"Pedestrians in the road" on the motorway, does anyone care?

[Gafferjim]

what time friday night, and I'll see if I can find it.

Well done, otherwise we'd have had to set signals for 13½ miles (distance between J32 and J33)

Edited by Gafferjim on Sunday 8th September 07:57

[markmullen]

Can I be put on the visit list please? I'll email in the morning.

[kowalski655]

Gafferjim said:

what time friday night, and I'll see if I can find it.

Well done, otherwise we'd have had to set signals for 13½ miles (distance between J32 and J33)

Edited by Gafferjim on Sunday 8th September 07:57

8.20 ish

[The Moose]

I'd be rather interested in coming along...just don't think it'll work due to the distance. Rather interesting thread!

[wolfracesonic]

It's a good job gafferjim's posts aren't typed in an orange dot matrix font 'cause everyone would f*!2%$g ignore them, judging by the posts on here.

[wazztie16]

trashbat said:

'm thinking of this from a passerby perspective, rather than having broken down or stopped myself. The above is certainly relevant to that.

For less life threatening but concerning incidents, do calls to the non-emergency 101 produce incidents that get to you? Alternatively, do the Highways Agency have a public facing call centre that's relevant here?

I ask because I've often seen things that I think are dangerous, but probably not worth a 999 call.

Anything in a live lane - 999 no doubt. (2 incidents so far, 1 for debris and 1 for car stopped in lane 1 with hazards on). Hard shoulder - 101 if needs (once as it was a car with no hazards on at night on a poorly lit hard shoulder). Better to ring for something minor that could turn major than not at all. I've always been thanked for my calls.

[ch108]

y2blade said:

These signs are a real pet hate of mine.
I wish the lazy fkers that do this job would put something useful on the signs if they can't be bothered to update them regularly

"Keep left unless overtaking" would be a start.

It would be better if these signs were blank unless there is a real incident. Advice like fasten your seat belt, or check your fuel aren't really that helpful. If you need an electronic sign to tell that sort of basic driving information, should that particular driver be on the road at all?

I drove by an electronic sign which told me to fasten my seatbelt. This was situated just before I took the slip road onto the motorway. At this particular large roundabout which has exits onto various major roads, you can't see the motorway from the slip road. I joined into a back of a queue, and I was on the motorway for the next hour having not moved very far! If the sign had told me there was a queue I wouldn't have tried to join the motorway and taken an alternative route.

[Paul O]

Thanks to all those who have emailed me. I'll be in touch shortly re times/places/dates. If anyone else would like adding to the reserves list, let me know.

Cheers!

Paul.

1. Paul O
2. Mike.
3. Dan
4. Tom
5. Ian
6. Dave W
7. Dan
8. Paul [Aston]
9. Tony
10. Neil
11. Rick
12. Mark MJ
13. Mark M
14. Ian C

[Gafferjim]

wazztie16 said:

Anything in a live lane - 999 no doubt. (2 incidents so far, 1 for debris and 1 for car stopped in lane 1 with hazards on). Hard shoulder - 101 if needs (once as it was a car with no hazards on at night on a poorly lit hard shoulder). Better to ring for something minor that could turn major than not at all. I've always been thanked for my calls.

As previously explained, the nearest SOS box is best because we can ask you questions to get all the relevant information, but should you not want to stop, then 999 for anything that's in a live lane; i.e. rtc, breakdown live lane. pedestrians if no broken down car around, or animals. Anything else that you feel needs reporting but isn't "life threatening", ie potholes, flooding, then the HA line, 0300 123 5000, but it's press #1 for this, #2 for that or say "operator" (or something like that ) the info will get to us within a couple of minutes usually.

Just note, it will be late next week before I can get back with details for the visit.

[ch108]

Sounds like a great visit, unfortunately I live too far away to attend. However years ago we got a tour round the CITRAC centre in Glasgow which was the control room for the M8 motorway. No idea if the same control room exists but it was very interesting and hi tech for its day.

[Terminator X]

Ignore as I do the "vehicle coming toward you sign", wtf is that all about never seen a person or vehicle coming toward me after either sign!

TX.

[mnkiboy]

Had my mind on this thread whilst travelling westbound on the M62 on Saturday. Between Birch services and the summit of the M62 the matrix signs as I passed each one were saying Incident 50mph -> End -> Incident 50mph -> End -> Incident 50mph -> End.
Checked the Twitter feed when I got to my destination which said "Sheep in carriageway"! Was this a particularly fast moving sheep travelling down the motorway at 50mph, or a case of people repeatedly reporting the wrong location?

