RE: America versus Europe: PH Blog
Discussion
The generalizations in this are ridiculous.
4 weeks ago, it took my wife (who was visiting for her Mum's funeral) 5 hours to drive from Cardiff to Gatwick Airport - about 170 miles.
3 weeks ago I drove from Orlando FL to Atlanta GA in less than 6 hours - about 430 miles.
Sorry, which system is the slow, plodding, zombie-like one?
4 weeks ago, it took my wife (who was visiting for her Mum's funeral) 5 hours to drive from Cardiff to Gatwick Airport - about 170 miles.
3 weeks ago I drove from Orlando FL to Atlanta GA in less than 6 hours - about 430 miles.
Sorry, which system is the slow, plodding, zombie-like one?
I much prefer driving on the freeway in the US over the UK motorway.
I find that generally it flows better, less nanny stating, no cameras, and you would be surprised what the average 'flowing' speed of traffic is over here (aside from a few places with zero tolerance).
As daunting as it can be initially if you aren't used to it, not having to pass on the right and being able to pass on any side - keeps it flowing much better.
In general though, my main bugbear is that they drive FAR too close to the car in front over here though, although it is not meant to be intentionally aggressive, it is just the way it is.
Oh, and HOV lanes
I find that generally it flows better, less nanny stating, no cameras, and you would be surprised what the average 'flowing' speed of traffic is over here (aside from a few places with zero tolerance).
As daunting as it can be initially if you aren't used to it, not having to pass on the right and being able to pass on any side - keeps it flowing much better.
In general though, my main bugbear is that they drive FAR too close to the car in front over here though, although it is not meant to be intentionally aggressive, it is just the way it is.
Oh, and HOV lanes
Munter said:
What happens is they highlight the drivers who are a bit s
t.
Ultimately most of the population is a bit thick. Now you've put those thick people in charge of a car, and restricted the ability of good drivers to not be near them. So they are exposed for what they are. They have always been there. Just hidden.
Autonomous cars are definitely the future for journeys that involve congested areas. They'll be much more efficient.
I'm pretty sure most drivers are not capable of grasping the concepts in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHzzSao6ypE
Really good video !t.Ultimately most of the population is a bit thick. Now you've put those thick people in charge of a car, and restricted the ability of good drivers to not be near them. So they are exposed for what they are. They have always been there. Just hidden.
Autonomous cars are definitely the future for journeys that involve congested areas. They'll be much more efficient.
I'm pretty sure most drivers are not capable of grasping the concepts in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHzzSao6ypE
interesting the ghost intersection , not much hope of ever solving that one .
I think the future is probably self drive cars in the urban areas that go manual in countryside ?
membership to race track and classic cars for weekend fun
I'm kinda on the fence with this one.
On the one hand, they are clever way to increase the capacity of the roads we have.
Hoooowever, what annoys me no end are:
a) restricting speed in situations were traffic is light>normal
b) restricting speed because the local council need to hit CO2 targets
c) Leaving the cameras active at 1am at night, despite the roads being completely empty
On a side note, having driven regularly on autobahns, I promise you its not the utopia everyone makes them out to be. There is nothing stress free about people wondering into the outside lane when tanking along!!!
On the one hand, they are clever way to increase the capacity of the roads we have.
Hoooowever, what annoys me no end are:
a) restricting speed in situations were traffic is light>normal
b) restricting speed because the local council need to hit CO2 targets
c) Leaving the cameras active at 1am at night, despite the roads being completely empty
On a side note, having driven regularly on autobahns, I promise you its not the utopia everyone makes them out to be. There is nothing stress free about people wondering into the outside lane when tanking along!!!
Striple said:
i went on a speed awareness course the other day and they were telling us that some motorway cats eyes have speed monitoring apparatus.These relay back to the automated system controlling the speed on the gantries. Seemed a bit too hi-tech for the uk, i thought.
As I work in that industry, thought I'd weigh in.The cameras in road studs was done a long time ago, certainly not 'too hi-tech for the uk'
The HA jumped on board, the company involved was looking like they were going to make a HUGE amount of money, as I'm sure you can imagine the income from upgrading cats eyes all over the road network etc.
