

[blacklashez]

I was just driving down Peckham rye road and saw that they have painted and put up 20 mph speed limit which wasn't there before. Last night I was driving on that road past the two speed cameras and thought it was still 30 and was driving at 26. I'm a bit worried that I might get a speeding ticket. Does anyone know when this was enforced? And do those cameras work? Thanks!

[kford]

If they didn't flash, you're fine. I suspect they're still set for 34-36mph.

[first mate]

As you may now know, this is part of Southwark's grand vision for borough-wide 20mph, only it is not to be enforced and the police objected to it. Currently it is voluntary, though in law it is binding....go figure. The reality is it has created confusion and more chaotic driving. It will require a shitload of money on cameras etc to enforce it.

[hannahleone]

I have the same thoughts driving down there every day to work Blacklashez. No idea if those cameras are working or not! I've been going through them at 20 with people getting right up my bum for me to speed up, but obviously I don't want to risk a ticket. Would be great to get some clarity on whether they've been set to 20 or 30mph.. Or of anyone has received a ticket for going through at 30 yet?

Seems to me that the new 20 zones are causing confusion and are actually quite dangerous as people are undecided as to whether they're going to stick to it or not! I've had people tailgating me all the way to Honor Oak at 25mph since the change. What do people think?

[first mate]

A purely political decision in the run up to the election and before the option for available money runs out. Council elections are some years off, but councillors know how local effects can impact on national voting.

This lot want to say, 'look how marvellous we have made everywhere safer'. If this were true then great, but poor planning and the speed with which this initiative has been pushed through without proper consultation, means that, as you rightly perceive, it has created a degree of chaos and arguably reduced safety. Why for instance did councillors simply override the police who objected to 20mph on main roads?

I too have cars flashing lights, tailgating and overtaking at high speed to make a point, so much so that it takes a great effort of will to maintain 20mph and not to be intimated into driving faster.

[kford]

See dulwichfox's post on the other 20mph thread

[oimissus]

we went through one at about 27mph about 3 weeks ago, also very confused, but haven't had anything so hopefully it was OK.

The whole thing is a shambles. I am now crawling down Denmark Hill/Herne Hill each week, a broad, not-busy main road with very few pedestrians about (also on very wide pavements) and cars going at different speeds. If everyone was just looking at a 30mph limit it would be so much more sensible, on that road at any rate.

Sort it out, Southwark!

[blacklashez]

Okay I feel a bit better! Thought I was the only confused person out there. I think I'll stick to 20 mph to be on the safe side( even though I think it's really unnecessary ) . I know I will be flashed and overtaken but I guess I rather that then s ticket!

[Salsaboy]

I notice that the buses aren't going at 20. Most do 30+ when they can.

[first mate]

Salsaboy,

Yup I have observed the same. This makes whatever money has been thrown at the initiative pretty scandalous.

[DulwichFox]

It's not just a ticket.. it's points on your licence and higher insurance ..

.. for doing something that has been legal since god knows how long....

DulwichFox

[Sue]

blacklashez Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Okay I feel a bit better! Thought I was the only

> confused person out there. I think I'll stick to

> 20 mph to be on the safe side( even though I think

> it's really unnecessary ) . I know I will be

> flashed and overtaken but I guess I rather that

> then s ticket!

I've had the same problem.

Torn between doing 20 (or just over) and avoiding a ticket, or doing well over 20 and avoiding total (insert rude plural word here) tailgating, flashing etc and being just generally intimidating.

Does make me laugh though when they do that, speed past me, then get stuck in a queue a bit further on with me just behind them :))

[Lowlander]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> It's not just a ticket.. it's points on your

> licence and higher insurance ..

>

> .. for doing something that has been legal since

> god knows how long....

>

> DulwichFox

In 1930 speed limits were abolished (prior to that there was a blanket 20mph limit across the entire country)

It took five years of increasing accident rates to introduce the 30mph limit in built up areas in 1935

[Blah Blah]

I think the sensible option is to drive according to the flow of traffic. That means sometimes being at 20, and sometimes being at 30. It also means sometimes being at 10, 5 etc. Safe driving is far more important than worrying about an unenforcable number painted on the tarmac.

[richard tudor]

Common sense so lacking in Southwark thinking and Cllr thinking also

[peckhamside]

20 is plenty guys. Think of pedestrians, small children, cyclists-just do what the signs advise.

[Blah Blah]

Most driver do think of those things which is why most drivers never have collisions involving those things. So patronising to insinuate they aren't when driving at 30.

[lulu1]

I drive several times a day over Sydenham Hill and I can honestly say it has become so much more dangerous since the introduction of the 20 m/h speed limit. As I'm sure you'll know Sydenham Hill is a very long, wide road with not much traffic (except for rush hour). If I drive 20 I'm being overtaken every single time I drive along this road. I really do feel pushed into going faster as cars are driving so close to the back of my car, flashing their lights etc. I find it very intimidating. In the 11 years that I've lived in this area I never had any problems on this stretch of road, however, since the introduction of the new speed limit it's terrible. I really believe this is an accident waiting to happen. I fully understand 20 m/h speed limit on smaller roads, however on roads like Denmark Hill, Sydenham Hill etc. it is madness.

[kford]

Drive to suit the conditions.

Eyes on the road, not on your dials.

And not on your phone please, like the Zip-car driver I encountered today tootling along at the state-approved 20mph, on the blower, who drove straight across the zebra crossing on ED Grove while I was on it.

[uncleglen]

It cost my relative ?300 ish because he was driving at 20mph behind a cyclist and a car went to overtake him and knocked his wing mirror off

[PeckhamRose]

It is right to say above Drive according to the conditions. There is no need to do twenty along a long clear wide piece of road that you can clearly see no-one is on. This is London wide, by the way, but there has to be a test case to be brought by someone brave and rich enough to test the legality. We need a rich footballer's legal team to test this one. They can get their clients off anything, and indeed taught us for example that if a double yellow line is not 'ended' properly with two lines perpendicular to the road, it ain't a proper double yellow line. I would always cite the Institute for Advanced Driving/Motorcycling because you can not be expected to ride according to more than one set of rules. If one person rides at 20 while everyone else is doing an otherwise safe 33mph, you are the one causing the danger!

[Jeremy]

Won't someone think of the children!!

[first mate]

PeckhamRose,

Great post and this is why Southwark's badly planned and purely political initiative is so scandalous, it appears to be decreasing safety, not, as they suggest, making the roads more safe. If you are going to introduce 20mph you have to have the means to enforce it. The fact that the police rejected it as a stupid idea and one that would confuse motorists speaks vloumes about the competence of this Council.

[Sue]

lulu1 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

I fully

> understand 20 m/h speed limit on smaller roads,

> however on roads like Denmark Hill, Sydenham Hill

> etc. it is madness.

Yep.

[Sue]

uncleglen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It cost my relative ?300 ish because he was

> driving at 20mph behind a cyclist and a car went

> to overtake him and knocked his wing mirror off

?300 for a wing mirror?!

What was it, solid gold?!