Originally Posted by
Eric the Half a Bee
Why make it such a binary choice? It could have been implemented in a far better way that would have reduced accidents yet allowed motorists to make progress where the roads naturally allow.
Yesterday I went out for a drive from Pontypridd, through Ynysybwl, over the top to Perthcelyn and up to Aberdare. It's 20mph until you go over the railway bridge, then it's 40mph all the way to Ynysybwl, even though part of that is driving where there is a school and lots of houses. Before you get to the Bwl there's a stretch of about a mile where there are no houses at all. All 40mph, though used to be 50.
Then it's 20 through the Bwl, including through some sections that are far less residential than the 40mph a few miles before. It's a little narrow going through Old Ynysybwl and few manage much more than 20mph anyway, then you're out in the country. Still 20mph for about half a mile where there are only a couple of houses. Why 20 there and 40 earlier on. Then, finally, national speed limit applies. Laughably this is on a windy, steep road where anyone able to reach 60 is likely to be killed.
Then it is back to 20 as we approach Perthcelyn. Then left and there's about a mile of downhill road, with glorious views of the Cynon Valley, nothing about, still 20mph. Why? It's still 20mph through Miskin and a thousand speed humps, until we reach Fernhill. Now goes back to 40mph going past the train station and where pedestrians cross often. Is that a safer bit of road than the one going down from Perthcelyn? Of course not.
Lastly it's 20 all the way to Aberdare through Aberaman, though the local industrial estate is 30 and where there are frequent bumps from impatient drivers trying to turn onto what is a busy road.
It's all totally illogical and I get why drivers are pissed off. There are plenty of 20s where there is absolutely no need and where there is no history of accidents. That's the problem.
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