Free Traffic Legal Advice

Recently in our village (/ small market town), the local council, with the agreement of the country council, have put up numerous "advisory speed limit" signs, with "20" in a green circle / white background.

They clearly mimic standard 20mph road signs, but being advisory are not enforceable.

I find the signs objectionable - not least because the number of them is high, and too many signs create an eyesore, and a distraction from seeing the notices that matter. The fixing is poor (a couple of cable ties, so the signs move around), the choice of locations is often sub-optimal, and I just find them smug & condescending.

Does anyone have experience in campaigning against these? The number sited seems in excess of guidelines in TRSGD (though there's no longer a minimum for repeaters).

The local council did some (but not exhaustive) traffic surveys ahead of the signs appearing, which seem to show that on most roads the average speed is sub-20mph (in a 30mph limit) in any case; which to my mind defeats the purpose of the advisory signs aid any case. They have no plans to monitor traffic speeds, other than anecdotally, so they will have no real data as to whether the signs make any difference. It isn't clear how long these signs are supposed to be up for - might there be any statutory time limit on such a scheme, perhaps?

Any thoughts or input welcomed with thanks!

Please don’t advocate criminal damage.

Thank you. I don't disagree there are more important things, but I do consider this to be of some importance too. At one level, it's 'thin end of the wedge' territory.

There are established procedures to go through - including consultation - to turn a road in to a genuine 20mph zone. If councils and others start to believe they can shortcut the standards of having professionals (traffic and roadway design in this case) make an assessment, giving notice, taking opinions, allowing objections to be heard, assessing carefully, etc. etc., and simply shortcut to whatever a few councillors wish, by putting up look-a-like signs, where will it stop? Not at speed signs, that's for sure.