MR Whittaker (Mailbag April 4) asks how one is supposed to know that the road between the Bay Horse roundabout in Oakes and Salendine Nook is 30 mph.
If Mr Whittaker lives in Marsh he will reside on a 30mph road. As there are no speed limit signs between his house and Salendine Nook there will not be a change of speed limit.
The speed limit in the UK is 30 mph unless signed otherwise; also the street lights point towards a 30mph limit. If the limit becomes more than 30mph, as is does above Salendine Nook there will be 40mph signs and repeater signs on the lampposts.
It is true that going up the road from the Bay Horse roundabout there are few houses, but there is a playing field on the left. Has Mr Whittaker considered this? Does he have children or grandchildren?
If Mr Whittaker asks the residents who live on the opposite side of the road whether they would like the limit to be increased to 40mph he may appreciate why the limit is as it is.
We all want drivers to be careful on the street where we live. but do we give just regard for other residents’ environments?
Mr Whittaker and other readers may be surprised to learn that that section of road is a dual carriageway, even though it is only one lane wide. Because it is a dual carriageway the speed limit does not necessarily increase.
The road in question used to be one of Kirklees’ highest accident routes until the civil engineers decided to make it effectively narrower by painting cycle lanes and car parking bays. Well done them.
The police using speed guns are either using them on roads with a high incident rate or where residents have complained about the speed of motorists.
Mr Whittaker goes on to say that a Speed Awareness Course he has been offered is financed by the council. This is not correct; it is paid for by the fees from clients and all the fees go towards the training facilities and the highly trained classroom and in-car practical trainers he will meet on the course should he wisely choose to take that option.
It sounds from his letter that a little education may be of interest and benefit to him and is certainly better than paying a fine and still being left under misapprehensions about speed limits.
As a self-employed driver trainer who has delivered Speed Awareness Courses for the council for a number of years I can vouch for positive feedback we receive from clients who undertake these courses. So don’t be shy Mr Whittaker; come on down and see what you can learn. We are here to help.
Richard Lord ADI
Huddersfield
