WTF?

[Scotty]

Morning all, yesterday Chicky and I rode down to pay a socially distanced visit to friends in Middle Earth (West Lambrook) and for our ride home we took a different route to the way down and went via Langport and Somerton to reach Street. The Somerton to Street Road is one that I’d never travelled previously and it’s quite a nice road, albeit not very long. What surprised me was the blanket 40mph limit along its entire length outside villages - what’s going on there? I don’t recall it being featured in sensationalist TV programmes as “Britain’s Most Dangerous Road” and signs depicting fatality black spots and casualty tolls in recent years were notable by their absence. Likewise signs advising speed cameras weren’t present.
Maybe it’s the usual cynical move by the council to reduce their obligated spending on road maintenance by lowering the limit (for those unaware, this is the reason that so many roads have been reduced from national speed limit to 50 zones - it’s far less to do with keeping people alive than you may have imagined, just a ruse to allow them to lower their maintenance spend).
Can any SWBs local to that area shed any light please?

[billinom8s]

That area of somerset has a very high quota of aged hippies, NIMBYS and general retired moan to my MP types. Also a quite popular Bike night is held just outside Langport.

There are a few roads around that area that are very popular with bikers, unfortunately they are also popular with tractors and the two don't get on very well, when I used to live around that way there was never any stories of deaths but lots of near misses and vehicles ending up in hedges and fields. It does flood a lot around there too.

Mainly I think it's just NIMBY central.

[Kata]

Plus lowering the limit makes it easier for the elderly gentleman to drive safely sloshed between village pubs.

[bkingalan]

Know where you mean not exactly a accident black spot. There was a fatality street end of Compton dundon but that was 15+ years ago shame it’s a nice road to ride!!!

[TLS-Moose]

There are loads of interesting roads in that large rectangle north of the A303, south of the A361, and bounded by the A36 in the East and the A358 in the West, that have blanket 40 limits for no apparent good reason...... As said, in many cases seems more to do with maintenance than safety....

[Fozz]

I live in Huish Episcopi,so local,and yes most of the above,lack of maintenance,pissed locals,
and councilors that run the local speed watch!
Anyway,i blame the cyclists
Regards,Aged hippy.