temporary speed limit on motorway

[pooroldcodger]

Last Sunday morning, a bright and sunny one,around 11am, Mrs Codger and I were driving on the A1M on the outskirts of Leeds. I was in the middle lane, overtaking and doing 70mph when I noticed that in the grass beyond the hard shoulder was a small 50mph sign sat all on its own. There is no armco type barrier there on the hard shoulder. It is more like two steel cables one above the other, with yet more grass beyond the barrier. I moved back in to the inside lane and eased off to around 65 whilst I took in whether this sign was live or not, as there was no warning and no sign of any roadworks. Traffic all around me continued at normal motorway speeds. I was the only one who seemed to have noticed, so mucg so that I was actually nervous about slowing down any further, but when I saw a second 50mph sign, just like the last one, in the grass, I slowed down, by now to about 60, and still slowing gently.
Then there was a sign saying something like "incomplete barrier" and another 50mph sign, again in the grass, so having seen the sign about the incomplete the barrier I slowed even more, and at the same time noticed in the distance a police X5 sat on one of those litte hillocks by the side of thr hard shoulder, so I slowed down even more so that by the time I passed him I was doing 50, and Mrs Codger said that he had a camera of sorts looking through his open driver's window. Meanwhile everything round me was still doing about 70, or much faster than me anyway! I have no idea if I had slowed down to 50 in time, but my main question is, shouldn't there be an advance warning of a temporary speed limit on a motorway, not just a small sign on a stand on the grass beyond the hard shoulder?

 

[Zeewulf]

Last Sunday morning, a bright and sunny one,around 11am, Mrs Codger and I were driving on the A1M on the outskirts of Leeds. I was in the middle lane, overtaking and doing 70mph when I noticed that in the grass beyond the hard shoulder was a small 50mph sign sat all on its own. There is no armco type barrier there on the hard shoulder. It is more like two steel cables one above the other, with yet more grass beyond the barrier. I moved back in to the inside lane and eased off to around 65 whilst I took in whether this sign was live or not, as there was no warning and no sign of any roadworks. Traffic all around me continued at normal motorway speeds. I was the only one who seemed to have noticed, so mucg so that I was actually nervous about slowing down any further, but when I saw a second 50mph sign, just like the last one, in the grass, I slowed down, by now to about 60, and still slowing gently.
Then there was a sign saying something like "incomplete barrier" and another 50mph sign, again in the grass, so having seen the sign about the incomplete the barrier I slowed even more, and at the same time noticed in the distance a police X5 sat on one of those litte hillocks by the side of thr hard shoulder, so I slowed down even more so that by the time I passed him I was doing 50, and Mrs Codger said that he had a camera of sorts looking through his open driver's window. Meanwhile everything round me was still doing about 70, or much faster than me anyway! I have no idea if I had slowed down to 50 in time, but my main question is, shouldn't there be an advance warning of a temporary speed limit on a motorway, not just a small sign on a stand on the grass beyond the hard shoulder?

Usually they are displayed on the overhead gantries if you drove under one or at least should be if the speed limit has been changed.

 

[pooroldcodger]

There was definitely nothing advising speed limit change on the overhead gantries.

 

[Zeewulf]

There was definitely nothing advising speed limit change on the overhead gantries.

If it wasn't on the gantries then you'll probably find either the work hadn't started yet and the signs we just there ready for when they do or it had just finished. As any roadworks that have the speed limit changed have to be displayed on the nearest gantries and on BOTH sides of the lanes that are affected on the motorway (as a single sign on the verge side could get blocked by a car passing it to other vehicles in the other two lanes.

 

[pooroldcodger]

I hope so! Thanks a lot.

 

[StevenRB45]

There was a few up my way I noticed due to having to regularly use the A1 (don't usually but rabbit has had me commuting to Morpeth). What they appear to do is put out 50 signs if someone has speared the barrier leaving it incomplete or weakened for safety reasons (but they aren't actually working on it). The 1st day I went through them I respected the limit shown but after a fortnight you may get very bored of having your windows rattled by people still doing warp speed in the outside lane..

 

[g8rpi]

I'm not aware of any requirement for roadwork speed limit signs to be on gantries, but I think they have to be approved.
They did barrier repairs (at night) on the A14 on my way to work earlier in the year. No work or cones out during the day but the 50 limit signs were left out and inforce and people were given tickets. If you were near 50 and most others were doing 70 you should be OK with just a police handheld as the would be targeting the faster cars.

Robert G8RPI.

 

[Lambie]

Sounds like they're trying to catch the A1M Lewis Hamiltons. Certainly in my part of the A1M (Hatfield tunnel) it seems the lane speed discipline is 50mph for the outside, 70 for middle and the speed of light in the inside lane!

I've not experienced road works on the A1M before, but on various A roads there are so many warnings that you wouldn't miss it occurring. Otherwise how will the bobby say you were speeding 70 in a 70 when there's no obvious speed restriction? Sounds more like they just finished the road works and abandoned their signs.

 

[Eklipze3k]

I think I've driven past there a few times recently, those signs have been there for a while (since Northern Powergrid had the overhead nets up so they could do maintenance on the power lines). The signs remained long after the work was done.