New legislation sees changes in speed limit road signs this week
- Apr 18, 2016
- EmmaArnold
New rules will come into place this week where councils can make their own decisions on speed limit signs.
This is one of the changes introduced by the new legislation on Friday which will let local authorities choose which speed signs are needed.
Figures show an increase of road signs in England by 83% over a 20 year period and so this legislation aims to 'tear down pointless road signs'.
However, the proposals have faced some criticism such as from the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD) who say the changes would result in "real danger" and "genuine confusion."
This is supported by Amy Wilmott, an Assistant Solicitor in the personal injury department at PotterReesDolan, who said:
It’s a disappointing move by government; that in reducing spend in this area, the safety of road users could potentially be compromised, increasing the number of road traffic collisions.
Delegating these powers to individual councils will result in differing approaches and could cause confusion and ambiguity for road users.
The counter-argument is that all pointless signs will be removed which could normally distract drivers and will also save the taxpayer money.
The RAC have also raised concerns over the new measures by saying how removing small speed limit repeater signs doesn't make much sense as drivers need regular reminders especially when the speed limit is not obvious.