Advisory speed limit

An advisory speed limit is a speed limit which is recommended by a governing body, but is not enforced. Advisory speed limits are often set in areas with many pedestrians, such as in city centres and outside schools, and on difficult stretches of roads, such as on tight corners or through roadworks. While travelling above the advisory speed limit is not a crime, liability for any accidents which occur as a result of travelling above the limit can be placed partially or entirely on the speeder. This applies particularly on the German autobahns; even though many sections of them have no speed limit, travelling above the "Richtgeschwindigkeit" (reference speed) can cause insurance companies to withhold payments of claims.cite web|url=http://www.transportrecht.de/transportrecht_content/1084451547.pdf|title= Autobahnrichtgeschwindigkeitsverordnung|publisher=German Federal Government|language=German|accessdate=2007-10-28]

Signposting of advisory speed limits varies from country to country; the United States, Australia and Germany make extensive use of advisory speed limits across their highway networks, while the United Kingdom only gives advisory speed limits on a handful of roads. Some have criticised advisory speed limits for being a weak method of traffic control, as drivers face little or no penalty for breaking the advisory speed limit.

Use

Use of advisory speed limits varies from country to country, but they are generally used to reduce speed along short stretches of dangerous road, such as on the tight curves of an off-ramp or on a busy shopping street. The advisory speed limit when not posted is generally the same as the mandatory speed limit in ideal conditions, although the Autobahn has an advisory speed limit of convert|130|km/h|mph|0 on non-signposted sections. In the United Kingdom, any speed limit imposed by a variable-message sign is advisory, and there are no sanctions for drivers who exceed it. [cite web|url=http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/advice/motorwaydriving01.htm|title=Safer motorway driving|publisher=Department for Transport|accessdate=2007-10-28] As local councils require consent from the Department for Transport before changing speed limits, some use advisory speed limits on roads that the DfT refuses to officially downgrade. [cite web|url=http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/transport-and-streets/roads--highways-and-pavements/roads---speed-limits/|title= Speed limits|publisher=Bristol City Council|accessdate=2007-10-28]

The usefulness of advisory speed limits has been questioned by a number of studies: one group from the Transportation Research Board found advisory speed limits through roadworks being consistently flouted by motorists, [cite journal|publisher=Transportation Research Board|first=Geza|last=Pesti|coauthors=Jessen, Daniel; Byrd, Patrick; McCoy, Patrick|title=Traffic Flow Charactaristics of the "Late Merge" Work Zone Control Strategy|url=http://trb.metapress.com/content/w70816702654q568/fulltext.pdf] while an investigation by "Manchester Evening News" found that almost all buses in Manchester city centre exceeded the local convert|10|mph|km/h|0 advisory speed limit; some by as much as convert|30|mph|km/h|0. [cite news|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/156/156184_speeding_buses_put_lives_at_risk.html |title=Speeding buses put lives at risk|publisher=Manchester Evening News|accessdate=2007-10-28|date=2005-04-26]

ignage

The signage for advisory speed limits is not defined by the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, and is therefore not standardised internationally. The United States uses a variation on the standard speed limit sign, with a yellow background instead of a white one and an additional panel stating the type of hazard ahead; Australia uses a similar design although regulatory speed limit signs are quite different. [cite web|url=http://www.co.hernando.fl.us/dpw/FAQ.htm|title=Department of Public Works|publisher=Hernando County|accessdate=2007-10-28] Germany uses a square sign with a blue background and white lettering, similar to the minimum speed limit sign,, and New Zealand uses a yellow background with black lettering (similar to the Australian design without the "km/h" lettering). The United Kingdom currently uses an oblong white rectangle with black lettering stating "Max Speed".

References

ee also

*Richtgeschwindigkeit
*Honesty box
*Speed limits in Montana