Ask a Highways England Traffic Officer anything

[BossHogg]

yonex said:

Yes, one from from many years driving, including today, where it took as long to get to Folkestone from the Chilterns as it did to complete a journey from Calais to Nancy. The Police used to be on the motorways and offered much more than 'traffic management', you guys are just a way of doing things on the cheap as the budgets have been squeezed. Unfortunately it's the same with CPO's, purely a decision made from financial issues, not sensible ones. Given the restraining bolts you are all fitted with what training is really necessary. Does it go beyond the average skills the average person will have I wonder? On my travels today I did see a womble, trundling along in the slow lane, probably of no help in the massive disaster zone between J8-J9 today? It is my opinion, I think it's a waste of money and a load of bks.

Again, that's your opinion, others will disagree with you.

[dmsims]

Here is one I've I have always wanted to know the answer (I simply gave up asking the Highways Agency)

Why are there a zillion signs saying Jxx (where xx is a number) x mins (where x is number)

[BossHogg]

We've also raised it as being unnecessary, we were informed it was to let the traveling public know that traffic was flowing smoothly.

[dmsims]

BossHogg said:

We've also raised it as being unnecessary, we were informed it was to let the traveling public know that traffic was flowing smoothly.

But it does not even tell you that

[BossHogg]

No arguments from me.

[HTP99]

Agree with the above, over the past couple of years I've noticed those announcements springing up and thought; and?!

It's the same with the signs that tell you there is a queue at the next exit, invariably these signs are actually on or just before the slip road to said exit, you can see with your own eyes there is a queue.

[CABC]

dmsims said:

BossHogg said:

We've also raised it as being unnecessary, we were informed it was to let the traveling public know that traffic was flowing smoothly.

But it does not even tell you that

eh?

[Landshark]

Flibbertygibbet said:

Speed set automatically by MIDAS. Most likely due to slow HGV or tailgating or just a system fault.

The system shouldn’t allow a 30mph speed differential (70 to 40) so maybe help out and report it to the information line next time you see it so it can be investigated.

Doesn’t look like a HADECS3 enforcement site so can’t use that conspiracy theory on this occasion.

The gantries break/stick often. The HADECS 3 gantry is The one with the NSL on. I would imagine it was set by MIDAS as the A3 slip often queues backwards onto the carriageway and then it hasn’t cleared?

It would normally be a crane rather than an HGV that sets off the false MIDAS speeds (especially late at night) due to the number of wheels passing over the sensors, the computer things it’s lots of vehicles close together.

[dmsims]

CABC said:

dmsims said:

BossHogg said:

We've also raised it as being unnecessary, we were informed it was to let the traveling public know that traffic was flowing smoothly.

But it does not even tell you that

eh?

Last time I looked - time = distance/speed

[Register1]

BossHogg said:

I'm in the northwest, top of the M6.

A very nice part, probably the very best part of the M6.

[Flibbertygibbet]

dmsims said:

Last time I looked - time = distance/speed

That may well be but the equation factors in a maximum travelling speed too so that you are never being told a time to the destination faster than if you were travelling at 70mph, even if you are the only vehicle on the road in that area at 2am. They can however be suspended/forced off by RCCs if they are displaying stupid times (eg 10 minutes to the next junction when the road is closed).

There are more and more of these everywhere now as believe it or not recent public surveys revealed that people were in favour of knowing how long it took to get to major junctions and interchanges etc.

[Register1]

skinthespin said:

What a strange thread. Come on here to dispel myths etc, I had a higher opinion BEFORE you posted.

If my wife has a puncture with my son in the car you stand and watch and offer advice rather than help over some unionised health and safety clap trap, pathetic. What kind of decent human being does that, call yourself a man?! Then you stick a winking face on the end as if it's funny, but it's OK to say you upright over turned vehicles, ridiculous.

Then you have the cheek to say your tie is navy blue and the police have a black tie how could you possibly be confused......

All respect has gone and I will be sure to pass the next womble I see at the highest possible speed!

Sounds very much like your shooting the good guys.
He has already said, it's not that they can't do it, I feel they would very much like to help, but their gaffer said no.
So what should he do?
Change the wheel and get a reprimand from his gaffer? get the sack maybe?

How do you think he feels when he sees a young girl, or a young mother attempting to loosen the wheel bolts / nuts ?
Of course he wants to help,

So have a go at the powers that are, not the foot soldiers.

[Register1]

Robertj21a said:

skinthespin said:

What a strange thread. Come on here to dispel myths etc, I had a higher opinion BEFORE you posted.