Anyway, they were installed for trials etc. and were going 'OK' with a few issues, until a lorry managed to dislodge one and launch it at a motorcyclist, at which point the HA got cold feet and the whole thing was abandoned.
Other issues they faced were obviously keeping it clean so the camera could see, (tried water jets all kinds of silly things), snow, heavy rain, even the sun... The problem with the sun being that the camera attempting to read the plate would be all ready to go, a car would pass over it or near enough to cast it into shadow, and so the camera would adjust the exposure etc. to try and 'see' in the darkened conditions, car would pass and the image would then be wildly over exposed and it couldn't see, so adjusting back down again to adapt to the sunlight, during which time it couldn't read anything, car comes past and it is in the dark again...
There's also the issue of powering it, mains is obviously extremely disruptive installation wise, but if you try and stick a battery in there and solar power it, it wouldn't provide enough juice to run a camera, and the comms etc. to transmit the data... And even if it did, the battery will have a useful life of 5 to 10 years, at which point you're closing roads again to replace all the batteries...
Being German, I have to admit that my experience regarding the kind of highway mentioned in the article is confined to occasional vacations - both in the USA and Great Britain. Still, I totally agree.
Over here (Germany), a shockingly high number of people sympathizes with speed limits and control - because that way driving is oh-so relaxing, meaning they won't have to pay attention. I'm not kidding!
It comes down to the point: drive or be driven. Controlled highways provide a strange thing in between: you're not in charge, but can't fall asleep or read a book either.
IMHO, drive, pay attention and be responsible for what you do is the way to go. Let's not become dullards.
Over here (Germany), a shockingly high number of people sympathizes with speed limits and control - because that way driving is oh-so relaxing, meaning they won't have to pay attention. I'm not kidding!
It comes down to the point: drive or be driven. Controlled highways provide a strange thing in between: you're not in charge, but can't fall asleep or read a book either.
IMHO, drive, pay attention and be responsible for what you do is the way to go. Let's not become dullards.
SMART motorways aren't really the problem in the UK.
Not using the 3 lanes we are given originally is!
The vast majority (and that means probably most of PH) stifle the network by sitting in the middle lane, taking too long to pull in or worse (imo) queuing to pass on the outside. This means trucks pull out earlier to overtake as there frequently isn't the room to pull out when they should.
If people kept to the left, we wouldn't need more lanes and wouldn't need smart motorways.
This applies to dual carriageways too.
Motorways and DC's should be licenced separately, and a proper public information drive on TV ads.
Not using the 3 lanes we are given originally is!
The vast majority (and that means probably most of PH) stifle the network by sitting in the middle lane, taking too long to pull in or worse (imo) queuing to pass on the outside. This means trucks pull out earlier to overtake as there frequently isn't the room to pull out when they should.
If people kept to the left, we wouldn't need more lanes and wouldn't need smart motorways.
This applies to dual carriageways too.
Motorways and DC's should be licenced separately, and a proper public information drive on TV ads.
Edited by crosseyedlion on Wednesday 14th September 13:22
I use the M1 a lot and occasionally use the M6, M25 and M40.
To me, the biggest problem clogging up the roads is lane discipline (or a lack thereof). I try my very hardest to both be in the left hand most lane I can and also only overtake rather than undertake. But I have been in the right hand most lane sometimes for miles at a time overtaking a stream of cars in the middle lane when the left hand lane has been empty. That's 1/3 of the road capacity right there just gone.
Most of this comes down to 2 things, a lack of education on how to use the motorway and attitude. Too many people refer to the lanes as the slow, medium and fast lanes. And will therefore assume that the left hand lane is for people not wanting to go as fast as the speed limit, the middle lane is for people willing to go to the speed limit and no higher and the right hand lane is for lunatics going 75mph+, or that lane 1 is for HGVs only. Either that or they can't be bothered to pull out and back in to overtake cars so stick in lane 2 for an easy life, people can then go around them.
I was driving back from Manchester at the weekend and the M6 changed from 3 to 4 lanes. Needless to say, the right hand 2 were full and the left hand 2 were empty. 50% capacity not being utilised because people either haven't been taught how to use the motorway or are too lazy to follow the rules.
