Scottish government at it again

[Buckman]

The latest assist applications already on the market are able to identify and read speed limit signs so there is no need to rely on sat nav input.

However I would think that the majority of cars on UK roads do not have that facility therefore the satnav speed is more accurate than the car's speedo.

 

[Dustydog]

M

During a trial, the A9 between Perth and Inverness on single carriageway stretches were made 50 for HGV and retained the 60 for cars - the KSI rate dropped during the trial

I’ll stand corrected Roger but last September the 50 applied to all vehicles . Certainly the only speed signs were the big 50 ones,.

I took this from the S ott ish Governments site

The consultation runs until Wednesday 5 March 2025. It invites feedback on proposals to lower the national speed limit on single carriageway roads from 60 mph to 50 mph and to increase speed limits for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes on single-carriageways to from 40 mph to 50 mph and dual carriageways from 50 mph to 60mph.

But it may not have been enacted??

 

[Lutz]

They rely on the signs being accurate - during the trial of 50mph for HGVs on the A9, some car satnavs were picking up the signs and reducing speed to 50mph - signage in Scotland could be an issue as they no longer use the National Speed Limit sign but show numerical limits - if they change the limit, there's a lot of signs and repeaters to be changed.

If the signs aren't in line with the national speed limit signs, are they strictly legal?
I seem to recall reading that in the UK, red traffic lights must carry the word "STOP". If they don't and one was caught jumping the lights, one could contest prosecution on the grounds that the traffic lights didn't comply with the requirement.

 

[RogerL]

M

I’ll stand corrected Roger but last September the 50 applied to all vehicles . Certainly the only speed signs were the big 50 ones,.

I took this from the S ott ish Governments site

The consultation runs until Wednesday 5 March 2025. It invites feedback on proposals to lower the national speed limit on single carriageway roads from 60 mph to 50 mph and to increase speed limits for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes on single-carriageways to from 40 mph to 50 mph and dual carriageways from 50 mph to 60mph.

But it may not have been enacted??

That consultation has only just started - at present the speed limits on the A9 single carriageway between Perth and Inverness are 50 for HGVs and 60 for cars - if you thought it was 50 for all vehicles, then the signage is confusing

 

[RogerL]

If the signs aren't in line with the national speed limit signs, are they strictly legal?
I seem to recall reading that in the UK, red traffic lights must carry the word "STOP". If they don't and one was caught jumping the lights, one could contest prosecution on the grounds that the traffic lights didn't comply with the requirement.

Under devolution, Scotland can set it's own legislation on speed limits .

I'm not aware of red lights needing to say STOP - they haven't done that fordecades.

 

[Lutz]

Under devolution, Scotland can set it's own legislation on speed limits .

I'm not aware of red lights needing to say STOP - they haven't done that fordecades.

I admit my recollection is somewhat dated. I was something that I read many years ago, but I am certain that back then the word "STOP" had to be displayed on red traffic lights.

There cannot be any objection to Scotland having its own speed limits but one could expect to be made aware of any specific signage as one enters the country.

 

[RogerL]

I admit my recollection is somewhat dated. I was something that I read many years ago.

There cannot be any objection to Scotland having its own speed limits but one could expect to be made aware of any specific signage as one enters the country.

The signage is normally obvious - instead of the National Speed Limit (NSL) sign used in England, Scotland uses 70 on motorways and dual carriageways and 60 on single carriageways - lower speed limits for vehicle classes aren't normally signed, eg the towing limits of 60/50.

 

[Lutz]

The gov.uk website still shows a common signage for England, Scotland and Wales.
So long as the sign is still round, with a white background and a red border, for law enforcement purposes it is surely irrelevant what the number displayed on it is and the statement that it makes obvious, even to the uninitiated. I presume that a speed limit sign has to be of a certain size and the mph limit displayed on it has to be in a certain font, but that it would comply with requirements regardless of what mph value is actually shown, so its not really something that is specific to Scotland.

 

[JTQ]

The thought of someone being able to follow my every move makes me shudder. Big brother is watching you. No thanks. Not for me.
It's the same with these supermarket apps where the supermarket can trace my purchasing habits. I find it awful. No way is an app like that going to come on my mobile phone.

Avoiding being tracked might be a challenge, does not even having a mobile on itself leave a witness, then there are all the CTV cameras, certainly the latter in the UK.

 

[otherclive]

The gov.uk website still shows a common signage for England, Scotland and Wales.
So long as the sign is still round, with a white background and a red border, for law enforcement purposes it is surely irrelevant what the number displayed on it is and the statement that it makes obvious, even to the uninitiated. I presume that a speed limit sign has to be of a certain size and the mph limit displayed on it has to be in a certain font, but that it would comply with requirements regardless of what mph value is actually shown, so its not really something that is specific to Scotland.

You regularly get temporary speed limit signs that are iaw your criteria sited at the begin roadworks or other works where traffic speed needs to come down for safety reasons. Rarely is there a sign placed to raise the limit back to the norm.