However it was at Wrexham and there is a road sign that I have never in my life seen. A circle speed limit sign with a black border and green 20 with school ahead. Thinking it was a Welsh thing, I simply did 20. He then proceeded to ask why I was doing 20, to which I replied… Because the sign said plus there is a school. He then said the schools are off for 6 weeks why are you stil doing 20. I again said, because the sign said and there is a school there (thinking it was a trick question)
After the test he explained it was an advisory speed sign with it not being red. I Looked in the Highway Code, and know your road signs book and there ain’t anything about advisory speed signs other than motorways.
I then said, well if it was advisory, I took its advice and did 20 as some schools have summer clubs during the holidays. He then proceeded to tell me that I had passed yet needed a kick up the arse… LOL
From everything I know if such a sign is up and a lot say ‘applies when lights are flashing’ then they are legal and if you go over it you could get a ticket. Much like the variable speed limits on motorways.
HOWEVER. You almost NEVER see a 30 sign where this lower speed limit might end. Plus the schools NEVER turn them off during breaks. Thus leaving them probably impossible to enforce if any council decided to try.
Once again a peace of road planing thought up and implemented by a vogon who sits at a desk all day and uses the bus.
Congrats on passing BTW
And if your examiner gave you a minor for it that bang out of order in my book. When I was learning to drive a car my instructor told me off for ignoring ‘advisory’ speed limits, so I can only assume other examiners might fail you for ignoring them.
TheTrogFather:
From everything I know if such a sign is up and a lot say ‘applies when lights are flashing’ then they are legal and if you go over it you could get a ticket. Much like the variable speed limits on motorways.
If it isn’t in a red circle it isn’t a prohibition and is not enforceable. (The variable speed limits on motorways ARE in red circles)
TheTrogFather:
From everything I know if such a sign is up and a lot say ‘applies when lights are flashing’ then they are legal and if you go over it you could get a ticket. Much like the variable speed limits on motorways.
If it isn’t in a red circle it isn’t a prohibition and is not enforceable. (The variable speed limits on motorways ARE in red circles)
Ah I hadn’t noticed they weren’t red in the pictures. There are a lot near me which are red though.
TheTrogFather:
From everything I know if such a sign is up and a lot say ‘applies when lights are flashing’ then they are legal and if you go over it you could get a ticket. Much like the variable speed limits on motorways.
If it isn’t in a red circle it isn’t a prohibition and is not enforceable. (The variable speed limits on motorways ARE in red circles)
Ah I hadn’t noticed they weren’t red in the pictures. There are a lot near me which are red though.
Here, all school 20 zones are enforced with big unmissable red circles. It was the first time I had seen such a sign with a different colour thus assumed it was the same. I knew it wasn’t in the highway code it know your roads signs.
I’m not sure if he did give me a minor for it but he was incredibly fair noting a number of times (which I agreed with) that could have pushed my 4 minors for progress to 5 which would have failed me. my 4 minors were sticking behind traffic on the motorway without attempting to over take and being a tad slower on a country road that I didn’t know (so didn’t know the turn off, dips, bends, side roads ect) so I played it safe.
Either way, I learned about Wales and their funky rainbow speed signs and passed so with an examiner who seemed to actually be human. All in all a good day.
As th2013 said not enforceable. There is actually a freedom of information request on this albeit in a different part of the country. Conclusion was that it is not enforceable.
Tricky situation though on a test. It’s a no win one as well.
If you follow the advisory limit you could get an examiner who queries why are you only doing 20mph.
If you ignore it them might ask you why you are not taking into account the advisory limit.
How are you to know that it’s school holidays, market day, some religious celebration where people will be walking all over the place.
Maybe best solution in the unlikely event that someone sees such a sign is to say to the examiner I saw the advisory speed limit but i’m sticking to 30mph as there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that I need to adjust the speed.
