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The change was made recently as a traffic calming measure. The highway in question runs between the A19/A690 roundabout and Springwell Road, where a branch of Lidl stands.

Previously there had been 40mph “repeater” signs reminding road users, every 200 metres or so, of the then-speed limit. Those signs have been removed, but have not been replaced with a 30mph equivalent.

Traffic management on local roads is the responsibility of local authorities. However, Sunderland City Council has pointed out that 30mph repeater signs are “not legally permitted”.

Note that this 40mph sign on Durham Road has not been replaced by a sign for the new 30mph limit. Google image (left).

Motorists who might have travelled along Durham Road for many years may now be wrongly assuming that the limit on the A19 to Lidl stretch is still 40mph.

Roads leading into Durham Road with a different speed limit, of 20mph or 40mph, do have signs referring to the new limit, but there are no other such signs on Durham Road itself. The adjoining North Moor Lane near McDonald’s remains at 40mph.

A statement from Sunderland City Council said: “As the Highway Code sets out, roads with regular street lighting have a default speed limit of 30mph unless signs indicate otherwise.

“It is not legally permitted to place 30mph repeater signs along this route and each entry to the new 30mph zone is signed in line with national traffic and highways regulations.”

There is now not another 30mph sign between this one on the A690/A19 roundabout and almost three miles further along Durham Road on Bede Bank.

Under the Traffic Signs Regulations 1994, 30mph repeater signs are prohibited. This came about due to case law, which made it difficult to gain speeding convictions if some roads had repeater signs while others did not.

The rules regarding repeater signs on roads with other speed limits were relaxed in 2012.

Earlier this week the Echo ran a story about a resident living close to Durham Road in East Herrington, who described the section of the road neat his home as “Sunderland’s race track”.

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Peter White said that drivers and motorcyclists had not paid enough attention to the 40mph limit, and that they were paying even less to the new 30mph restriction.

Mr White said: “The traffic moves so fast I don’t think they see the 30mph signs. What’s needed is a police camera van here at least once a week to get the message across."

Drivers warned of new 30mph speed limit on A690 Durham Road - and why signs can't be displayed