M1 J27.... someone is going to get killed
Discussion
So for the past few weeks there have been roadworks on the overhead section of the M1 J27. This causes delays to the traffic exiting the motorway because its now a single lane on the slip road instead of 2 lanes, and the roundabout bit above the motorway is also now all single file, meaning that it takes longer to clear.
What this means is that the queue for the slip road (I am talking southbound now, although I imagine its probably the same for northbound traffic) extends back onto the motorway.
The M1 is 4 lanes at this point, + a hard shoulder and the sensible traffic queues on the hard shoulder. It's well signposted in advance, and the overhead gantries also warn of the queue problem. Line of sight is not an issue either unless you're REALLY unlucky with lorries on the inside lane obstructing your view.
And yet, every morning the same chancers play Russian roulette with their own, and other motorists lives by insisting on trying to by pass the queue and either attempt to join by crossing over the cross hatchings at the very end of the junction, or, (and this is worse), charging down the outside of the queue to a point near the front and then stopping on the inside lane of the motorway, indicator on and demanding to be let in!
The number of times I have seen HGVs having to swerve at speed across lanes in order to miss these last minute chancers is countless. That nobody has been killed so far is a miracle in my opinion. And all to save less than 5 minutes of queuing that they KNEW would be there before they even left for work.
My beef would not be with those who might be coming to the junction for the first time and thus unaware, Instead, it's pretty much always the same culprits every morning, (If you drive the same route every day, at the same time you get to recognise your fellow travellers!) so its not as if these people can claim not to be aware of the roadworks or the likelihood that there will be a queue! Are these people utterly oblivious to the carnage their selfish driving could cause?
As an observation the most regular perpetrators are a small group of BMW and Audi drivers (if you're reading this, you know who you are!) plus one guy in a Vauxhall who REALLY seems to have a death wish... It's never the drivers of other makes.... Make of that what you will!
Rant over.
What this means is that the queue for the slip road (I am talking southbound now, although I imagine its probably the same for northbound traffic) extends back onto the motorway.
The M1 is 4 lanes at this point, + a hard shoulder and the sensible traffic queues on the hard shoulder. It's well signposted in advance, and the overhead gantries also warn of the queue problem. Line of sight is not an issue either unless you're REALLY unlucky with lorries on the inside lane obstructing your view.
And yet, every morning the same chancers play Russian roulette with their own, and other motorists lives by insisting on trying to by pass the queue and either attempt to join by crossing over the cross hatchings at the very end of the junction, or, (and this is worse), charging down the outside of the queue to a point near the front and then stopping on the inside lane of the motorway, indicator on and demanding to be let in!
The number of times I have seen HGVs having to swerve at speed across lanes in order to miss these last minute chancers is countless. That nobody has been killed so far is a miracle in my opinion. And all to save less than 5 minutes of queuing that they KNEW would be there before they even left for work.
My beef would not be with those who might be coming to the junction for the first time and thus unaware, Instead, it's pretty much always the same culprits every morning, (If you drive the same route every day, at the same time you get to recognise your fellow travellers!) so its not as if these people can claim not to be aware of the roadworks or the likelihood that there will be a queue! Are these people utterly oblivious to the carnage their selfish driving could cause?
As an observation the most regular perpetrators are a small group of BMW and Audi drivers (if you're reading this, you know who you are!) plus one guy in a Vauxhall who REALLY seems to have a death wish... It's never the drivers of other makes.... Make of that what you will!
Rant over.
andymadmak said:
My beef would not be with those who might be coming to the junction for the first time and thus unaware, Instead, it's pretty much always the same culprits every morning,
As an observation the most regular perpetrators are a small group of BMW and Audi drivers plus one guy in a Vauxhall who REALLY seems to have a death wish... It's never the drivers of other makes....
It's the same culprits every morning.As an observation the most regular perpetrators are a small group of BMW and Audi drivers plus one guy in a Vauxhall who REALLY seems to have a death wish... It's never the drivers of other makes....
It's probably not helped by the fact that (as you proably know) that stretch of motorway has been blighted by almost non-stop roadworks for nearly 3 years now, with no end in sight.
It's not an excuse for idiotic behaviour though - and when the inevitable "accident" happens, it'll be a nasty one.
It's not an excuse for idiotic behaviour though - and when the inevitable "accident" happens, it'll be a nasty one.
