Motorway gantry 'smart' messages...why wrong so often?
Discussion
jhiker said:
Clue here
https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php...
Apparently it is on the B3159 near Martinstown.?
But where
https://www.google.com/maps/@50.7016506,-2.5103366...
Digby said:
Nice to know we have a system in place that can be set off by a single person and that this in turn will cause lots of lovely congestion. It actually explains a lot.
Put your brain in gear and read that part again, the moron would cause people to brake, thus reducing the average speed of traffic, Midas senses that traffic has slowed so sets the signals to warn drivers.mcdjl said:
Gafferjim said:
MIDAS
Anything with "QUEUE" in the message has been set by automatic sensors in the c/way. This is called MIDAS. (Motorway Incident Detection And Signalling) go and look it up. Midas settings don't need a patrol to check the area, they'll normally clear themselves in time
The system will not allow step downs of speeds greater than 20 mph, so if you've seen a 30, there will have been a 50 prior to it.
MIDAS checks the sensors approx every 4 minutes, to clear the setting, it needs to have counted a specific number of vehicles passing over the sensor at the posted speed or above it, it will then either lift the speed setting or clear it.
Often Midas can be triggered by one complete moron that decides to change lanes and everyone has to brake harshly, knocking the average speed of traffic down, we've all see / been in one of these ghost traffic jams. It will take a while to get back up to normal. It can also be after a stoppage, ie a rolling block to clear the c/way of debris or a stranded vehicle, it can then take up to 30 mins or more to get back to normal.
A busy motorway will jam solid at about one mile / minute should traffic come to a halt for whatever reason.
eldar said:
I drove up the M6 today, and it is clear that the system is starting to get a bit old, and maintenance is slipping a bit. The gantry says L1 50, L2 50, L3 the display is blank , L4 50. Is the limit for L3 50mph or 70 mph?
Signals etc do break from time to time, the speed in the 'blank' lane would be the same as in the other lanes
Gafferjim said:
Digby said:
Nice to know we have a system in place that can be set off by a single person and that this in turn will cause lots of lovely congestion. It actually explains a lot.
Put your brain in gear and read that part again, the moron would cause people to brake, thus reducing the average speed of traffic, Midas senses that traffic has slowed so sets the signals to warn drivers.Digby said:
Gafferjim said:
Digby said:
Nice to know we have a system in place that can be set off by a single person and that this in turn will cause lots of lovely congestion. It actually explains a lot.
Put your brain in gear and read that part again, the moron would cause people to brake, thus reducing the average speed of traffic, Midas senses that traffic has slowed so sets the signals to warn drivers.Digby said:
Report of obstruction again today for several miles on the M25. There's more chance of me seeing aliens land before I die than ever seeing what the obstruction is.
as I've explained previously, signals HAVE TO BE SET when something is reported as live lane, now when the information is between Junction 'x' and junction 'Y' that is where you have to set them, until a patrol has gone through and checked, either finding it and delings, or not finding anything, then the signals can be cleared.If you yourself are calling in with something that you've seen, the very best way is via the motorway SOS phone, or if you're calling 999, then get the number of the nearest marker-post and give that as well as the c/way direction where the incident is. The majority of Police call handlers are not motorway savvy so will only forward whatever information you give.
Gafferjim said:
as I've explained previously, signals HAVE TO BE SET when something is reported as live lane, now when the information is between Junction 'x' and junction 'Y' that is where you have to set them, until a patrol has gone through and checked, either finding it and delings, or not finding anything, then the signals can be cleared.
If you yourself are calling in with something that you've seen, the very best way is via the motorway SOS phone, or if you're calling 999, then get the number of the nearest marker-post and give that as well as the c/way direction where the incident is. The majority of Police call handlers are not motorway savvy so will only forward whatever information you give.
I've given them those references before and confused the call handler. Its a shame you can't ask to be put through to the motorway control centre.If you yourself are calling in with something that you've seen, the very best way is via the motorway SOS phone, or if you're calling 999, then get the number of the nearest marker-post and give that as well as the c/way direction where the incident is. The majority of Police call handlers are not motorway savvy so will only forward whatever information you give.
bobtail4x4 said:
coming up the A1 this morning 50mph flashing on all lanes, a mile later I got to the A63 junction, two lanes up the sliproad 40mph, nothing there, the main road had clear signs,
someone is playing with the buttons.
No-one plays with the buttons, trust me!someone is playing with the buttons.
What did the accompanying message say?
If it had "QUEUE" it was MIDAS. Anything else was possibly manually set.
there was no message, just 50 signs
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.7588103,-1.27912...
twas here
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.7520675,-1.27512...
and here
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.7588103,-1.27912...
twas here
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.7520675,-1.27512...
and here
Edited by bobtail4x4 on Friday 5th April 12:30
Edited by bobtail4x4 on Friday 5th April 12:32
mcdjl said:
I've given them those references before and confused the call handler. Its a shame you can't ask to be put through to the motorway control centre.
You can - use the HE number instead.0300 123 5000 goes straight to HE call-handlers who know exactly how to deal with Marker Post numbers, unlike the 999 call-handlers who start asking about street names and which town it is in.
I report debris and incidents about 4-5 times per week on my travels and they are great to deal with. The marker post above, BTW, would be (in HE-speak) "M-six alpha carriageway, three-two-zero over zero". Alpha carriageways run away from their start point (or away from London), Bravo carriageways run towards their start.
speedyguy said:
jhiker said:
'Bin your litter' - words fail me..
Really 
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/spring-clean-fo...
One of many but it's very difficult getting through to thick filthy barstewards who don't care.
Cliftonite said:
speedyguy said:
jhiker said:
'Bin your litter' - words fail me..
Really https://www.gov.uk/government/news/spring-clean-fo...
One of many but it's very difficult getting through to thick filthy barstewards who don't care.
2008, 2018, 2019, 2020 etc etc and filthy litterbugs still abound. What's your point ?
Digby said:
Thanks. This also explains a lot.
Adding to fun of these I went under a sign set to 60 on the m25. The camera just after it seemed to be flashing every other car (possibly including me when my Speedo was on 60 and at roughly the same speed as everyone else) . The next gantry half a mile on said 40. Not that I'm slightly worried though....Gafferjim said:
as I've explained previously, signals HAVE TO BE SET when something is reported as live lane, now when the information is between Junction 'x' and junction 'Y' that is where you have to set them, until a patrol has gone through and checked, either finding it and delings, or not finding anything, then the signals can be cleared.
If you yourself are calling in with something that you've seen, the very best way is via the motorway SOS phone, or if you're calling 999, then get the number of the nearest marker-post and give that as well as the c/way direction where the incident is. The majority of Police call handlers are not motorway savvy so will only forward whatever information you give.
I thought "smart" motorways were meant to be covered by CCTV, making it easy to spot debris, or at least vehicles avoiding it. If you yourself are calling in with something that you've seen, the very best way is via the motorway SOS phone, or if you're calling 999, then get the number of the nearest marker-post and give that as well as the c/way direction where the incident is. The majority of Police call handlers are not motorway savvy so will only forward whatever information you give.
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