Abuse of Gantry Signs.
Discussion
I always thought Motorway gantry signs were there to warn us motorists of impending danger on the road ahead, but now they have been used to display messages about not using a a phone while driving, and firemen strikes.
I find these messages very distracting, and completely unnecessary when I am driving along the motorway at 70mph, and I reckon they are more distracting than using a mobile phone while driving.
I think these signs are a major distraction to motorway drivers and should only be used to warn us of impending danger, or road closures on the roads ahead.
I find these messages very distracting, and completely unnecessary when I am driving along the motorway at 70mph, and I reckon they are more distracting than using a mobile phone while driving.
I think these signs are a major distraction to motorway drivers and should only be used to warn us of impending danger, or road closures on the roads ahead.
They usually show a message of some type, such as "Check your fuel" or "Use your seatbelt" - while these are a bit pointless, they are meant to reassure drivers that the sign IS actually working, whereas a blank sign might be broken and then the lemming drivers might be worried that there was some important message missing.
In other words "we are telling you rubbish to reassure you you're not missing anything important".
In other words "we are telling you rubbish to reassure you you're not missing anything important".
haggishead said:
In other words "we are telling you rubbish to reassure you you're not missing anything important".
But gantry signs rarely tell you anything important anyway, at least, not in this part of the country.
They may tell you of congestion, but usually only when you're already in the tailback!
streaky said:
Yet commercial advertising alongside motorways is banned becasue it "would be distracting to drivers" - Streaky
Have you seen the 2 big advertising boards between j/1 and j/2 of the M1?
They are enourmous and stick out level with the wooden fence on the Hardshoulder.Now these certainly shouldnt be allowed.
At night they are just gigantic neon signs sticking out of the darkness.........
The O2 adverts were designed to slip through a loophole in the planning system which means it takes a local authpority a couple of weeks to take enforcement action to get them removed.
The bit they forgot was that there are regulations on how close to motorways adverts can be.
The other trick people do is place adverts on trailers etc which of course have wheels and are mobile and therefore there is a problem with enforcment action.
The bit they forgot was that there are regulations on how close to motorways adverts can be.
The other trick people do is place adverts on trailers etc which of course have wheels and are mobile and therefore there is a problem with enforcment action.
mrflibbles said:
mybrainhurts said:
Who controls the keyboards for these things?
The Police do from the Motorway Controls
I thought it was the highways agency?
I have the application form for "message putter-upperer" in front of me!
If you get the job, remember how to spell Brunstrom when you get behind the keyboard..........
?Actually, the ones that REALLY wind me up are the "Tiredness kills - take a break" sign strategically placed a mile or so before the next Roadchef/Unwelcome Break. What they really need is another sign in the services saying "People with heart problems should not attempt to buy anything with a £5 note"....
I have a question about the gantry advisory speed limits.
On what basis are they set?
Is there anything scientific or is it more a case of 'Here Dave, theres a car on the road, best set the gantries to 40mph'. If its based on say serve rate at a point later down the road then no bother but if its just arbitary what to stop the abuse by individuals?
On what basis are they set?
Is there anything scientific or is it more a case of 'Here Dave, theres a car on the road, best set the gantries to 40mph'. If its based on say serve rate at a point later down the road then no bother but if its just arbitary what to stop the abuse by individuals?
Some are manually operated and some via sensors in the surface of the road.
We use the manual ones for accidents fog ..whatever really.
The Automatic ones are good but are prone to give the wrong info. If you get a lorry stopped/broken down at the bottom of the Motorway (only for a min or two) then it will set the gantry signs.
Otherwise they arent too bad.
Certainly the ones on the M1/A1 etc are controlled by Police but its only a matter of months before they will all be controlled by the Highways Agency (along with Policing by the look of it)
We use the manual ones for accidents fog ..whatever really.
The Automatic ones are good but are prone to give the wrong info. If you get a lorry stopped/broken down at the bottom of the Motorway (only for a min or two) then it will set the gantry signs.
Otherwise they arent too bad.
Certainly the ones on the M1/A1 etc are controlled by Police but its only a matter of months before they will all be controlled by the Highways Agency (along with Policing by the look of it)
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