Speed limit on Penistone Road

[Planner1 428]

Just curious Planner1 but my perception is that the lights are phased differently at night and during the day. Is that correct?

 

The timings change by time of day, so there will be different AM peak , PM peak and off -peak timing plans at the very least, and special ones for football match times etc. I'll see if I can find out what plans they are running overnight.

[nickmclean 10]

I was brought up in Grenoside, just down the road from where the speed camera appeared. My school crossing was just to the town-side of that speed camera so it's not in a bad position. However, it does not solve anything. Drivers slow down for the camera (which is dangerous) and then speed up afterwards, where-upon they possibly have their attention on the speed camera and not the children crossing the road.

And then further down the road there is another crossing for the park which is on a bend. Some time ago the crossing was moved from much further down the road right up to this bend. Obviously this was dangerous because drivers come through the speed camera at 30 and immediately speed up to 40+ again. So, a little refuge was put in the road... The crossing wasn't moved to the bend itself where cars and pedestrians could possibly see in both directions...

And then further down the road again, past the lights, a really wide road with a 30 limit, this is because of the school again and a place where children cross. There is always a mobile camera here because people can be caught all the time. Why not generate enough revenue with this camera van and then put in a set of traffic lights for a crossing? Or is that making it look like the van is there to generate revenue? It must be, it's there at weekends usually when kids aren't in school but there are LOTS of cars around....

Planning has a lot to do with road safety and there are a lot of examples of bad planning. Putting up barriers as you approach a roundabout so you can't see what is coming around the roundabout (to make you stop), just causes people to make last second decisions or even worse - not look for the bike stopped waiting for the traffic - I certainly don't fancy being run into like this and if there is a possibility that this might happen, why do it?

(I drive a car and a motorcycle, and I ride a bicycle, and I walk around Grenoside too. I'm not a campaigner for speed, I'm all for sensible planning and driving. This is being able to see as far as the point you can stop if you need to (and providing the arena to do this), correct road positioning (again helped by a sensible road layout), indicating (which is commonly done after the manouver has started or not at all), hazard awareness (a bit cliche'd but a very important factor - I've avoided many a prang and a spill by being aware - being a motorcyclist does that for you).

Most of these are just basic courtesy to the other people on the road. If you knew the person on the motorcycle in front, would you tailgate them??? No, you'd be more careful.

Spleen vented, you can go about your business

[Planner1 428]

Why not generate enough revenue with this camera van and then put in a set of traffic lights for a crossing? Or is that making it look like the van is there to generate revenue?

 

The Council pay for crossings, they don't get the income from speed cameras, that goes to the Government.

 

The grant the Council gets to pay for things like crossings comes from the Government, so effectively, what you are suggesting is actually what happens, it's just done indirectly.

[Planner1 428]

Planning has a lot to do with road safety and there are a lot of examples of bad planning. Putting up barriers as you approach a roundabout so you can't see what is coming around the roundabout (to make you stop), just causes people to make last second decisions or even worse - not look for the bike stopped waiting for the traffic - I certainly don't fancy being run into like this and if there is a possibility that this might happen, why do it?

 

That's all about making people slow down sufficiently when approaching roundabouts, so they do have time to see what's happening an make decisions accordingly. When visibility is very good, people make their decisions a long way back, don't slow down enough and end up misjudging it.

[Ravenger 10]

Pedantic I know..theres at least one person complaining on here they find it hard sticking to under 30mph.

 

Is there something wrong mechanically with their car?

 

How do they go on in a 20 zone?

 

Well 20 zones by law have to have traffic calming measures which force cars to slow down, e.g. speed bumps, chicanes, etc.

 

Penistone Road is a wide 4 lane dual carriageway with an enormous central reservation, wide pavements, little housing and very few pedestrians.

 

The wide road and central reservation make it feel like you're going too slowly simply because the visual cues when you're driving are those of a much faster road.