I don't know the junction but it sounds like some sort of traffic management is required during peak times to mitigate the risk of an accident, as you say.
However, I for one wouldn't be queuing on the hard shoulder, as that is a no-no in itself, and I would be using lane 1 as necessary to come off at the exit slip, as designed.
However, I for one wouldn't be queuing on the hard shoulder, as that is a no-no in itself, and I would be using lane 1 as necessary to come off at the exit slip, as designed.
PurpleMoonlight said:
Surely the people who continue in lane 1 to exit at the correct point are complying with the law.
It is the people queuing on the hard shoulder that are not.
The instruction given at the junction is to queue on the hard shoulder. It is the people queuing on the hard shoulder that are not.
Those exiting late are simply trying to avoid the queue by ignoring the stationary/slow moving traffic and stopping on the main carriageway. This is not a "filter in turn" situation (in which case I would have agreed with you) This is simply people being bullying, dangerous driving idiots
Mandat said:
I don't know the junction but it sounds like some sort of traffic management is required during peak times to mitigate the risk of an accident, as you say.
However, I for one wouldn't be queuing on the hard shoulder, as that is a no-no in itself, and I would be using lane 1 as necessary to come off at the exit slip, as designed.
Its not the usual circumstance. There are normally two lanes on the slip road and they are more than adequate 95% of the time to take the flow without recourse to queuing back to the carriageway. It's the roadworks on the slip road and the road above the motorway that currently make the differenceHowever, I for one wouldn't be queuing on the hard shoulder, as that is a no-no in itself, and I would be using lane 1 as necessary to come off at the exit slip, as designed.
andymadmak said:
The instruction given at the junction is to queue on the hard shoulder.
Those exiting late are simply trying to avoid the queue by ignoring the stationary/slow moving traffic and stopping on the main carriageway. This is not a "filter in turn" situation (in which case I would have agreed with you) This is simply people being bullying, dangerous driving idiots
Really? Is the lane filtered off with studs or does it say that on matrix boards or summat?Those exiting late are simply trying to avoid the queue by ignoring the stationary/slow moving traffic and stopping on the main carriageway. This is not a "filter in turn" situation (in which case I would have agreed with you) This is simply people being bullying, dangerous driving idiots
DRFC1879 said:
andymadmak said:
The instruction given at the junction is to queue on the hard shoulder.
Those exiting late are simply trying to avoid the queue by ignoring the stationary/slow moving traffic and stopping on the main carriageway. This is not a "filter in turn" situation (in which case I would have agreed with you) This is simply people being bullying, dangerous driving idiots
Really? Is the lane filtered off with studs or does it say that on matrix boards or summat?Those exiting late are simply trying to avoid the queue by ignoring the stationary/slow moving traffic and stopping on the main carriageway. This is not a "filter in turn" situation (in which case I would have agreed with you) This is simply people being bullying, dangerous driving idiots
The current roadworks have only one lane on the slip road for M1 southbound traffic to exit onto, and only one lane all the way around the roundabout for all the other entrants/departees to use. That is why there is a queue on the slip road.
The signs on the M1 south - gantries and temporary A frames make clear the situation and instruct/caution about the queue on the hard shoulder.
Had the pleasure of using that junction tonight (headed south of J27, and then exiting northbound at J27) at 5pm.
On the NB exit there's two exit lanes, one about 400m after the other, into 2 lanes (usually) on the sliproad, but then because of roadworks this is quickly reduced to one lane by cones.
What struck me as most dangerous was the number of cars (easily 10 that I saw) - who left the main lanes of the motorway to join the queue in the first exit lane, then nipped across the (solid bordered) hashed area to get into the 2nd shorter queue. Essentially those people were moving from a stationary queue into fast-flowing traffic across an area they shouldn't be using. Very dangerous behaviour.
(Sorry - that might not make sense unless you've seen the junction!)
On the NB exit there's two exit lanes, one about 400m after the other, into 2 lanes (usually) on the sliproad, but then because of roadworks this is quickly reduced to one lane by cones.
What struck me as most dangerous was the number of cars (easily 10 that I saw) - who left the main lanes of the motorway to join the queue in the first exit lane, then nipped across the (solid bordered) hashed area to get into the 2nd shorter queue. Essentially those people were moving from a stationary queue into fast-flowing traffic across an area they shouldn't be using. Very dangerous behaviour.
(Sorry - that might not make sense unless you've seen the junction!)
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