"Pedestrians in the road" on the motorway, does anyone care?
Discussion
This sign seems to be incresingly common recently, on motorway travels and as yet I have never seen a pedestrian in the road.
I'm always half expecting some drunk student who thinks its funny to play chicken with the traffic to impress his mates, but nothing. Not event a broken down car with a bloke at the emergency phone.
The gantry signs also give you a reduced speed, which some people do for seemingly a short distance.
On one of my recent travels this message was flashing on the boards for a whole 5 miles on one particular motorway and no a sign of anyone. Surely they can narrow it down a bit better than 5 miles?
When you see the sign, what do you do? Heightened awareness perhaps? But at what point do you disregard the message as being erroneous?
I'm always half expecting some drunk student who thinks its funny to play chicken with the traffic to impress his mates, but nothing. Not event a broken down car with a bloke at the emergency phone.
The gantry signs also give you a reduced speed, which some people do for seemingly a short distance.
On one of my recent travels this message was flashing on the boards for a whole 5 miles on one particular motorway and no a sign of anyone. Surely they can narrow it down a bit better than 5 miles?
When you see the sign, what do you do? Heightened awareness perhaps? But at what point do you disregard the message as being erroneous?
A while back someone posted a very disturbing video after he travelled down the motorway with the same message. Blinked and you missed it. He was travelling down the outside lane and as you watched, you caught a glimpse of a curled up black figure laying between the tiny bit of road between the central reservation and the line markings for the lane.
Edited by TheTurbonator on Wednesday 4th September 13:19
We have to set signals to cover the area where the pedestrian/s are reported. Now if the informant says junction "X" to Junction "Y" then that where the signals will be set for 50's (unconfirmed incident)
Now if the report says that the peds are in the central reservation, then signals have to be set on both c/ways.
If however a better location is given, ie a markerpost, SOS box number or signal number, then the signals will only need to be set for that limited location, again 50's for unconfirmed.
If however a police officer, HATO, see's the peds, or can be seen on CCTV, and they're not just walking back/away from a broken down vehicle, then the signals will be reduced to 39's, just at the specific location, & probably on both c/ways, as often people do try to cross the motorway.
Once signals are set, they can only be cancelled after the area has been searched by either a HATO or Police patrol, with the peds either dealt with, or confirmed as no trace.
So, If you are going to report anything, please us a markerpost location, then we don't need to set signals for miles.
PS. This is the youtube of the Swedish women on the M6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdiISQdjwd0
Now if the report says that the peds are in the central reservation, then signals have to be set on both c/ways.
If however a better location is given, ie a markerpost, SOS box number or signal number, then the signals will only need to be set for that limited location, again 50's for unconfirmed.
If however a police officer, HATO, see's the peds, or can be seen on CCTV, and they're not just walking back/away from a broken down vehicle, then the signals will be reduced to 39's, just at the specific location, & probably on both c/ways, as often people do try to cross the motorway.
Once signals are set, they can only be cancelled after the area has been searched by either a HATO or Police patrol, with the peds either dealt with, or confirmed as no trace.
So, If you are going to report anything, please us a markerpost location, then we don't need to set signals for miles.
PS. This is the youtube of the Swedish women on the M6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdiISQdjwd0
otolith said:
The problem with motorway matrix warnings is that they cry wolf more than half the time.
They only cry what's been reported, and where it's reported.What would you have us do? totally ignore any reports of anything??
I've seen what happens when people like you ignore the signs, I've seen the pedestrians walk in front of vehicles, I've seen children playing chicken and motorist ignoring signals when set down to 20 just at the location. Come and sit in our control room for a few days, you rose tinted view will soon change!
The evening that BBC program was shown on TV, we had 16 pedestrian incidents in our region alone. They varied from groups of drunks missing the last bus home, children riding bicycles in lane 3 through roadworks in the dark, without lights (only lane 2 & 3 open) single pedestrians taking a shortcut across the motorway. You drive around in a car only seeing what is around you, you have no idea what is happening out there.
I've seen a persons head unattached from the body, roll down the c/way after being hit by a vehicle (Yes, signs were set!)
Edited by Gafferjim on Wednesday 4th September 18:21
I saw a "Oncoming vehicle - 20" sign on the M1 a couple of months ago, I did slow down, not to 20 though. It was less believable when I noticed the same sign was showing on the other carriageway.
No car came head on, no car facing the wrong way on the hard shoulder, nothing, just a build up of slow traffic.
No car came head on, no car facing the wrong way on the hard shoulder, nothing, just a build up of slow traffic.
y2blade said:
These signs are a real pet hate of mine.
I wish the lazy f
kers 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.
They do from time to time, driver like you ignore them.I wish the lazy f
kers 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.
They also set "Don't drink & drive" but we still get plenty over the limit, or causing RTC's due to being over.
They set "check your fuel" but you wouldn't believe how many people run out of fuel.
It's not the signs that are wrong, it's the general motorists that need to switch their brains on
carlove said:
I saw a "Oncoming vehicle - 20" sign on the M1 a couple of months ago, I did slow down, not to 20 though. It was less believable when I noticed the same sign was showing on the other carriageway.
No car came head on, no car facing the wrong way on the hard shoulder, nothing, just a build up of slow traffic.
We had one yesterday, elderly driver has rejoined the motorway on the exit slip the wrong way at J##No car came head on, no car facing the wrong way on the hard shoulder, nothing, just a build up of slow traffic.
We don't know which direction (police call taker didn't get that, or informant never gave it) so exactly what would you like us to set????
Remember, this vehicle could be travelling at 70 mph the wrong way on the c/way, and you don't know which c/way.
Just go to youtube and search "car wrong way on motorway" then tell me it doesn't happen. I also have CCTV footage of a HGV wrong way in lane 3 around the M60 (but policy says that i can't put it on the 'net)
Edited by Gafferjim on Wednesday 4th September 18:32
otolith said:
The problem with motorway matrix warnings is that they cry wolf more than half the time.
The other problem is they start far too early, by the time you get to the supposed problem you think the signs must be wrong. The last time I saw "pedestrian on hard shoulder" sure enough there was a guy strolling down the hard shoulder with a suit jacket over his shoulder looking like he didn't have a care in the road. Shortly after I saw a traffic police car sitting the hard shoulder waiting for him.
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