Drivers and their problems

They still have to sign it according to national rules, so while they may have a policy they can only implement it it through nationally agreed signage, such as 30mph repeaters if there are no street lights in addition to limit signs at the start of the restriction.

Changing is exactly what you:d be expected to do. If there is street lighting and you think it is 40 but don't see any repeaters, you should assume you've missed a sign and should reduce your speed. The worst that happens if you are wrong is that you have driven within the speed limit and you can speed up if you then see a repeater.

New rules allow councils not to sign changes to higher speeds, so going from a 30 to 40, they can rely on repeaters.

The tricky one is that you can no longer rely on repeaters in zones. We have a large zone covering several miles of rural roads where there few reminders you are in a 40mph zone. I'm sure a lot of drivers are ignorant of zones and the much reduced signage.

I wonder, is there some reason why if they are driving in a built-up/urben area then people can't assume it is a 30 limit unless they see signage telling them otherwise?

Indeed. Driving at at a suitable speed for the conditions is what all road users should be doing all of the time. Do that properly and you'll unlikely to be driving at a speed that upsets other road users (and above the speed limit) - which, after all, is the only reason for speed limits

Speed limits can also be used to reduce air pollution

I frequently upset other road users by driving at 30mph in a 30 zone...

"Mr Peck said that he had not realised that the speed limit had been changed from 40mph to 30mph down the hill on the A379 towards Billacombe roundabout."

In fact, Street View shows the 40 mph limit repeater signs in place.

In July 2016. They were gone by May 2017.  I think he's been driving on goodwill and luck for long enough to realise the signs had changed.

So once again we have the appeal to incompetence being advanced as a defence:

I wasn't so much speeding as simply unaware of the limit altogether.

Gets me every time!

So he fully deserves two penalties - one for breaking the speed limit, one for driving without due care and attention.

So does the first ticket act as a get out of jail free card for the rest of the day or just that journey?

Mr Blackbird wrote:

In fact, if a body accelerates to a speed in excess of 85 mph, it starts to absorb all light and can turn into a black hole.

You're completely wrong that bodies turn into black holes at 85mph, otherwise you wouldn't be able to get to 88mph and go back in time!