When driving how do you know the speed limit??

Question

In the UK if there are no signs on the road how do you know the limits? Is there a way you can tell? A friend of mine says it's something to do with the lampost spacings but i'm not convinced!

Answer 1

if it is built up area it is 30, when there is an open limit, do not think this is 60mph, its what is suitable for the road.

Answer 2

This is why you are taught observation on your driving test.

The speed limit is whatever was on the last sign you passed.  It is up to the driver to remember the speed limit at all times.

If you can't remember what the speed limit is, you should not be driving...

Answer 3

When in doubt drive 30............

Answer 4

if theres no limit, or you can't see one. Gotta presume its a 30.

Answer 5

The info is all in the "Highway Code".

You should know this before you take your test.

If you cannot work out the speed limit from what you can see around you,- then you should not be driving

Answer 6

yes, you are correct.

In the Uk

there was a case a while back about someone who was convicted of speeding at 40 in a 30 zone...... he was told that he should have known that the speed limit had changed (from previously signed 40 mph down to an *unsigned* 30 mph) because of the spacing of the lampposts

unable to find in google, as it comes back with too many hits, and i dont recall the case specifics to narrow the search.

however, i did find this general advice from the 'smartdriving' website

"In most built up areas, towns and villages, etc., the speed limit is 30 mph. Effectively this speed limit is in force wherever there are lamp posts (with a few exceptions determined by the spacing of the lamp posts)"

all the smart people who say that you should drive at 30mph, what would you have done in the above case, when the roadsigns said 40mph, and then, a few hundred yards later, the speed limit changed with no new signs to warn you of the fact

Answer 7

no, if you are in a residential area it will always be a 30. If not then there will be signs down the road.

Answer 8

Yes ur friend is right, let me explain in brief

Any road with regular street lighting has a default speed limit of 30 mph unless signs indicate otherwise.

Where there is no street lighting, the default limit is 60 mph for single-carriageway and 70 mph for dual carriageway roads. This is referred to as the "National Speed Limit" (NSL), and entry to these zones is marked by the familiar "derestriction" sign with a diagonal black stripe on a white background.

The mere fact that a road runs through an urban or rural area makes no difference to the speed limit - it is the presence or absence of street lighting.

Answer 9

if there are street lights and a built up area the speed is 30 anything else will be sign posted

Answer 10

This worries me Gina....

There is a rule with lampost spacings...the actual rule escapes me, but your friend is right....

Answer 11

generally if you drive at the same speed as the traffic flow you will be ok. if there are no signs posted that does not mean any speed you want you still have to use good judgement.

Answer 12

Your friend is right. If there are more than 10 lamps per mile it is a built-up area and 30 applies unless there are other signs. Generally you need to look out for the speed signs, and assume that the last one you passed is the one that applies.

Answer 13

If you turn onto a road and are unsure of the speed limit then go along at 30mph until you see a sign saying otherwise. If you never come across a sign that says anything above/below 30 then you are guaranteed that it is 30.

Answer 14

Have a look here

http://www.speedlimit.org.uk/speed_marki...

Tells you all you need to know, only had a quick glance but your friend could be right!!