Motorway sign rant/query...
Discussion
Electronic orange motorway signs. The things that normally say stuff like 'Don't Drive Tired', or details of junction closures, but sometimes have temporary speed limits with various warning notices.
WHAT THE
ARE THE KEYBOARD MONKEYS BEHIND THESE THINGS SMOKING??!!!
Yesterday coming north on the A1(M) just south of York(ish) there was a 5/10 mile stretch with 'Obstruction Ahead, Slow Down. 40'. WTF??!! This was in light traffic, perfect conditions, almost no lorries and not a car going under 70 (and most between 85-90). To go at 40 would have been suicidal. And the only obstruction as far as I could see? 3 cars on the hardshoulder, all a few miles from each other. A potential danger yes, but all easily seen from half a mile away.
It's fair enough to provide the warning, but trying to place a 40mph limit was simply lethal. Luckily no one was foolish enough to obey the limit. If the situation was so dangerous to require a 40 limit why couldn't they get some of their precious HATOs out there?
In my experience these signs warn of non-existent dangers a lot of the time, and hence everyone ignores them now. Makes me laugh when they say, 'Slow Down, Spray.' in heavy rain. No sh
t sherlock, I can barely see the sodding sign so hardly need to be told that there's spray!
This abuse makes the signs valueless. The boy who cried wolf and all that.
Is the temporary limit placed by these legally enforcable?
WHAT THE
ARE THE KEYBOARD MONKEYS BEHIND THESE THINGS SMOKING??!!!Yesterday coming north on the A1(M) just south of York(ish) there was a 5/10 mile stretch with 'Obstruction Ahead, Slow Down. 40'. WTF??!! This was in light traffic, perfect conditions, almost no lorries and not a car going under 70 (and most between 85-90). To go at 40 would have been suicidal. And the only obstruction as far as I could see? 3 cars on the hardshoulder, all a few miles from each other. A potential danger yes, but all easily seen from half a mile away.
It's fair enough to provide the warning, but trying to place a 40mph limit was simply lethal. Luckily no one was foolish enough to obey the limit. If the situation was so dangerous to require a 40 limit why couldn't they get some of their precious HATOs out there?
In my experience these signs warn of non-existent dangers a lot of the time, and hence everyone ignores them now. Makes me laugh when they say, 'Slow Down, Spray.' in heavy rain. No sh
t sherlock, I can barely see the sodding sign so hardly need to be told that there's spray!This abuse makes the signs valueless. The boy who cried wolf and all that.
Is the temporary limit placed by these legally enforcable?
Last time I saw a very low limit one on the matrix boards (other than 50 queue) it was 20 on the M4 and someone had parked in the central reservation and was trying to cross three carriageways wearing black at night.
I always pay attention to the particularly low limits. I take "50" to mean do 70 and pay extra attention. "20" seems to mean be prepared to stop unexpectedly.
I always pay attention to the particularly low limits. I take "50" to mean do 70 and pay extra attention. "20" seems to mean be prepared to stop unexpectedly.
I believe 20 is the default if somebody goes the wrong way down the motorway too.Last time I saw "obstruction" on one of those on the Cambs A1M I did the usual thing of thinking it was hours old, nothing to it routine as we have seen so many cry-wolfs. That was until I came across bloody great chunks of lorry tyre and mudguards....I tend to be a bit more cautious now.
I posted about this a while ago
There was a "Slow Obstruction" showing in the road all the way from Reading to Swindon - Not a single obstruction in sight, in fact the traffic was flowing freely and there was not evening anything broken down on the hard shoulder.
Its going to make it more and more dangerous every time they cry wolf as people will slowly take less and less notice of them!
I stated here on the last thread that it should be one of the single most important jobs out there to make sure that these signs are turned off ASAP.
There was a "Slow Obstruction" showing in the road all the way from Reading to Swindon - Not a single obstruction in sight, in fact the traffic was flowing freely and there was not evening anything broken down on the hard shoulder.
Its going to make it more and more dangerous every time they cry wolf as people will slowly take less and less notice of them!
I stated here on the last thread that it should be one of the single most important jobs out there to make sure that these signs are turned off ASAP.
I don't disagree - the "cry wolf" analogy is perfect.
I drove home from Yorkshire to North Kent a few weeks ago on a Sunday.
From J15 of the M1 right the way round to J27 of the M25 there were constant signs saying "long delays J28-31 M25, big accident". I've never seen J28-31 so clear...
I drove home from Yorkshire to North Kent a few weeks ago on a Sunday.
From J15 of the M1 right the way round to J27 of the M25 there were constant signs saying "long delays J28-31 M25, big accident". I've never seen J28-31 so clear...
TonyHetherington said:
I don't disagree - the "cry wolf" analogy is perfect.
I drove home from Yorkshire to North Kent a few weeks ago on a Sunday.
From J15 of the M1 right the way round to J27 of the M25 there were constant signs saying "long delays J28-31 M25, big accident". I've never seen J28-31 so clear...
That's because everyone saw the sign and went a different way, and continued to do so after the accident was cleared.I drove home from Yorkshire to North Kent a few weeks ago on a Sunday.
From J15 of the M1 right the way round to J27 of the M25 there were constant signs saying "long delays J28-31 M25, big accident". I've never seen J28-31 so clear...
goskins17 said:
These signs are put up by the highway agency, we ask for them at work and they will put them up in the wrong place, on the wrong carriageway, or my fav after we have finished with the incident up go the signs.
So in their current state they are useless for the majority of incidents (you have to play the 'is it lying or telling the truth?' game, resolved only by phoning someone with internet access) and perhaps marginally helpful for warning of bad driving conditions (gee thanks, I can see if it's fing foggy or not for myself - and if I'm too much of a dumbass to slow down in fog/spray, am I really going to slow down if a fing sign tells me to?!).How about this? Turn the signs off for good and make everyone involved redundant. I've saved the HA thousands! Please settle my consultancy fees within 28 days, invoice attached
(Okay, I'm getting silly now)
Burgmeister said:
Parrot of Doom said:
Nope.
ooh really so i could fly past a plod car at 70 in one of these temporary restrictions and not get a wallet raping? Although advisory failing to follow these limits can lead to other offences.
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