What does this sign mean?

Hopefully, you answered to say that it means, ‘The National Speed Limit Applies’. If you didn’t ,stop reading this tip and first read the Highway Code.

So, what is the National Speed limit? Is it 70 mph, 60 mph, 50 mph or 40 mph?

The correct answer is all of them. The National Speed limit depends on three things (1) the type of road you are on, (2) the type of vehicle you are driving and (3) the country within the UK you are in.

You might be thinking that is all very confusing, but when it comes to speed limits that is not the only thing that is confusing. Some drivers may ask, why is it that the main A road I have been driving on is restricted to either a 50 mph or 40 mph, but the single track road that I’m now on is a National Speed limit road, which means if I’m driving my car I can legally drive at 60 mph?

I feel we need a complete review of speed limits. But just because there are, in my opinion, some limits that don’t make sense, we should all respect the posted speed limit and treat them as the maximum – not a target. In can be very safe to drive at 70 mph at times on a motorway/dual carriageway just as it can be very unsafe to drive at 30 mph in a residential street, especially when there are children around.

The only safe speed is one that you can stop safely in the distance you can see to be clear, that is not just how far ahead you can see. It means as far as the hidden junction ahead, the row of parked vehicles, the drive ways where kids could run out from. The list could go on and on, but hopefully you get my meaning.