Fences to decrease visibility at roundabouts

[Hooli]

Utterly stupid, what should be done is traffic cops (who know how to drive unlike those in panda cars) should occasionally be about to nick all the retards who can't use the junction correctly rather than punish those who can drive.

[boyse7en]

Type R Tom said:

As for the thermo strips across the carriageway, there must be history of people not being aware (daydream) and hitting the roundabout, therefore something was installed to help highlight the roundabout (again not applicable to PH users).

There's a roundabout on the A361 about 10 miles from where I live which has got a mile-long arrow straight NSL road on its approach. The Police pull about half a dozen cars a year off of the top of the island in the middle who have managed to somehow miss the massive chevron signs, warning signs etc

[DUMBO100]

Also increased emissions and reduced fuel consumption. Traffic lights and roundabouts must be the largest contributor to co2. I'm not suggesting that we never slow down but keeping traffic flowing should be a priority

[TurboHatchback]

Idiotic. They don't actually slow traffic speed on the roundabout as people accelerate on to it, they necessitate pointless acceleration and braking where previously traffic could just flow and merge happily, they remove the ability to plan ahead to find a space thus increasing congestion.

In short they cater only for the stupid and the incompetent whilst inconveniencing everyone else.

[SHutchinson]

One possible benefit that I believe these barriers have is that a lot of drivers would approach a roundabout at speed and just look to see if there was an object the size of a car approaching from the right. If they couldn't see one in their field of view they might assumme that the roundabout was clear and not adjust their speed before joining the roundabout. I can imagine a situation where this may lead to a slow moving road user (cyclist etc.) almost directly infornt of the vehicle being completely overlooked. The barriers being there prevents this as the approaching driver can only look forward to check if it's safe to proceed.

[BigBob]

Spawn of the devil!!!! They've added a couple of these lately in my area and all they've done is cause more congestion

BB

[philthy]

Idiotic. Approaching in a truck, you can usually see over them, but know you will have to stop anyway because of the cars in front of you. Then foot down, in what is almost always an unresponsive automatic gearbox nowadays, to enter the roundabout safely. All the while burning more fuel/producing Co2 etc.

[CGJJ]

Leatherhead - M25 entrance roundabout has certainly become more dangerous imo.

Edited by CGJJ on Tuesday 28th April 14:47

[Type R Tom]

The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) does suggest screening on fast approaches

http://www.standardsforhighways.co.uk/dmrb/vol6/se...

[MikeyC]

dislike them, but have to say some appeared on a NSL d/c road after a couple of incidents where lorries had overturned due to them approaching too fast

another pet hate is drivers who stop at roundabouts/junctions when the road is perfectly clear
they seem to think they must always stop (obviously must if there is a STOP sign)!

[R8Steve]

IainT said:

If you're not pushing the grip levels is it really that much of an issue? I can certainly imagine that it's unsettling on a bike though, uncomfortable even is the suspension's fairly stiff but bikes can't be that uncontrollable if touching a white line is going to plan you in the hedgerow.

It's not that they are uncontrollable but on wet painted surfaces they are certainly a lot more squirmy, especially under braking or cornering, than they would be with a nice bit of tarmac.

It worries me that some people need such a measure to alert them to something that is right in front of their nose like a big roundabout.

[Type R Tom]

R8Steve said:

It's not that they are uncontrollable but on wet painted surfaces they are certainly a lot more squirmy, especially under braking or cornering, than they would be with a nice bit of tarmac.

It worries me that some people need such a measure to alert them to something that is right in front of their nose like a big roundabout.

One of my first jobs when I started in highways was to visit a NSL DCW approach to a roundabout. It had everything, signs, lines across the road, count down markings, the lot. I thought the senior engineer was winding me up when he described the problem but we installed a couple of the flashing signs you see about that activate a certain speeds warning of the roundabout. I still pass it from time to time and the chevrons are often broken.

[IainT]

R8Steve said:

It's not that they are uncontrollable but on wet painted surfaces they are certainly a lot more squirmy, especially under braking or cornering, than they would be with a nice bit of tarmac.

It worries me that some people need such a measure to alert them to something that is right in front of their nose like a big roundabout.

I don't disagree but, lets be honest, the state of concentration that many motorists exhibit is shocking.

[R8Steve]

IainT said:

I don't disagree but, lets be honest, the state of concentration that many motorists exhibit is shocking.

I agree, that's why i think that installing a system that reduces visibility is a bad thing. The old 'out of sight, out of mind' phrase springs to mind. Some will just continue on regardless with no visibility. At least if they could see what was coming they might acknowledge danger and stop.

[Swervin_Mervin]

R8Steve said:

IainT said:

I don't disagree but, lets be honest, the state of concentration that many motorists exhibit is shocking.

I agree, that's why i think that installing a system that reduces visibility is a bad thing. The old 'out of sight, out of mind' phrase springs to mind. Some will just continue on regardless with no visibility. At least if they could see what was coming they might acknowledge danger and stop.

It's generally found these days that the less visibility you have, the safer a junction is likely to be.

[andygo]

I detest those rumble strip things, play havoc when you are on 40 profile tyres.

And similarly thick is that high grip red tarmac they put down before some zebra crossings. Great idea, but why stop 2 meters before the actual crossing.

Imagine, hard on the brakes, gonna stop before hitting the kid, lots of grip, oops, its all gone, kid splatted for the sake of a bit more high grip... Barmy.

And whats worse is when it wears away, so you have variable grip. If it was a good idea originally, just maintain it please.

[Jasandjules]

IainT said:

I've never had a loss of traction over them and roundabouts, etc. How late had you left your braking?

Just drive a TVR with So2s in the wet, they have enough problems with grip. Then try to slow down on those things (even from going slowly) and it can be dicey.

In my repmobile I don't even notice them, they make no difference to my traction and you don't even feel them through the wheel.

[Phatboy317]

R8Steve said:

IainT said:

I don't disagree but, lets be honest, the state of concentration that many motorists exhibit is shocking.

I agree, that's why i think that installing a system that reduces visibility is a bad thing. The old 'out of sight, out of mind' phrase springs to mind. Some will just continue on regardless with no visibility. At least if they could see what was coming they might acknowledge danger and stop.

Or even worse, you're on the roundabout and you don't see them hurtling towards where you're about to be because of the screens...

[Phatboy317]

Swervin_Mervin said:

It's generally found these days that the less visibility you have, the safer a junction is likely to be.

By whom? Can you back up that assertion?

[Swervin_Mervin]

Phatboy317 said:

Swervin_Mervin said:

It's generally found these days that the less visibility you have, the safer a junction is likely to be.

By whom? Can you back up that assertion?

One example - try reading Manual for Streets and Manual for Streets 2. Visibility requirements at t-junctions were significantly relaxed in recent years and the evidence base for doing so found just that.