(40) signs - endangered species

Since the proliferation of 30mph zones a decade or two ago, we've been used to (40) signs marking the end of the lower limit area...







.. this year however, all these (40) signs are gradually vanishing and are being replaced by...





.. one less familiar to island motorists who haven't driven elsewhere... sometimes known as the 'derestriction' sign, has the international meaning 'end of maximum speed limit'. In the UK, however, it has been given the meaning 'national speed limit applies' - http://www.abd.org.uk/speed_limit_signs.htm





A variant previously used locally.




So we are now back to square one where the visitors to the island have to remember that 40 is the 'national' limit, because there aren't any signs to help them! (Is this yet another part of the current ministerial vogue for Jersey to model itself as a nation? LOL)

Rumour has it that all this has come about because the (40) signs were actually illegal as far as standard regulations go, and this loophole was used by someone to get off the hook for a speeding offence..... so TTS had no option but to make a whole load of new signs and travel the island replacing them to correct the earlier ****-up :)