More than 60,000 drivers have fallen subject to a speeding fine after the speed limit on a stretch of road along the A20 near Sidcup was almost halved, dropping from 70mph to 40mph.
The change came in October 2023 and was in place for 12 months after the road became liable to flooding, causing cars to skid off of the road.
It has been claimed that the temporary 40mph speed limit signs installed along the road failed to meet regulations, potentially voiding thousands of penalties.
In areas with speed limits up to 40mph, signs should be at least 750mm wide, as stated in the Governments Traffic Signs Manual. It has been declared that the signs in that area were only 450mm wide, which has led many to think that motorists were misled about the true speed limit during those 12 months.
This was denied by TFL, who claimed that the signs were ‘correct and compliant with the regulations’.
Speeding offences carry a minimum penalty of a £100 fine and three penalty points. Under the “totting up” system, accumulating 12 penalty points results in a driving ban.