 

Equivalent roads are normally at least 40 or 50mph, and sometimes 60mph. So I'd say it's to be expected that some people will be caught out, especially when the majority of the traffic is ignoring the limit anyway.

[Welshboyhere 10]

Well 20 zones by law have to have traffic calming measures which force cars to slow down, e.g. speed bumps, chicanes, etc.

 

Penistone Road is a wide 4 lane dual carriageway with an enormous central reservation, wide pavements, little housing and very few pedestrians.

 

The wide road and central reservation make it feel like you're going too slowly simply because the visual cues when you're driving are those of a much faster road.

 

Equivalent roads are normally at least 40 or 50mph, and sometimes 60mph. So I'd say it's to be expected that some people will be caught out, especially when the majority of the traffic is ignoring the limit anyway.

 

Agreed, Penistone road is a joke! There are loads of traffic lights along the road anyway, so it is not like cars will be going crazily fast and also it is quite often busy too. So stupid that one camera clocking people over 30!

[nickmclean 10]

I think they need to go and review the policy of putting barriers up approaching roundabouts because it doesn't force everyone to slow down - it just makes them make more sudden decisions and manouvers.

 

Penistone road has a number of schools on it so the speed limit is low. But as it is a wide, straight road, people will speed. Especially as the place where it narrows to a single lane causes people to race to be there first...

 

I suppose if the council did get the revenue from a mobile camera van, they would just convert it into a permanent speed trap and go and bother somewhere else...

[sccsux 10]

Especially as the place where it narrows to a single lane causes ignorant, selfish people to race to be there first...

 

Just a slight correction to your post:thumbsup:

[Cyclone 10]

That's all about making people slow down sufficiently when approaching roundabouts, so they do have time to see what's happening an make decisions accordingly. When visibility is very good, people make their decisions a long way back, don't slow down enough and end up misjudging it.

 

And when they can't see at all it reduces traffic flow which happens to cause congestion, which the council of course would never suggest was a good thing, except when they're banging on about public transport.

 

Edit - this is the first time I've seen someone argue that poor visibility is actually a road safety feature. I guess the roads must all be very safe when it's foggy, right?

[Eater Sundae 12]

I think they need to go and review the policy of putting barriers up approaching roundabouts because it doesn't force everyone to slow down - it just makes them make more sudden decisions and manouvers.

 

Penistone road has a number of schools on it so the speed limit is low. But as it is a wide, straight road, people will speed. Especially as the place where it narrows to a single lane causes people to race to be there first...

 

I suppose if the council did get the revenue from a mobile camera van, they would just convert it into a permanent speed trap and go and bother somewhere else...

 

 

I think the big problem with a lot of roundabouts is that the roads entering the roundabout are swept in, to allow the cars to enter without needing to slow down. As a result, the drivers cannot see onto the roundabout as they enter it, unless they look back over their shoulder. This is particularly hazardous for cyclists already on the roundabout.

 

Drivers are required to give way to vehicles already on the roundabout, but the design of the roundabout makes it easy to drive onto it quickly, but hard to check if there is anyone approaching already on the roundabout.

 

Entry onto many roundabouts should be at 90 degrees to the roundabout, and not swept in.

 

Re the end of the dual carriageway on Halifax Rd - I regularly see drivers who feel the need to overtake as many as possible before the road narrows. So, just as the speed limit drops to 30, they are actually accelerating well above 40 to complete their overtake.

[NERVY-OWL 192]

i have never understood the point of penistone road being a 30 speed limit. surely all dual carriageways, unless there are alot of pedestrians or shops should be 40mph, very annoying. as for roundabouts, i dont see why the council have to put trees/bushes in the middle of the roundabout, making it near impossible to see the other side of it. they should have nothing on it so you have a clear view of whats happenening around it

[BungleBoy 10]

its 30mph but it ****** me off it shud be 40mph wen theres no houses on that road!!!!