# Unofficial Speed Limit Signs **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 22, 2021, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-speed-limit-signs/947063 "2021-07-22T16:15:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2021, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-speed-limit-signs/947063/21 "2021-07-23T07:24:49Z")
> [@UDS1](#): > > Not so fast, Melbourne! Ha! I was wrong. Comprehensively. On looking at the stuff pointed out by @UDS1, I see an actual offense of “loss of traction” , ( ROAD SAFETY ACT 1986 - SECT 65A), and exceptions proving the rule: the exception for private property applies _if_ it’s a venue, or according to the rules of a motoring organisation. That second exception looks broad enough to drive a truck through: I don’t see a definition of ‘motoring organisation’, but I’ve already demonstrated that IANAL. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2021, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-speed-limit-signs/947063/22 "2021-07-23T07:37:34Z")
In the state where I asked, the only enforceable speed limit signs are black-on-white and meet other legal criteria, such as size or height. Any other speed limit sign is not enforceable per se, but can be used if there is an accident, to show that speed contributed to reckless driving. (Kansas) ---
**Author:** ![tavaritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@tavaritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavaritz)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2021, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-speed-limit-signs/947063/23 "2021-07-23T09:02:53Z")
About reckless driving on parking lots. In Finland every parking lot is defined as a pedestrian zone eg. a zone where pedestrians can walk where ever. This is due to the fact that people must get in and out from the cars and walk around the lot. So cars must by definition yield to any pedestrian. This precludes any sort of recless driving on a parking lot in Finland. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-speed-limit-signs/947063/24 "2021-07-23T15:59:03Z")
I’ve been in a heavily forested area which had wooden (IIRC) speed limit signs, yellow on brown. The limit was 75 MPH and enforcement was handled by the many trees, anyone actually trying to drive that speed likely would have ended up wrapped around one. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-speed-limit-signs/947063/25 "2021-07-23T16:22:20Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > That second exception looks broad enough to drive a truck through: I don’t see a definition of ‘motoring organisation’, but I’ve already demonstrated that IANAL. I would imagine that that exception is for places like racetracks. Or a venue specifically set aside for people to do things like donuts (I don’t know what that would be called, but I expect that such venues exist). > [@Skywatcher](#): > > I’ve been in a heavily forested area which had wooden (IIRC) speed limit signs, yellow on brown. The limit was 75 MPH and enforcement was handled by the many trees, anyone actually trying to drive that speed likely would have ended up wrapped around one. In most states, there’s a default speed limit set by law for any road that doesn’t have any other limit posted. In Ohio, it’s 55. One of my aunts lives on a very hilly rural gravel road, where nobody ever bothered to put up a sign. The fastest I’ve ever traveled in a vehicle was one time I was with my uncle, going down that road at the speed limit. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2021, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-speed-limit-signs/947063/26 "2021-07-23T21:58:47Z")
a) I’ve seen more than one gated community with custom speed limit signs that have strange listings – 8 MPH, 16 MPH. 🤷‍♂️ b) Keep in mind that not all official looking traffic signs are legal. I got a ticket once pulling into a parking lot and it turns out the sign was not put up (or approved, apparently) by any government agency. The tic was nixed. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-speed-limit-signs/947063/27 "2021-07-26T10:49:33Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I’ve seen more than one gated community with custom speed limit signs that have strange listings – 8 MPH, 16 MPH. The strange numbers are an attempt to get you to pay more attention to the sign. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-speed-limit-signs/947063/28 "2021-07-26T14:34:43Z")
Or help you win a scavenger hunt on _Family Guy_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unofficial-speed-limit-signs/947063.md?page=1)