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Lower speed limits in built-up areas should be introduced by the Scottish Government to help improve children’s health, according to doctors.
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CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
"Lower speed limits will improve health, say doctors"
(19 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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But surely slower speeds mean more pollution [/EEN Commenter]
Posted 9 years ago # -
...and mean that you spend so much time looking at your speedo that you take your eyes off the road and make the roads more dangerous...surely better to drive to the conditions. [sarcasm]
Posted 9 years ago # -
... and slowing speeds mean pedestrians pay less attention so the roads become more dangerous. The faster cars go then the safer it is for crossing.
... and children are to blame for their own deaths.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Of course you can't get up to 20mph with all those bloody cyclists on the road at walking pace.
Posted 9 years ago # -
20mph signs don't pay road tax so shouldn't be allowed on the roads.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Very amusing responses above but the tragic thing is that those of WC, Chug and Stickman are all in the comments already.
Steveo's one I didn't see but only a matter of time. jdanielp's is just silly of course, but someone will probably complain about the cost of the signs before long and they are funded by the hard pressed tax payer, so...Posted 9 years ago # -
cb: yes, I'd scanned the comments for the usual hysteria. I forgot to note the regular "modern cars aren't efficient at 20mph". Someone has responded (1) use your gears (2) do you trust manufacturer published emission levels?
For more silly objections, how about:
20 is not a prime number so drivers are distracted by working out its factors. The speed limit should be 31.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Like response (2)...
Thank you for reading the comments so I don't have to...Posted 9 years ago # -
My god, they really are all in there. Are we sure we're not writing all the EEN comments without realising it?
I thought this was a comment worthy of thought though: "Instead of trying to dictate road policy, it would be nice if Doctors stick to getting their patients better and reducing waiting times! Obesity will not disappear if traffic travels at 20mph so this intervention is not within their remit"
It's that last line about obesity. If 20mph limits are put in place the evidence suggests more people may choose active travel options instead, basically walking or cycling, because the environment is nicer to do so, which in turn may help lower obesity. Certainly it won't disappear, but it reminds of that climate change conference cartoon of, "What happens if we find out it's all untrue and we make the world a better place for nothing?"
Posted 9 years ago # -
Posted 9 years ago # -
This is genius:
"I can't say that in all my thousands of visits to Edinburgh I have never seen anyone adult or child knocked down by a car. I have however on several random occasions seen overturned police cars. One night on Queensferry Road there were two of them overturned. People find it hard to drive at 20 as they have to keep looking at the speedo. Speed limits are just arbitrary figures anyway as they fit in with our perceptions of rounded numbers. What's wrong with 25, 50 and 75 instead of what we get just now - typically 30, 60 and 70 on different roads? They weren't invented after years of computer research. People just made them up and they became a standard."
Firstly, I think in the first sentence they mean 'ever' and not 'never', but also they're equating "I've seen overturned police cars, but never anyone run over" with "police cars are more dangerous than speeding and people are never run over". Also, two overturned police cars on one street on one night? Did that actually happen?
And there 'are' 50mph limits in place. And again this "I have to stare at my speedo to drive at 20" - why is that different to 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 limits?
Posted 9 years ago # -
"What happens if we find out it's all untrue and we make the world a better place for nothing?"
I wonder if the SNP conference is worrying about that dilemma...
Posted 9 years ago # -
I might log into the EEN and post mine just so I can get a full house.
Posted 9 years ago # -
You may laugh WC but I couldn't get out of my front gate this morning due to an overturned police car. Seems they're everywhere these days.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@cb I assume you couldn't edge your way round the upturned plod due to the flocks of lycra louts on the pavement?
Posted 9 years ago # -
"
An officer driving a patrol car lost control in broad daylight and the vehicle ended up on its roof, forcing the closure of roads near Niddrie Mains Road.
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http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/traffic-thrown-chaos-after-police-5239155
Makes a change from blaming the car.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Still need a "might as well have a man with a red flag walking in front" for me to shout "house!"
Posted 9 years ago # -
@chdot, I can believe that one. I was leaving the craigmillar office about 6pm last week. Building fairly empty but polis arrived star sky and hutch style and drove over the pavement (it is flat) right up to the door. I am afraid I was stAring at them in a moderately cheeky manner and I am normally very polite to a polis.
Posted 9 years ago #
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