Car traps - did everyone already know about these?

[ingenieur]

Seems to be some news sites covering car traps. I didn't know they existed but google shows there have been some in place for a long time. Not sure. Are they new?

Basically it's a trench in the road which a bus will pass over but a car will fall into. I'm amazed that this is allowed. That the council can be so furious and divisive over car ownership that they're allowed to physically damage the property of car drivers?

Surely that can't be right?

[InitialDave]

Never heard of them, I do kind of want to see if I can get the Landie through one though just to spite them...

[reddiesel]

I have seen them though I must admit the ones with the rising bollards I have found to be more common . Inevitably the latter come with a Camera and a Fine to complete your learning curve . You would have to agree that the one in the photograph is well sign posted , I did read somewhere that a Council Official had said that if you didn't see the Restriction then you shouldn't be on the Road and I think most People would agree with that statement .

[No ideas for a name]

ingenieur said:

Basically it's a trench in the road which a bus will pass over but a car will fall into. I'm amazed that this is allowed. That the council can be so furious and divisive over car ownership that they're allowed to physically damage the property of car drivers?

Surely that can't be right?

Someone far cleverer than me will no doubt be along shortly,
but as I read the traffic signs manual, the No Entry sign with an except guided busses isn't an allowed plate.... So, it would appear it isn't legally signed.

TSM Chapter 3 says;

4.9.8.
Where a one‑way street order has an exception for buses or cycles, e.g. to introduce a contraflow bus or cycle lane, the sign to diagram 616 may be used with a supplementary plate. Prescribed legends are:
“Except” and—
a)
“buses” or “local buses”;
b)
“cycles”;
c)
“buses and cycles” or “buses & cycles”; or
d)
“local buses and cycles” or “local buses & cycles”.

In my opionion, It is stupid to force compliance by causing damage. Note the image in the OP appears to show some OAPs that have made a mistake, rather than someone how is just trying it on. Not a proportionte result.

[Pizzaeatingking]

Yeah, been around for years. We have some locally that stop cars entering the busway and causing chaos to the service by getting stuck along the route. As others have said, if your too blind to see the notices on the road then you really shouldn’t be driving.

[Vasco]

Tend to be only in certain parts of the UK - generally where there's a dedicated busway (no cars permitted). Since cars aren't permitted there they can't get damaged!

[anonymous-user]

Divisive?

Tired of seeing a certain subset of enthusiasts trying so hard to be oppressed...in the images in the OP the signage is very clear and there's even the lane markings for a bus lane! Clearly it's a 'clueless OAP trap', they seem to be a good test for who should be on the road

[VSKeith]

I don't see the logic of these traps.

A car gets caught. Now you have an obstruction that requires a third party to clear, disrupting the service that it's designed to protect.

Or are they easy to reverse out of?

[ingenieur]

InitialDave said:

Never heard of them, I do kind of want to see if I can get the Landie through one though just to spite them...

I was thinking maybe a hydropneumatic Citroen on the high setting.

[ingenieur]

VSKeith said:

I don't see the logic of these traps.

A car gets caught. Now you have an obstruction that requires a third party to clear, disrupting the service that it's designed to protect.

Or are they easy to reverse out of?

Well yeah... if it is meant to give priority to busses you completely wreck that by getting a car stuck in it. I hadn't thought of that additional issue.

[ingenieur]

No ideas for a name said:

ingenieur said:

Basically it's a trench in the road which a bus will pass over but a car will fall into. I'm amazed that this is allowed. That the council can be so furious and divisive over car ownership that they're allowed to physically damage the property of car drivers?

Surely that can't be right?

Someone far cleverer than me will no doubt be along shortly,
but as I read the traffic signs manual, the No Entry sign with an except guided busses isn't an allowed plate.... So, it would appear it isn't legally signed.

TSM Chapter 3 says;

4.9.8.
Where a one?way street order has an exception for buses or cycles, e.g. to introduce a contraflow bus or cycle lane, the sign to diagram 616 may be used with a supplementary plate. Prescribed legends are:
“Except” and—
a)
“buses” or “local buses”;
b)
“cycles”;
c)
“buses and cycles” or “buses & cycles”; or
d)
“local buses and cycles” or “local buses & cycles”.

In my opionion, It is stupid to force compliance by causing damage. Note the image in the OP appears to show some OAPs that have made a mistake, rather than someone how is just trying it on. Not a proportionte result.

Good work. It's not at all unusual for the authorities to not understand their own rules such is their zeal for making motoring as difficult as physically possible. Of course there is probably some smart ass who has a different view of the rules or different rules or whatever... but at the moment this is the only interpretation available so commendations for spotting that.

[Vasco]

VSKeith said:

I don't see the logic of these traps.

A car gets caught. Now you have an obstruction that requires a third party to clear, disrupting the service that it's designed to protect.

Or are they easy to reverse out of?

Luckily, few people are silly enough to ignore the numerous warning signs.

[Bill]

Do they take your licence away if you drive into one??

[youngsyr]

They look positively lethal for a motorcyclist?!

Perhaps thats an appropriate punishment for driving in a bus lane though?

[bristolracer]

ingenieur said:

VSKeith said:

I don't see the logic of these traps.

A car gets caught. Now you have an obstruction that requires a third party to clear, disrupting the service that it's designed to protect.

Or are they easy to reverse out of?

Well yeah... if it is meant to give priority to busses you completely wreck that by getting a car stuck in it. I hadn't thought of that additional issue.

If it rips the car sump off or pings a brake pipe then then road could be out of use until resurfacing takes place.
It all seems a bit over the top, why not just send the offender a fine in the post?
What would be the implications if a pedestrian fell into it?

[TheInternet]

youngsyr said:

They look positively lethal for a motorcyclist?!

Came to make the same comment. Staggering to put people's lives/health at risk to that degree for missing signage.

[Silverbullet767]

Had anyone found out what speed you would need to travel at to get through one undamaged?

[Julian Thompson]

Absolutely outrageous. If you’re unfamiliar with an area and make a mistake the reward is a damaged car and then you’re blocking a bus lane.

[VSKeith]

Silverbullet767 said:

Had anyone found out what speed you would need to travel at to get through one undamaged?

Let's do it.

[Trevor555]

I pass this junction quite regularly, it doesn't happen that often luckily.

As someone's already stated, could be fatal if a motorcyclist goes into it. Putting a big hole in the road never seemed like a good idea to me.

Cameras, and a fine, would be more appropriate, followed up with an eyesight test could be a good idea?

The signs are plentiful, I might go out later and take pics of the signs for the thread.