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Motorway speed limits are confusing
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
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Much as I am pleased to see the completion of the M1 and Westlink upgrade, has anyone else noticed the glaring inconsistency as regards speed limits on the M1 between the Broadway and Stockman's Lane junctions?
On the countrybound carriageway the speed limit rises from 50 mph to the national limit (70mph for cars) once drivers have cleared the Broadway underpass.
But on the citybound carriageway the speed limit drops from national to 50mph as far back as the Stockman's Lane bridge!
Thus car drivers can legally do 70 on one carriageway whereas on the other they are breaking the law if they go over 50!
Surely if it is safe to do 70 on one carriageway then it is safe to do it on the other!
I accept that speed limits need to be graduated when approaching the end of a motorway rather than having a sudden ‘big bang’ change in speed limit from 70 to 30 in one go near the end, but is it really necessary to start the 50 buffer zone so far back?
Also, the Broadway underpass is officially part of the M1 rather than the Westlink; countrybound drivers pass the ‘M1' sign as they are about to go through it. But the limit in both directions in the underpass is 50. Countrybound drivers cannot increase speed to 70 until they are some distance clear of it.
Why can countrybound drivers not legally do 70 through the underpass?
MATTHEW TENNIS
Carnalea
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The upgraded Westlink is of a much higher standard than its predecessor. Surely then if Police Advanced Drivers can safely travel on the section south of Divis St at more than 50mph then the limit (which is NOT a target!) there ought to be raised to NSL (70mph) throughout.
If weather/traffic conditions sugggest a lower limit then this can be indicated on the electronic signs (with an explanatory message to encourage compliance)
I am a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists.
Posted by Trevor | 12.06.09, 13:55 GMT
The road from York Street towards Stockman's Lane is probably one of the heaviest trafficked sections of road in Northern Ireland with several on/off slips in the space of about 3 miles.
Therefore, I think it is quite logical to have the 50mph limit so far back on the M1 Citybound, indeed a 50mph limit on the M2 approaching York Street would be also equally reasonable given the M3 already has a 50mph limit and any traffic going to the Westlink usually has to come to a halt at the lights under the Lagan and Dargan bridges.
Posted by Stephen | 01.01.09, 11:28 GMT
The countrybound limit does not change to 70 until some distance AFTER clearing the underpass, and it being considered safe to drive at 70 on one side of a carriageway does not neccessarily mean it is safe to do so on the opposite one. There are very different traffic situations on both sides.
The section of motorway Matthew refers to (from the beginning of the 50mph limit at Stockman's Lane to where the 70mph limit WOULD end if it was the same as the opposite carriageway) is approximately 1 mile long.
By travelling along this at 70mph instead of 50mph, Matthew would save approximately 21 seconds. Are 21 seconds really that important???
Besides that, most people stay at 70 on that section of road (and the whole WestLink) anyway, and a large portion of people tear down it considerably in excess of 70mph on a daily basis. The sooner we have time and distance speed cameras on the M1 and Westlink the better.
Posted by Gary | 31.12.08, 13:27 GMT