Safe Speed Forums

I regularly drive down the A5 to Hinckley, and the last couple of times have been confused by the limit southbound from the A5 / M42 junction (Tamworth Services) to the village of Dordon. Can any locals clarify?

You approach the A5 / M42 roundabout down the dual-carriageway, NSL Tamworth bypass.

On leaving the roundabout, the A5 continues as dual carriageway, apparently (to my eyes) still NSL, but before Dordon a '50 - Slow Down' sign flashes. Finally on entering Dordon a proper '50' limit begins.

Is there a 50 sign between the Tamworth bypass and the flashing sign? I don't think there is, and there certainly aren't any '50' repeaters on the A5 south of the M42. Locals seem to drive along happily at 70+.

Coming North out of Dordon, the limit is 50 and I couldn't see any NSL signs before reaching the M42 - and no repeaters. Finally, on entering the northbound Tamworth bypass there is an NSL repeater, followed by a larger NSL sign.

Does this mean the A5 south of the M42 is '50' or not? Is there an NSL sign on each M42 entry?

Even if this stretch is signed correctly, either the flashing 50 is misleading or the 50 signs are somewhere not at all obvious (e.g. on entry to the roundabout, where attention is focussed on the traffic lights).

Is anybody else familiar with this area?

Thanks

haven't been down there lately.

they did monkey about with the limits when they put redid the junction for the new industrial park.

i think it used to go nsl to 50 before the small roundabout, i thought they put it all down to something silly and then changed it again.. but i cant remember if the something silly was 50 or if that was what they reverted to!

if its 50 it must either be indicated on entry to the motorway roundabout or on exit..... neither of which are the best points for you to notice them.. but thats always the way.

have a good look.

I assume the (A5)duel carraigeway past Tamworth is
then after the M42 roundabout .
I hate that bloody road it is just a Q and most of the overtaking places have been removed.

_________________
Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

Thanks - I think next time I'll retrace my steps and take notes - when I travel it's usually a Sunday and there's no traffic problem - and very little surrounding traffic to match my own speed with.

Unfortunately the days when you could use logic or common sense are long gone - it wouldn't surprise me if they made the entire Tamworth bypass a 50 just for a laugh.

Thinking about it I do not think there are any signs before the flashing signs.

_________________
Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

See the top of ABD- Warwickshire for some info.

If the powers that be get their way, the whole of the A5 will be a 30MPH crawl in the next few years

mb

OMG, that's depressing!

I've been driving down the A5 between Cannock and Hinckley for nearly twenty years.

When I started it was mostly NSL, with 30s in towns and villages, and very little enforcement. There were few bypasses, and much of the road was in poor condition and at night could be pretty dangerous.

Since then it's gradually improved, bypasses such as Tamworth have opened, the M6 Toll has taken some traffic away, and generally it's a pretty safe road, suitable for NSL most of the way.

Instead we're gradually being slowed to a crawl. It defies all logic.

I is hard enough making good progess along the A5 between Tamworth and Hinckley. The road needs to widened. I bet it used to be wide enough for three cars before they put those bollarads every few hundred meters.

_________________
Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

beleive it or not i've overtaken someone on the hatching between the bollards without exceeding the limit...

honestly, some people.