[k-ink]

otolith said:

The problem with motorway matrix warnings is that they cry wolf more than half the time.

All the time in my experience. Telling us to slow down, speed up, slow down again, incident here, yada yada. Never seen anything! I ignore them now. Total waste of time.

[Gafferjim]

Terminator X said:

Ignore as I do the "vehicle coming toward you sign", wtf is that all about never seen a person or vehicle coming toward me after either sign!

TX.

Taken from the North West Motorway Police Twitter feed, this is this morning.
Read from the bottom up ^^


NW Motorway Police ‏@NWmwaypolice 10h
Lancs NWMPG patrols have checked the M6 around J32 from the M55 & there is no trace of this vehicle travelling contra. Phew!
Expand Reply Retweet Favorite More
NW Motorway Police ‏@NWmwaypolice 10h
... NWMPG has had a number of calls, so this vehicle going S/B on the N/B M6 is a live job. "Oncoming Vehicle" matrix set by HA.
Expand
NW Motorway Police ‏@NWmwaypolice 10h
HA setting warning matrix on both carriageways, as often reports are confusing. Male reportedly in a non-UK vehicle.
Expand
NW Motorway Police ‏@NWmwaypolice 10h
Lancs NWMPG blue-lighting to reports of a vehicle going in the wrong direction on the M6 N/B. This is from J32 the M55 from Blackpool.
Expand

[Previous]

Saw the "oncoming vehicle" one for the first time on Saturday on the M4 eastbound, didnt see an oncoming vehicle though.

[anonymous-user]

Terminator X said:

Ignore as I do the "vehicle coming toward you sign", wtf is that all about never seen a person or vehicle coming toward me after either sign!

TX.

Never heard of such a sign unless your a poor reader, oncoming vehicle (incoming would sound better) is used where available.

I've attended one a few years back when the old dear driving went on the wrong way and hit a car coming the other way head on .

There's a youtube clip somewhere of a knobber in a HGV going the wrong way as well.

Gafjim may be able to show some good clips in the 'control room'

[Gafferjim]

Pray that you don't!

Usually "Oncoming vehicle" is caused by.........................

A) Elderly drivers not used to driving on the motorway. (Happens a lot at service stations, they go back on the motorway the same way they came off)

B) Foreign drivers making the *slip-up* and entering down the wrong slip-road. (Tends to happen more at night time when the normal roads are empty, so no-one to follow the correct way)

C) Drivers doing this intentionally to get away from the police, usually travelling at speed.

Both A & B usually notice what they've done and will usually, but not always, pull to the H/S and await police to turn them around.

If it's category C, then you need to be able to take avoiding action if it comes your way, 20's show how sever it can be, but I would slow down considerably, with my eyes peeled for anything coming my way.

Oncoming vehicle is a police incident, and whilst we set the signals according to policy, it's ONLY the police patrols on scene that can authorise their clearance.

Not UK, but............
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcpUNwmMArY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFFXq2zw4Bc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiVOBD9nNHg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No6l1fa7Aws

[Richspec]

Are the weather station cameras viewable in the same control room? and if so do you monitor them as well?

[Terminator X]

speedyguy said:

Terminator X said:

Ignore as I do the "vehicle coming toward you sign", wtf is that all about never seen a person or vehicle coming toward me after either sign!

TX.

Never heard of such a sign unless your a poor reader, oncoming vehicle (incoming would sound better) is used where available.

I've attended one a few years back when the old dear driving went on the wrong way and hit a car coming the other way head on .

There's a youtube clip somewhere of a knobber in a HGV going the wrong way as well.

Gafjim may be able to show some good clips in the 'control room'

I'm sure you knew what I meant though. Perhaps it happens now and then however every time I've seen the sign there has never been an oncoming or indeed incoming vehicle. Tbf the first time I saw it I almost shat myself as you would when doing 70mph on the M25 however there was nothing coming then or indeed since.

TX.

[Gafferjim]

speedyguy said:

Never heard of such a sign unless your a poor reader, oncoming vehicle (incoming would sound better) is used where available.

I've attended one a few years back when the old dear driving went on the wrong way and hit a car coming the other way head on .

There's a youtube clip somewhere of a knobber in a HGV going the wrong way as well.

Gafjim may be able to show some good clips in the 'control room'

Yes I have that CCTV clip of the HGV wrong way on the M60. those attending the control room will get to see it