Are matrix signs deliberately useless?
Discussion
DKS said:
The M3/ M27 ones show "Caution Queue ahead" with a 50 or even 40 limit which is blatantly still on from the previous night's rush hour. Quite a few Saturday mornings dropping the missus to work on a totally empty motorway at 7am with these stupid signs telling me nonsense. Not that anyone obeys the limits these signs suggest anyway and half the time I don't blame them.
It's worse than that.Isnt the first thought, is the sign right, has that been left on from previous, or where is the A999 J99
Never heard of it
Coming south on the M90 a few mornings ago, the variable speed limit progressively reduced from 70 to 60 to 50 then 40 on consecutive signs accompanied by a "Congestion Ahead - Slow Down" message. So far, so good and pretty well everybody complied. No area of congestion was encountered and the next matrix had no message and the limit had gone back up to 60 and the next again displayed the 'All Clear' symbol. Everybody speeded back up to 'normal' motorway cruising levels only to round the next sweeping bend and be confronted by a wall of stationary traffic. Everybody pulled up with room to spare but what a waste of fuel and brake linings.
Hehe the local dual carriageway has a couple.
One has said "Please drive efficiently" for the last 5 years or so. The other has said: "Caution Ice on the roads" they finally changed it in June. Now it alternates between "Remember your seat belt" and "Obey the speed limit".
There is also the overhead signs on the M8 in Glasgow that absolutely nobody follows. Normal speed limit is 60, stupid overhead thing says 40, 3 lanes of traffic flowing smoothly at 60-70. I have no idea whether those limits are actually enforcable or not but Id love to see the traffic cops stop the entire road to issue tickets xD.
One has said "Please drive efficiently" for the last 5 years or so. The other has said: "Caution Ice on the roads" they finally changed it in June. Now it alternates between "Remember your seat belt" and "Obey the speed limit".
There is also the overhead signs on the M8 in Glasgow that absolutely nobody follows. Normal speed limit is 60, stupid overhead thing says 40, 3 lanes of traffic flowing smoothly at 60-70. I have no idea whether those limits are actually enforcable or not but Id love to see the traffic cops stop the entire road to issue tickets xD.
RizzoTheRat said:
M25 around Heathrow a while back, "A303 closed at A338"...50 odd miles away.
Got to the M3 junction to find it was shut.
WTF couldn't the t
ts have told me that instead of the A303 sign so I could have taken the frigging A30 instead. Got to the A3 junction and they were in the process of closing that, with no signs earlier on either!
The Mrs complained to the Highways Agency and apparently it's nothing to do with them.
If that's correct then they lied to you. The National Traffic Information Service is operated by contractors in JV on behalf of Highways England formerly Highways Agency. Got to the M3 junction to find it was shut.
WTF couldn't the t
ts have told me that instead of the A303 sign so I could have taken the frigging A30 instead. Got to the A3 junction and they were in the process of closing that, with no signs earlier on either!The Mrs complained to the Highways Agency and apparently it's nothing to do with them.
Edited by RizzoTheRat on Sunday 30th August 23:01
It's all just like the twaddle that the usual suspects come out with, "we know it's crap but it's Serco's fault. " though in this case amazingly it's not Serco who are the contractors afaik.
About time management took some responsibility for your failings.
k-ink said:
The M25 signs are classic. I've never witnessed a good reason for a single reduced speed limit yet. I am sure there is a monkey in a cage somewhere randomly pressing buttons. Modern Toss.
The reduced speed limits on he M25 are designed to slow traffic down so that it doesn't bunch and form queues. Reducing the average speed by 20mph actually increases the capacity of the road. So it's not necessarily for accidents etc, but to prevent jams.Works quite well reducing the speeds. The M3 has actually improved recently due to the 50 mph limit along virtually the whole length, the speed reduction means the traffic flows better.
TTmonkey said:
The reduced speed limits on he M25 are designed to slow traffic down so that it doesn't bunch and form queues. Reducing the average speed by 20mph actually increases the capacity of the road. So it's not necessarily for accidents etc, but to prevent jams.
Works quite well reducing the speeds. The M3 has actually improved recently due to the 50 mph limit along virtually the whole length, the speed reduction means the traffic flows better.
You sound like youve never hit the 20mph limit because of "Vehicle oncoming in carriageway" or "Accident ahead" only to meet absolutely nothing. The way they manage it is archaic, when a report comes in to them, which can be reported by absolutely everyone via 101 they are obligated to reduce the speed limit down to 20mph until a police patrol has confirmed that there is or isnt an issue. Couple this with modern traffic enforcement with average speed cameras limited to ~22 and an actual police patrol only coming every ~2 hours and these smart motorways turn into a nightmare.Works quite well reducing the speeds. The M3 has actually improved recently due to the 50 mph limit along virtually the whole length, the speed reduction means the traffic flows better.
Also the common occurance of it setting 50mph limits in the middle of the night when they let the system go on auto. The cameras measure the average speed from the midnight lorries and just assume thats the rate of traffic flow. This info on how they worked i gleaned from a PH thread a couple of years back when someone claiming to be working for the highways agency gave an extremely detailed few paragraphs on how the "smart" systems work and why they keep f
king up.Sadly I believe you can never expect the government to be up to date with the last couple of decades technology to manage this stuff correctly which is why in my opinion it should be self regulated by drivers themselves rather than stupid road systems.
Going through to the south side of Glasgow last week. Possible routes: M80, M8, M77 or M80, M73, M74, M77. Where's the first matrix sign warning of queues on the M8? After the junction where the M73 joins the M80, so no chance to take the alternate route. 
What boiled my piss even more was the fact that the M80 matrix signs had for the past 15 miles been warning that the A82 was closed at Balloch. Thirty fking miles away in a totally different direction! 
What boiled my piss even more was the fact that the M80 matrix signs had for the past 15 miles been warning that the A82 was closed at Balloch. Thirty f
king miles away in a totally different direction! Someone else said that when these blockages occur, they want everyone in a queue rather than clogging an alternative route.
Maybe that's why they only post up stuff of no interest or use.
They'll still need to show the signs are working to justify the expense and trouble installing them.
Maybe that's why they only post up stuff of no interest or use.
They'll still need to show the signs are working to justify the expense and trouble installing them.
TTmonkey said:
The reduced speed limits on he M25 are designed to slow traffic down so that it doesn't bunch and form queues. Reducing the average speed by 20mph actually increases the capacity of the road. So it's not necessarily for accidents etc, but to prevent jams.
Works quite well reducing the speeds. The M3 has actually improved recently due to the 50 mph limit along virtually the whole length, the speed reduction means the traffic flows better.
I'm guessing you use the M3 at peak times - 70 mph limit would have got me home much quicker than 50 limit last night between 8 and 9 pm, so would have to disagree on that one!Works quite well reducing the speeds. The M3 has actually improved recently due to the 50 mph limit along virtually the whole length, the speed reduction means the traffic flows better.
Jezzerh said:
Ugh yes this one. Or 'INCIDENT SLOW DOWN' for three junctions and no sign of an incident.
There was one in the M1 roadworks that said 'LETS ALL GET HOME SAFELY'. Thanks for the advice champ!
And 'you may not see us working' or something similar. For 18 miles at 50 mph, not a fThere was one in the M1 roadworks that said 'LETS ALL GET HOME SAFELY'. Thanks for the advice champ!
king soul in sight. It was the week end, they'd gone home!!! fkwits and they're fkwit signs.
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