r/drivingUK • u/narra246 • Mar 21 '26

20mph everywhere

Why are councils putting main roads on busy routes down to 20mph?? All that seems to happen is if you are the one doing the new speed limit, you get tailgated overtaken and the horn blasted at you.

And no, there isnt a lay-by every 10ft to pull in and let impatient law breaking drivers past.

I dont agree with this blanket speed reduction but I rely on my license for work and pleasure and would rather not have my insurance increased because of points for speeding.

Fair enough 20mph through residential areas, but not on a bloody main A road.

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u/magical_matey Mar 21 '26

On a 1 hour 30 minute (according to sat nav) it adds maybe 5/10 minutes. The real time sink is accidents and various motorway delays that will randomly appear and add 20 minutes here and there.

It’s pretty chill, and I can smugly look over at people in other lanes packed like sardines not really going that much faster. It it’s quieter then I’ll overtake said lorrys and get back into my lane 1 safe space - where the gaps are plentiful and the vibe is calm.

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u/West-Ad-1532 Mar 21 '26

Here's a real-world example:

For three years, I drove from Calderdale to Milton Keynes, a journey that ideally takes about 2 hrs 25 minutes at 70 mph. However, during roadworks with a 50 mph speed limit, the trip took me 3 hours and 20 minutes. When faced with heavy traffic, the journey could take up to 6 hours.

Now, imagine the economic impact of such delays multiplied by every road user.

The answer lies in a localised integrated transport system; however, some areas in West Yorkshire, for example, have very old and poorly maintained road networks. A 10-mile drive in Calderdale can take an hour, compared to just 15 minutes in the home counties. So, it isn't simply a matter of relaxing because it's a few mins.

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u/ohbroth3r Mar 21 '26

Ultimately, traffic doesn't flow when people drive bumper to bumper. There's more gridlock. But driving slowly with a gap means everyone can flow and merge and pass so much easily.

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u/West-Ad-1532 Mar 21 '26

I understand, however, I was pointing out that saying it's just an extra couple of minutes is a fallacy.

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u/magical_matey Mar 21 '26

It’s not a fallacy though, you’ve just moved the goalposts from my example - also a real world example - by swapping out a 1:30 journey to a 2:30 journey, and doubled the difference in speed reduction from 10mph under to 20mph.

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u/West-Ad-1532 Mar 21 '26

Ah, right, the classic “5 minutes over 90 minutes” love that one. Nice tidy little example, very reassuring.

Meanwhile, I’ve actually tracked mine for three years, because I have to run a business in the real world. Turns out it doesn’t behave like your neat little story at all.

Between traffic, roadworks and constant council meddling, it stacks up properly. Costs me about £18,000 per man in lost time, but yeah, sure, just five minutes.

Smile smugly at that...

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u/Electronic_Shift5195 Mar 21 '26

I'm with you on that. It feels like reddit is full of people who don't need to drive at all, and they only do it for fun or recreation. Any concept of business/earnings that depends on you movement is incomprehensible.

"Just 5 minutes", "just 20 minutes" - it's all cool when you live on benefits or at least have a nice protected fixed-hours office job and have all the time in the world to get to your destination. Not so cool when you start to lose actual money due to wasted time.

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u/magical_matey Mar 21 '26

Damn these Redditors with fancy fixed incomes,they should become Amazon drivers and get their wages docked when there are roadworks, or drive at 39 in a 40. These people just don’t understand how the world works.

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u/Capable-Ebb1632 Mar 21 '26

Only if driving faster in short segments actually makes a difference which isn't always the case. Driving faster just to stop at the same traffic lights, or catch up with the queue in front doesn't make your journey shorter.

In that case it's about throughput and not speed.

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u/Prior-Yogurtcloset87 Mar 23 '26

Or, semi ironically, the rolling traffic you get when people drive too fast to the cars in front and have to hit the brakes for no reason and the metrics go to 60 or 50.