Another of my occasional, ask a policeman questions. 

 

Where I live we have a stretch of road outside a primary school that has a 20mph speed limit at opening/closing time. There are, obviously, signs either end of the area and on the two T-junctions that joins it telling you that you are entering a 20mph when the sign flashes. However, there are 2 supermarkets that exit onto the road without the obligatory flashing signs. So the question is, if I came out of a supermarket and drove at 30mph and was stopped or gunned by a policeman/woman, would I get off with it? 

 

Is the entry to the supermarket the same as the 20mph Road or is the entry on a road off the 20mph Road? 

The supermarkets exit onto the 20mph road but there are no flashing signs telling you that you are entering a 20mpg zone. 

As the access to the car park is via a 20mph road and as long as there is no other road for access that is at a higher speed then it can be legally argued that all drivers will be aware that 20mph is in force.
Is it a variable limit or always 20mph?

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Sorry, should have made it clearer. The road is a 30 for most of the day but switches to a 20(with flashing signs) at dropping off and picking up time at the school. 

 

My thinking is, that you could go to the supermarket whilst the road is a 30, spend 5 minutes, 1/2 an hour etc shopping, come out of the exit not realising that the signs are flashing and the road is now a 20. 

Totally agree.
Unless there is a prominent sign giving the speed restriction timings then it doesn't make sense.
Why don't they just make it a permanent 20mph zone?

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It would make more sense to make it permanently 20mph right enough. Would be cheaper to maintain as well, no flashing LEDs to replace every couple of years. 

We have a street like that in Elgin as well, where there are two 20MPH flashing signs but at least one junction emerging onto the road in between them, thereby causing possible confusion.

Of course even when the signs are flashing and visible you still get the usual Audis and BMWs that think they are an exception to the rules!!  When I get one of them behind me I am quite happy to further slow down to 15MPH...