Hi,
I am new to UK and just now try to drive on motorway.
A few days ago I entered to slip road to M60 at Manchester towards Preston.
At the entrance of the slip road, a panel display speed limit of 40 mph. I thought it should be the speed at the motorway (smart motorway) as well. Once I approached the motorway, I saw all people driving at 60-70mph.
Could I ask if the speed limit is only for the slip road? And at what speed should I merge to motorway.
Thanks for helping
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Was it a square panel with yellow numbers? Those are advisory and a lot of people just ignore them. Round speed limit signs apply unless you see one stating a different limit. The white circle with a diagonal black line through it means the speed limit is 70 (on motorways and dual carriageways).
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Was the 40 an orange on black display (in which case it’s advisory) or in a red circle (in which case it’s compulsory)?
Your merge speed would ideally be the same at traffic in lane 1.
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It was in red circle at the entrance of slip road. And I could not see any other sign in the whole slip road.
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Had similar the other day, showing compulsory 40 on the slip road but soon as i got on the motorway you could see the next set of overhead signs were showing derestriction (national speed limit) signs, one presumes there was a closed lane on the motorway some distance back from where i entered.
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In this case, shall I adhere to 40mph limit but difficult to join motorway unless others give way to me.
Or shall I match the speed on the motorway apparent at 60-70mph but only observable close to motorway.
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In this case, shall I adhere to 40mph limit but difficult to join motorway unless others give way to me. Or shall I match the speed on the motorway apparent at 60-70mph but only observable close to motorway.
It's your job to give way to them, so I would be matching their speed. Do you have a Google Street view link to the junction so that we can understand a bit better?
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It is slip road to M60 Preston direction, maps.app.goo.gl/HyjGBBN7B2kGspR87?g_st=ic
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It is slip road to M60 Preston direction, maps.app.goo.gl/HyjGBBN7B2kGspR87?g_st=ic
That is a variable speed limit display, so it showing 40mph was presumably due to weather, roadworks, traffic volume, accident or whatever. As for the speed of other cars, many people will chance it and break the speed limit, up to you whether you do the same.
Was your experience the other day the only time you have been down that slip road?
Edited by badbusdriver on 03/04/2024 at 19:55
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For consecutive 3 days a few days ago., it displayed 40mph.
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At the top of the slip road is a blue rectangular sign that says 'M60'. Once you have passed that, you are technically on the motorway so can accelerate up to 70 unless you see a red circular sign (or overhead gantry) saying otherwise.
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Thanks for all response.
I am grateful to those drivers slow down to allow me to join the motorway.
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Thanks for all response.
I am grateful to those drivers slow down to allow me to join the motorway.
Many motorway accidents occur at junctions, some because of drivers slowing to allow slow cars to join, contrary to Highway Code guidance.
Joining traffic should match speeds on the slip road, as any driving instructor will tell you.
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Thanks for all response.
I am grateful to those drivers slow down to allow me to join the motorway.
Many motorway accidents occur at junctions, some because of drivers slowing to allow slow cars to join, contrary to Highway Code guidance.
Joining traffic should match speeds on the slip road, as any driving instructor will tell you.
But the whole point of the thread is that the variable speed limit sign on the slip road said 40mph. Would/should an instructor tell the OP to ignore that?
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If there is a variable speed limit on the slip road for 40, the traffic on the motorway will also be restricted to 40, so there shouldn't be any significant differential in speed. The next variable speed limit on the motorway (i.e. the first one the person joining the motorway will see for the whole motorway) may be higher, as the reason for the reduced limit is a large amount of merging traffic.
I'd hope the control systems for the overhead gantries would be sophisticated enough to match the speed limits on slip road displays and those on the motorway, but they may rely on people in the control room not making an error.
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If there is a variable speed limit on the slip road for 40, the traffic on the motorway will also be restricted to 40, so there shouldn't be any significant differential in speed. The next variable speed limit on the motorway (i.e. the first one the person joining the motorway will see for the whole motorway) may be higher, as the reason for the reduced limit is a large amount of merging traffic.
I'd hope the control systems for the overhead gantries would be sophisticated enough to match the speed limits on slip road displays and those on the motorway, but they may rely on people in the control room not making an error.
OP says 40mph limit displayed three days consecutively, but it certainly seems that the motorway itself wasn't. So possibly an error or fault, either that or everyone on the motorway was just ignoring it!
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