Speeding curb could increase road’s danger
SIGNS have gone up saying a quiet village near Daventry has a 60mph limit.
Last week workers from Northamptonshire County Council highways put up 40mph limit signs on the A361 bad bends near Ashby St Ledgers – a measure designed to improve road safety.
However, a quirk of the new lower speed means national speed limit (60mph) signs had to be put up on Main Road, Ashby St Ledgers, for drivers turning off the A361.
Resident Simon Ayriss said: “I know there’s always been a technical 60mph limit in the village, but there’s never been signs telling drivers about it, until now.
“Before drivers probably assumed it was a 30mph limit because it’s a village and they’re not told otherwise. Well now as they turn off the A361 they’ll be told it’s a 60mph road.
“It’s a narrow road and usually the cars are parked on the pavements so people walk in the road and children use their bikes there as well.
“It’s a bit ridiculous that a measure to improve safety has led to this. Highways were asked if there was any leeway in not putting up the 60mph signs to advertise, but there was no flexibility.”
The village lacks street lights – the usual legal symbol that a 30mph limit is in force, and has no other speed limit, meaning the national limit of 60mph has always been in place, but was never signposted.
A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: “The introduction of the 40mph limit on the A361 has raised the situation that, as there is no speed limit within the village of Ashby St Ledgers, traffic turning off the A361 will be faced with a de-regulation sign as they enter Main Road which will indicate to drivers that the national speed limit (60mph) applies.
“To overcome this anomaly a 30mph limit was proposed. Or there would be no 30mph limit but a gateway feature would be installed to make motorists aware they were entering a village.
“After a consultation, village representatives opted for the gateway feature and this will be installed in the new year.”
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Weather for Daventry
Thursday 20 June 2013
Today
Thunderstorm
Temperature: 13 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
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