Advisory speed limits

[Dr Jekyll]

Suppose you are on some kind of advanced test whith an examiner looking for brisk but legal progress.

Driving down a motorway in perfect conditions at 70 you see a recommended 50 limit on a gantry but the road is still clear for half a mile ahead. A mile later you see a hazard, and some time after you have passed it and are back in what appear to be 70MPH conditions you notice that the next gantry sign up ahead in the distance shows the end of the 50 restriction.

Do you get back to 70 at the posted derestriction or once you can see there are no more hazards between you and the end of the restriction? Or even once past the hazard?

I'd guess once you can see there are no more hazards in the recommended limit progress suggests getting back up to the statutory limit.

[S. Gonzales Esq.]

As it's an advisory limit, there might well not be any reason to do less than 70.

I'm always grateful for extra information, but tend to drive to the hazards rather than the (often incorrect) signs.

[gdaybruce]

Advisory speed limits on motorways must count as the single most ignored category of road signs in the country. Why? Because they are frequently irrelevant, any hazard that they relate to having been cleared long since, and they are always switched on too far in advance, so that drivers who actually have slowed down speed up again as the miles roll by with no obvious reason for reduced speed.

Thus, drivers have learned through long experience that advisory limits can generally be ignored.

The shame is that if they were used properly, then they would be a real driver aid. Personally, I treat them as additional information to take into account, setting my speed according to what, and how far ahead, I can see.

[johnao]

Dr Jekyll said:

Suppose you are on some kind of advanced test whith an examiner looking for brisk but legal progress. Driving down a motorway in perfect conditions at 70 you see a recommended 50 limit on a gantry...

Hi Dr Jekyll, the advice that our group gives to test candidates regarding advisory speed limits on bends is shown below. The same advice would apply to motorways.

Feedback from IAM Advanced Test examiners

We have received feedback from examiners that they do not expect test candidates to treat these advisory maximum speed signs as though they are mandatory.

What the examiners seem to be suggesting is that the guidance given on the advisory speed plate be treated as simply that, ie. guidance. Treat it as you would any other warning sign and use your own judgement as to the safe speed for the hazard. The examiners point out that the vast majority of these signs are targeted at Large Goods Vehicles and aren’t necessarily relevant to cars. Remember that the examiner is expecting you to make progress and will not be impressed if you hinder your progress by unnecessary compliance with non-mandatory signs.

As in most aspects of advanced driving the examiner is looking to see how you use your judgement; this is not a mandatory sign, so you don’t have to comply with it; but it would be sensible to take note of it as it could be telling you that the bend might be more severe than your initial assessment.