03 December, 2007

Is it 60, 80 or 100?

Haven't been on SZR for a while but on the way back from Grand Hyatt - just as you come out of the tunnel, I saw a speed limit sign for 60. 20 meters (maybe slightly more), another sign said 80 and a little further down the road was one of these new-fangled signs with 100 and 60 in blue. I hasten to add that both the 60 and 80 limit signs were both the temporary yellow signs.

If anyone can mind read the RTA, please let me know what this means?

8 comments:

Seabee said...

There's a big choice of speed limits on SZR, from the 40kph construction areas through 60, 80, 100 and 120 - plus the 60 minimum limit. And they change all the time -what chance do we stand of understanding it all.

Unknown said...

Dear Mita:

One of the first tests when learning driving to obtain a licence is the signals test.

In order to pass this first tep, it is necessary to know what the different road signs mean. Otherwise, there is no hope of getting a driving licence.

The yellow signs, as you correctly noted, are temporary signs, and are usually put up when there are such things as road works going on. If it says 60, it means that the speed limit there is 60 km per hour. One should not exceed that speed. As one moves further down, one may find a new sign saying 80. This means the motorist can speed up a little, but not beyond 80, because he is still in the road works zone. Subsequently, he may come across a sign showing the actual speed permitted on that road (which could be 100) and he can increase his speed accordingly.

With regard to the "new fangled" signs, this is also mentioned in the signals booklet. 60 in blue, which you should know before you appear for a signals test, means that the minimum speed limit on the road is 60 km per hour. Travelling slower than that when there is no obstruction could earn you a fine. Now see, I am helping you save money as well.

I believe the RTA is doing its best to reduce the accident rates, and no doubt they need all the help they can get.

To Seabee: You are quite right. I think most drivers would like to see just one speed limit sign and then switch on cruise control....after all, road construction and improvement is none of our business! How terrible to have to follow different speed limits on different sections of the same road even if they are clearly posted!

Mita said...

Thank you Elcondo for that very clear clarification - did I detect a note of sarcasm?

What was I thinking - of course the speed changes within a 100 meters on the same road!

Need my brains tested again!!

Anonymous said...

Just drive at any speed you want as long as you...
-are confident that you can handle the car,
-don't hit other car/person/crash
-don't obstruct the traffic (for sunny drivers)
-and of course make sure you don't get caught by the radar, specially the mobile ones.

Dubai Jazz said...

Elcondo,
Nobody is debating the need for speed signals, yellow, white or blue. I think what the writer of the post was trying to say is that it's quite hard, confusing and probably dangerous to follow the speed-limit signs along the areas where road works or underway or otherwise.

Mita, there might be two possibilities here:
1- In case of road-works diversions, it is necessary to alert the drivers beforehand and tell them what is the recommended speed limit for these swift turns (remember SZR when interchange 5 was under construction?)
2- Since RTA have decided to spoil Salik users and impart them the comfort of two unfettered lanes all the way from Trade Center round about to Sharjah, the speed limit on this particular path had to change (although it may not have been enforced by the police), because according to international codes (grumpy goat knows better!), two lanes road should have a lesser speed limit than say... a three lanes road...I am not sure if this what RTA has intended though...

Keef said...

Is's just occurred to me - in the UK, 'RTA' is shorthand for 'Road Traffic Accident'. How appropriate.

CG said...

I don't understand why anyone would 1) write this post - we all know the RTA are crap, but did you forget? We are in Dubai.
2) Respond sarcastically, when the writer clearly needs to be in another country, not learn the road signs.


Keefie, the RTA make me SOB. *sigh*

Mita said...

So much for tongue in cheek!!

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