20mph limit for Portishead High Street?

[Martin Cassini]

Speed limits license speed at that limit, but sometimes even 20 is inappropriate. Would you want to be hit by a bus doing 20? But why should we do 20 when no-one is about? Far better to let the individual decide appropriate speed based on context and the needs of the moment. When the street is busy, or someone is about to cross, we can slow to crawling pace. When no-one is around, we can speed up. It's a fair trade-off. Life involves countless variables, so by definition, one size can't fit all. Most instructional signage is a sign of failure to devise a humane road culture and to design roads in a way that stimulates sociable conduct. If we lived by equality rather than priority, people would stop insisting on anti-social rights-of-way and rediscover their humanity.