Speeding in a temporary speed limit zone

[JayM]

I drove the N2 from PE to Cape Town a few weeks back. There are a number of temporary speed limit signs on the N2 (sometimes from 120 down to as low as 40) where the road works are either completed, or not currently happening and no workers in sight. Sometimes there are road works with a temporary speed limits without a derestriction sign at the end of the works, and many KM until there is another 120 limit indicated.

The law says you have to keep doing the same maximum speed until you see a sign indicating otherwise, but from my experience, not many other drivers are adhering to the last displayed limit in these cases. It's also frustrating doing 40/60 on a road where 120 is the usual limit, with no apparent reason why it should be lower.

So, what do you do when you encounter the above situation?

 

[Priapus]

I drove the N2 from PE to Cape Town a few weeks back. There are a number of temporary speed limit signs on the N2 (sometimes from 120 down to as low as 40) where the road works are either completed, or not currently happening and no workers in sight. Sometimes there are road works with a temporary speed limits without a derestriction sign at the end of the works, and many KM until there is another 120 limit indicated.

The law says you have to keep doing the same maximum speed until you see a sign indicating otherwise, but from my experience, not many other drivers are adhering to the last displayed limit in these cases. It's also frustrating doing 40/60 on a road where 120 is the usual limit, with no apparent reason why it should be lower.

So, what do you do when you encounter the above situation?

Well it’s Africa. So do what you want.

 

[RiaX]

TIA

 

[zulucat]

Always drive to the general road/traffic conditions, no need to be a tortoise when you’re literally the only one on that stretch of road and the road surface is not that bad.

 

[neoprema]

My concern here is back in early 2000s someone at my first job was arrested for doing 100kph in a 60kph temporary area on a highway that’s normally 120.
Which tells me, they can speed trap on a temporary area? And sometimes it’s a big diff - it goes from 120 to 60 in a short space and the road still very much driveable at 120 but that laser on gonna catch you from far away..

 

[krieg]

My concern here is back in early 2000s someone at my first job was arrested for doing 100kph in a 60kph temporary area on a highway that’s normally 120.
Which tells me, they can speed trap on a temporary area? And sometimes it’s a big diff - it goes from 120 to 60 in a short space and the road still very much driveable at 120 but that laser on gonna catch you from far away..

There is a distance after the change that they can't set up a speed trap, it's not immediate, few hundred metres or so.

 

[epictree]

Its SA. Speed signs are a suggestion. My lawyer friend said that cops are not allowed to randomly setup cameras wherever they feel like. It has to go through an approval process and then they can be at a specific spot.

But definitely not in a construction zone. Health and safety will lose their marbles with the heavy machinery moving around. In a construction zone you get those fake cameras that flash when a vehicles go pass or display speed. Thats about it.

If everyone is driving 120kph in a 60kph zone they won't stop everyone. They will choose the flashier car to stop.

 

[Kaptein Caprivi]

There is a distance after the change that they can't set up a speed trap, it's not immediate, few hundred metres or so.

Yes, it's 500 meters from the first sign.