Roadworks Speed Zones on Variable Message Signs?

Euphemistic on 25/11/2023 - 22:06

Driving along in an 80 zone this evening. It’s a back road used a fair bit, no houses just a quarry and mine site with what appears to be a haul road crossing that is active only when mine operations need it.

Variable message sign says “police enforcing speed limits”. No problem, travelling at 80. Pass a bunch of covered road work signs, then around the corner another variable message sign with white 40 in a red circle. Then it tells me to slow down, obviously got a radar in it.

Same thing on the way back a bit later. 80 zone, VMS with police warning, covered roadwork signs, VMS with 40 that changes to “your speed 78, slow down”.

Dosing see any end of road work signs or signs reverting to 80 after the works.

Is it a legal 40 zone? I’m not convinced it’s enforceable without the roadworks signs or at least the standard speed limit sign format. Any other variable limit I’ve seen also has some form of ‘variable limit’ warning sign.

What does the brains trust think?

Automotive

Comments

  • haroldmac on 25/11/2023 - 22:32

    What you describe is an enforceable speed sign

    End of road works signs mean nothing. Advice only

    A lot depends on the MOU that exists for the road works, if the drawings that depict what signs should be where and if they correlate to what's actually displayed on the road

  • Porker on 26/11/2023 - 07:35

    The 40 VMS is still enforceable although there would be a few avenues for you to argue the fine at court.

    As above reply, there would be a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which specifies what and when signs should be displayed during the works. The MOU sits with the road authority and/or Traffic Management company, so getting a copy of that though as a means to argue your case might be challenging.

  • GordonD on 26/11/2023 - 08:08
    +1

    If its an official format sign placed where it is with official approval you have to obey it. You don't have to be told why its there for it to be enforceable.

    Of course if you took it to court a magistrate might sympathise with the argument that they'd covered up all the roadworks in progress signs because roadworks were not currently in progress, and obviously weren't, but they'd simply failed or forgotten to turn off the variable speed sign, so common sense says it shouldn't apply.

    I'm not in NSW, but the current government promised that roads subject to temporary reduced speed limits due to construction activity would return to the normal speed limit outside construction hours. I don't know whether they've done it.

    • Euphemistic on 26/11/2023 - 09:48

      I'm not in NSW, but the current government promised that roads subject to temporary reduced speed limits due to construction activity would return to the normal speed limit outside construction hours. I don't know whether they've done it.

      Based on that, it probably shouldn’t have been in force. My initial thought was that the signs had been forgotten to be turned off. The road was in ‘normal’ condition except for a bit of concrete Barrie along the shoulder.

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