Automatic lights, Automatic wipers, Sat Nav, Radar cruise... all taking away active thought from the driver making them lazier and lazier as these features become standard in more mass market models.
To me, the biggest problem clogging up the roads is lane discipline (or a lack thereof). I try my very hardest to both be in the left hand most lane I can and also only overtake rather than undertake. But I have been in the right hand most lane sometimes for miles at a time overtaking a stream of cars in the middle lane when the left hand lane has been empty. That's 1/3 of the road capacity right there just gone.
Most of this comes down to 2 things, a lack of education on how to use the motorway and attitude. Too many people refer to the lanes as the slow, medium and fast lanes. And will therefore assume that the left hand lane is for people not wanting to go as fast as the speed limit, the middle lane is for people willing to go to the speed limit and no higher and the right hand lane is for lunatics going 75mph+, or that lane 1 is for HGVs only. Either that or they can't be bothered to pull out and back in to overtake cars so stick in lane 2 for an easy life, people can then go around them.
I was driving back from Manchester at the weekend and the M6 changed from 3 to 4 lanes. Needless to say, the right hand 2 were full and the left hand 2 were empty. 50% capacity not being utilised because people either haven't been taught how to use the motorway or are too lazy to follow the rules.
Automatic lights, Automatic wipers, Sat Nav, Radar cruise... all taking away active thought from the driver making them lazier and lazier as these features become standard in more mass market models.
This article is so true. I use motorways every single day. The SMART motorways are an absolute joke, tell me how, when there is traffic on one side it says a speed limit of 60 when the side you're on, which is seemingly clear of traffic, states a speed limit of 40. They are anything but SMART and indeed create a dangerous situation on the roads, increased blind spots and undertaking etc.
5ohmustang said:
I've never seen a static camera, instant or average speed on any American interstate. Nor have I seen a road toll. Occasionally I will see a state trooper with a speed radar. All this b.s. are in the liberal states, NY, NJ, CA, IL to fund their socialist programs.
:cough: Florida? S. Carolina?Not sure I'd EVER describe them as 'socialist' - maybe you keep your politics off PH, eh?!?
MrGeoff said:
This article is so true. I use motorways every single day. The SMART motorways are an absolute joke, tell me how, when there is traffic on one side it says a speed limit of 60 when the side you're on, which is seemingly clear of traffic, states a speed limit of 40. They are anything but SMART and indeed create a dangerous situation on the roads, increased blind spots and undertaking etc.
If you're able to provide a solution, those who work in the highway maintenance industry would like to hear it. Ideally we'd be looking for a solution that's achievable i.e. not some sort of highway utopia that the general public think is possible. A brief list of the main constraints:- We cannot build new motorways.
- We cannot widen existing motorways.
- Traffic use of the SRN increases every single year, to the tune of 4 billion road miles each year (over the last 4 years).
- Money; in the patch of motorway I work on the maintenance of, circa £50m per year is provided, for over 1000km, to give you an idea of the budget available.
[1] Having known colleagues get carted off to hospital (and in other areas of the country, a morgue) after being hit by vehicles travelling down a closed lane, I fail to see why we shouldn't be doing our utmost to keep our workforce safe, regardless of it making the drive a bit 'dull' for the general public.
fuelracer496 said:
- We cannot build new motorways.
- We cannot widen existing motorways.
- Money; in the patch of motorway I work on the maintenance of, circa £50m per year is provided, for over 1000km, to give you an idea of the budget available.
2) why not?
3) £50 BILLION is currently budgeted for HS2 (the actual bill is forecast by independent reviewers to be possibly double that). That's a vanity scheme that will benefit rail-construction company bosses, contractors, and a small % of the country that need and will pay for higher-speed transport between Manchester and London (saving on B'ham to London is ~10-15 mins apparently, so not worth that much).
If our mildly-corrupt government didn't tie their b
ks to vanity projects like that, then we'd have PLENTY of money to sort our trunk-road infrastructure out over at least half of the critical areas.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff