Are the roads and traffic really that bad in the UK?
Discussion
OpulentBob said:
The Don of Croy said:
though.
Whether we're better or worse than EU or North America misses the point. It should not take >40 minutes to drive across a provincial town like Tunbridge Wells at 08:30 any weekday. That's poor planning imho.
See, I'm not sure it is. I would say most UK towns - provincial or otherwise - were in existence back in the days of horses and carts and everyone walking....Whether we're better or worse than EU or North America misses the point. It should not take >40 minutes to drive across a provincial town like Tunbridge Wells at 08:30 any weekday. That's poor planning imho.
Whilst I would not choose to live in Milton Keynes (one the few 'modern' communities at least partly designed for large scale car ownership) I maintain that poor planning and a lack of leadership is buggering up the SE. Various Gov't departments have had detailed knowledge of birthrates, licence holders, car sales, vehicle keepers, fuel use (via duty receipts) etc etc all good statistical data from which better schemes for usage could be used. Instead too many communities suffer from bottlenecks on the roads and rat runs elsewhere.
And then some genius decides to implement a blanket 40mph limit across open countryside (see the Ashdown Forest) which gets implemented overnight.
Roads & traffic outside of towns I think are pretty good & I certainly don't think the road surfaces are as bad as made out, especially when compared to other countries.
However driving in towns is a totally different ball game as it seems councils sole mission to make them as non car friendly as possible with huge unused bus lanes & far too many traffic lights, especially on roundabouts.
Traffic & weather - most Brits would have nothing to whinge about without them
However driving in towns is a totally different ball game as it seems councils sole mission to make them as non car friendly as possible with huge unused bus lanes & far too many traffic lights, especially on roundabouts.
Traffic & weather - most Brits would have nothing to whinge about without them
alock said:
Some people seem unable to find the quite roads in the south east. I suppose this leaves them quieter for me so I don't know why I question them about it! This road is part of my daily commute in the south east and typical traffic levels in rush hour are exactly like in this picture.
I accept it's not a B road, but then an average modern car is exceeding the speed limit on an average B road before it's fun anyway. Unclassified roads are where the fun is.
I love unclassifieds too. I've spent ages plotting routes seeing how far I can get on them, or how far I can travel with as little use of classifieds as possible. I have routes from Sutton Coldfield to the south and east coasts, Aberystwyth and Scotland. I accept it's not a B road, but then an average modern car is exceeding the speed limit on an average B road before it's fun anyway. Unclassified roads are where the fun is.
Anyhow, do you have any suggestions of how to use roads as you've pictured so I can get to Dover at the end of the month?
Having just driven to York and back from Somerset for the weekend, the M1 is a joke - stuck in traffic jams at 11.15pm on Thursday evening due to the motorway going from 4 lanes to one at several places between the midlands and North Yorkshire, numerous stretches of roadworks in between with 50 limits, one I think was about 17 miles long, not to mention all the variable speed limit sections. The roadworks have been going on now at least since I returned to the UK in 2006, and so I assume longer than that...
Returning on Sunday afternoon I got as far as the A1(M) - maybe 25 miles into the 285 mile trip - before traffic became nose to tail. Also congestion on the M5 junctions 6-8.
When I previous lived in Aberdeen the drive to York was much less hassle, despite being 50 miles further, although I still had to be sure I didn't reach Dundee or Edinburgh before 7pm to avoid jams there.
There are just too many people in the UK, and most people drive absolutely everywhere giving rise to heavy traffic everywhere all the time. Even living in a smallish town, I find the traffic is so bad there are few roads I feel safe to use on my bike when cycling. The traffic has come to dominate the towns and cities and streets where we live to an overpowering degree.
Returning on Sunday afternoon I got as far as the A1(M) - maybe 25 miles into the 285 mile trip - before traffic became nose to tail. Also congestion on the M5 junctions 6-8.
When I previous lived in Aberdeen the drive to York was much less hassle, despite being 50 miles further, although I still had to be sure I didn't reach Dundee or Edinburgh before 7pm to avoid jams there.
There are just too many people in the UK, and most people drive absolutely everywhere giving rise to heavy traffic everywhere all the time. Even living in a smallish town, I find the traffic is so bad there are few roads I feel safe to use on my bike when cycling. The traffic has come to dominate the towns and cities and streets where we live to an overpowering degree.
Jasandjules said:
You can drive all over France, Spain and Portugal and have less traffic and better roads. And generally better manners too. 5 mins back on the M25 (or even on the way from the tunnel) soon reminds you of just how s**e the roads and road users over here can be.
i strongly suspect you haven't spent many months in any of those 3 countries, maybe a few euro trips?in any case, M25 is hardly comparable to vast territory of Iberia. Let's talk Barcelona, Paris or the N125 in Portugal.
I'm currently in Chamonix witnessing French drivers as tourists in their own country...mmm
gareth_r said:
rich888 said:
gareth_r said:
You appear to be confused. The purpose of road planning is NOT to allow traffic to flow freely and safely.
The purpose of road planning is to make using the roads so confusing and journey times so long, that everyone gives up on private cars and uses the buses.
Meanwhile, in the real world...
Haha, brilliant!!!The purpose of road planning is to make using the roads so confusing and journey times so long, that everyone gives up on private cars and uses the buses.
Meanwhile, in the real world...
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