40mph limit confirmed at M5 junction (From This is The West Country)
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40mph limit confirmed at M5 junction
7:10pm Monday 24th September 2012 in News
Mike Marshall
ROAD-USERS will be safer when the speed limit goes up on the approach to a spot where 100 people are booked every week, a villager claims.
Drivers will be able to do 40mph on the M5 roundabout at Junction 25 from March – up from the current 30mph limit.
A 30mph zone would then start a short distance along the A358 before the Taunton Gateway park-and-ride, at Ruishton.
The action follows the County Gazette’s revelation that 5,336 motorists were clocked speeding there in the year to April.
The county council decided on the change after the police, magistrates and parish councils expressed concerns about the number of people being prosecuted.
Mike Marshall, vice-chairman of Ruishton Parish Council, said: “We’re pleased the 30mph sign is now being moved back to start at the Blackbrook Tavern.
“It will help keep pedestrians, cyclists and all road users safe in accessing the park-and-ride.
“We did some tests which showed the average speed of vehicles along the road there is around 48mph and there have been so many near misses.”
A county council spokesman said many of the drivers fined for speeding entering Henlade were unaware of the speed limit as it is illegal to put up repeater signs in a 30mph zone.
He added: “A new start point and signs will ensure drivers are well aware of the limit through the village.”
Cabinet member Cllr Harvey Siggs said: “We’re not trying to penalise motorists.
“We want to make sure the roads are safe.”
The authority is also changing the speed limit from 40 to 30mph on Priory Avenue, Taunton, and from 50 to 40mph on the Toneway approach to the town and the A358 at Hankridge.
The spokesman said: “This should reduce the number of shunt-type accidents at the Creech Castle traffic lights.”
Comments(7)
Somerset_lad
says...
8:27pm Mon 24 Sep 12
curtis57
says...
10:31pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Somerset_lad wrote:Yes I remember the roundabout but the LibDem SCC wanted some fairies lights there! Taunton now must have about 120 sets of these fairie lights in situ now their answer to stop accidents and the next thing on their cards is to get your passager to walk in front with Red Flag?
I would increase amber time at the Creech Castle traffic lights. Even at 40 MPH, there are still going to be rear end shunts. Used to be a nice junction when the roundabout was there.
Its unsafe to enter Taunton / surrounding area due the highway men in mobile camera units
FreeSpeech?
says...
7:58am Tue 25 Sep 12
curtis57 wrote:Yes i remember the roundabout, all the serious accidents including the fatal ones & watching idiot drivers slingshot themselves round it to see who could go the fastest. Granted the 40mph speed limit on the Toneway will have little effect on rear end shunts as lack of concentration and last minute lane changing is to blame there but we should not go back to a round about, with concerns to Henlade i believe the limit should be lifted to 40mph.
Somerset_lad wrote:Yes I remember the roundabout but the LibDem SCC wanted some fairies lights there! Taunton now must have about 120 sets of these fairie lights in situ now their answer to stop accidents and the next thing on their cards is to get your passager to walk in front with Red Flag?
I would increase amber time at the Creech Castle traffic lights. Even at 40 MPH, there are still going to be rear end shunts. Used to be a nice junction when the roundabout was there.
Its unsafe to enter Taunton / surrounding area due the highway men in mobile camera units
localmcnocal
says...
12:25pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Yours sincerely, a bigot who doesn't care about road safety, only the implications it has on me.
boliston
says...
3:45pm Sun 30 Sep 12
curtis57
says...
8:17pm Sun 30 Sep 12
boliston wrote:What rubbish as you have traffic lights on the right of you & under M5 and one has to slow down anyway at any Junctions you have give way signs & road markings!!!!.
40mph is too fast for a roundabout!
Flashing slow signs are the only answer so sack these overly zealous mobile camera units staff as they are just cash generaters. I have read on another web site that some of those 5.336 drivers are looking in to sue both the Police & SCC, so one will have to watch this space!!!!!!!! as this happened in Wiltshire some years ago for the over use of Gatso's on A303 for which almost bankrupt the police / C council! its on a camera web site a photo of the old camera partnership unit sitting outside the driveway Of Cllr J Williams, Monkton Heathfield in 2005/ 6 catching everyone coming the hill! at the time it was stated on their web site that unit was parked in the layby on the other side near the pub? so they are still up too their old tricks as the norm?????
curtis57 says...
7:53pm Mon 24 Sep 12