20mph sign vandals face police action for creating ‘take-your-pick …
Mass confusion has broken out on Flintshire’s roads after new speed signs were tampered with. Motorists faced with conflicting road signs turned to social media to ridicule the apparent “take-your-pick” speed limits as new 20mph zones are rolled out across the county.
Council chiefs have warned of possible criminal action against individuals who alter the new signs. Pictures shared on social media highlighted the head-scratching that ensued after a sign was falsified on the outskirts of Cilcain.
One sign shows the soon-to-be-introduced speed limit of 20mph, another adjacent sign shows the soon-to-be-outdated 30mph limit. Facebook[1] users had a field day working out what it all meant.
New 20mph default speed limits[2] are to be launched across Wales on September 17. Flintshire Council[3] confirmed it has already begun replacing all relevant 30mph signs with identical signs that have a peel-off layer.
When removed, these reveal the number “20”. The idea is that teams of council officers can quickly peel off the temporary stickers so that the new speed limits can be introduced as soon as possible after midnight on September 17.
A spokesperson said: “As can be imagined, there are hundreds of signs across the county and this is not a task that could be achieved overnight on the 17th. To make sure we are ready we have no choice but to start this work now.
“We are aware that some signs have been tampered with and the temporary stickers removed. The public is reminded that altering traffic signs is an offence under the Highways Act 1980 and any evidence of such interference will be forwarded to the police.”
(Image: Huddersfield Examiner)
Tampered signs are causing bewilderment and “confusion” among drivers. As hard-pressed local authorities are racing to replace thousands of speed signs ahead of the September 17 deadline, some just assumed Flintshire Council[5] was merely hedging its bets.
With tongue firmly in cheek, others wondered if a new freedom of choice had been introduced on the county’s speed limits. “Take your pick?” suggested one driver.
Many put their thinking caps on to interpret the conflicting signage at Cilcain. Among the permutations were “In at 30, out at 20?” and “Overtake at 20, but drive at 30?”
Will drivers observe the new 20mph limits? Let us know in the comments below.[6]
A few took the signs literally. “30 on the left side and 20 on the right side?” suggested one man, adding: “Good game of chicken!” Some got mathematical, coming up with: “30 + 20 = 50.”
Quite a few people split the difference and reckoned the two signs must mean an average of 25mph. Just as many thought it didn’t really matter. “35 like the rest of us,” said one man, adding a tears-of-laughter emoji.
Some reckoned the lower limit was for car drivers, the higher limit for cyclists. But with a hint of a smile, one man fumed that everyone had got it all wrong.
“Don’t you understand road signs?” he wrote. “It’s 30mph unless the day of the week has a ‘t’ in it, or it’s the fourth weekend in the month, or 29th February, in which case it’s 20mph. Learn your highway code!”
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References
- ^ Facebook (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ 20mph default speed limits (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Flintshire Council (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ What happens if you get caught speeding in North Wales’ new 20mph zones (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Flintshire Council (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Will drivers observe the new 20mph limits? Let us know in the comments below. (www.dailypost.co.uk)