If my wife has a puncture with my son in the car you stand and watch and offer advice rather than help over some unionised health and safety clap trap, pathetic. What kind of decent human being does that, call yourself a man?! Then you stick a winking face on the end as if it's funny, but it's OK to say you upright over turned vehicles, ridiculous.

Then you have the cheek to say your tie is navy blue and the police have a black tie how could you possibly be confused......

All respect has gone and I will be sure to pass the next womble I see at the highest possible speed!

Why don't you read the earlier comments before you jump in feet first.

Because he is a knob

[dmsims]

Flibbertygibbet said:

dmsims said:

Last time I looked - time = distance/speed

That may well be but the equation factors in a maximum travelling speed too so that you are never being told a time to the destination faster than if you were travelling at 70mph, even if you are the only vehicle on the road in that area at 2am. They can however be suspended/forced off by RCCs if they are displaying stupid times (eg 10 minutes to the next junction when the road is closed).

There are more and more of these everywhere now as believe it or not recent public surveys revealed that people were in favour of knowing how long it took to get to major junctions and interchanges etc.

and this is the kind of ridiculous answer that make me wonder about the intelligence of the human race

How do you solve the equation ?

[Flibbertygibbet]

dmsims said:

and this is the kind of ridiculous answer that make me wonder about the intelligence of the human race

How do you solve the equation ?

The speed aspect of the equation most probably changes dynamically based on the traffic flow information received from the MIDAS outstations and NTIS ANPR sites, with anything above a given speed that doesn’t look “suitable” eg 65mph scraped out.

And I am perfectly intelligent thank you very much, though evidently a large subset of posters here must think I and other colleagues must not be part of the human race because of who we work for.

PS my personal opinion would be to turn off the entire algorithm and just leave the signs dark until they need to be set for something relevant.

[mcdjl]

dmsims said:

Flibbertygibbet said:

dmsims said:

Last time I looked - time = distance/speed

That may well be but the equation factors in a maximum travelling speed too so that you are never being told a time to the destination faster than if you were travelling at 70mph, even if you are the only vehicle on the road in that area at 2am. They can however be suspended/forced off by RCCs if they are displaying stupid times (eg 10 minutes to the next junction when the road is closed).

There are more and more of these everywhere now as believe it or not recent public surveys revealed that people were in favour of knowing how long it took to get to major junctions and interchanges etc.

and this is the kind of ridiculous answer that make me wonder about the intelligence of the human race

How do you solve the equation ?

Don't solve the equation. At 70mph you're doing just over 1mile/minutes. Thus when it says 'Jn 6miles, 5 mins' you know the road is clear. If it says 'Jn 6miles, 7 mins' bit slow etc. You then promptly aim to get there in 4mins (or whatever)

[BossHogg]

Register1 said:

A very nice part, probably the very best part of the M6.

Probably the most picturesque through the Lune Gorge.

[InitialDave]

mcdjl said:

Don't solve the equation. At 70mph you're doing just over 1mile/minutes. Thus when it says 'Jn 6miles, 5 mins' you know the road is clear. If it says 'Jn 6miles, 7 mins' bit slow etc. You then promptly aim to get there in 4mins (or whatever)

Why don't they just say "traffic flowing freely to [XX]" though?

[dmsims]

mcdjl said:

dmsims said:

Flibbertygibbet said:

dmsims said:

Last time I looked - time = distance/speed

That may well be but the equation factors in a maximum travelling speed too so that you are never being told a time to the destination faster than if you were travelling at 70mph, even if you are the only vehicle on the road in that area at 2am. They can however be suspended/forced off by RCCs if they are displaying stupid times (eg 10 minutes to the next junction when the road is closed).

There are more and more of these everywhere now as believe it or not recent public surveys revealed that people were in favour of knowing how long it took to get to major junctions and interchanges etc.

and this is the kind of ridiculous answer that make me wonder about the intelligence of the human race

How do you solve the equation ?

Don't solve the equation. At 70mph you're doing just over 1mile/minutes. Thus when it says 'Jn 6miles, 5 mins' you know the road is clear. If it says 'Jn 6miles, 7 mins' bit slow etc. You then promptly aim to get there in 4mins (or whatever)

Except you DO NOT have that information - if you read what I wrote the only information you have is Jxx xxmin where xx is a number

[Register1]

BossHogg said:

Register1 said:

A very nice part, probably the very best part of the M6.

Probably the most picturesque through the Lune Gorge.

/Googles Lune Gorge/