RE: More Lanes for M25...?
RE: More Lanes for M25...?
Thursday 25th July 2002

More Lanes for M25...?

Or should bad drivers just be beaten over the head with a nobbly stick?


Author
Discussion

cpn

Original Poster:

7,760 posts

300 months

Thursday 25th July 2002
quotequote all
quote:

More lanes are definitely needed but all too often one observes drivers cruising in the outer lanes when the inner lanes are empty or pottering onto fast moving motorways far too slowly.


I would rather see us trying to 'educate' the drivers that stuff the lanes up, either by encouraging undertaking, or by penalties.

Also lets be harder on lorries that take 20 minutes to overtake. Having sat in a 3 mile tailback at the weekend waiting while one lorry made the most of the 0.04 mph speed differential I think we need some method of getting this manouver completed within a calendar month!

smeagol

1,947 posts

304 months

Thursday 25th July 2002
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The big advantage of 4 lanes is stopping the two lorry stopping traffic syndrome on 3 lanes. 4 lanes do make a significant difference to the flow. 3 lanes you get lorry passing lorry at 0.04mph and numpty in lane 3 passing thoses at 0.5mph creating havoc far back as everybody has to squeeze into one lane.

Another advantage is road works in that you can repair half the road and still have a dual carriageway.

Whilst I agree education on lane disapline is definately needed I also feel that all Mways should be 4 lanes.

CarZee

13,382 posts

287 months

Thursday 25th July 2002
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Smeagol - in my experience, 4 lanes do not solve the problem since lorries start to use the first 3!

They need to be restricted to 1st and 2nd lanes, rather than all lanes but the outermost.

smeagol

1,947 posts

304 months

Thursday 25th July 2002
quotequote all
I thought they were limited to the first 2 lanes. If they're not you're absolutely right of course they should be. Otherwise we end up with exactly the same problem.

kevinday

13,592 posts

300 months

Thursday 25th July 2002
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Carzee is right, they are only banned from using the outermost lane. Daft? Yes, very much so! I presume the rule dates back to when there were no 4 lane M'ways, but does show a complete lack of forward thinking.

>> Edited by kevinday on Thursday 25th July 13:27

smeagol

1,947 posts

304 months

Thursday 25th July 2002
quotequote all
Its bl**dy typical of this country, take a good idea and f*** it up by applying a stupid law. Perhaps the police will do something about 3 lorries blocking a 4 lane Mway but then again perhaps I'm dreaming.

Pete Cros

285 posts

299 months

Thursday 25th July 2002
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Dont make any difference. On Tuesday evening, I (and many many many others), had to trail behind two foriegn registered trucks using the 3rd (and where 4 lanes exist), the 4th lane of the M25.

Slow?, the variable speed limit signs were registering 40, 50, and 60, didn't make a bit of differnece, 35MPH was the maximum that these cretins travelled at.

sevener

36 posts

297 months

Thursday 25th July 2002
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You are also advised on the M25 not to change lane, which is hardly conducive to getting a free flowing situation where everyone "overtakes" and then moves back in.

Windsorphil

888 posts

282 months

Thursday 25th July 2002
quotequote all
quote:

You are also advised on the M25 not to change lane, which is hardly conducive to getting a free flowing situation where everyone "overtakes" and then moves back in.



I do Junction 13 - 10 and back again every day, and often I "undertake" because, through the variable speed limit section, people seem to leave their brains behind, this also attracts lots of hand signals and people deliberately swinging into the lane although I am "staying in lane to avoid congestion"...

>> Edited by Windsorphil on Thursday 25th July 16:06

hut49

3,544 posts

282 months

Thursday 25th July 2002
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When will folks wake up and stop perpetuating this incredibly stupid "overtaking" nonsense on motorways. I spend about half my time driving on US roads where you go with the flow - no need to dive across 2 or 3 lanes just to comply with the crazy rule/law that you have to pass on the right (or left over there, of course).
It doesn't mean that you need be any less careful about what traffic in front is doing or traffic behind, but if you come up behind a slower moving truck in lane 2, and lane 3 (i.e.our "overtaking" lane) is full, you have the opportunity to pass in lane 1, if clear, without the need to break and cause everyone behind to do the same.

Hutch

donaldhunter

121 posts

284 months

Friday 26th July 2002
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You guys can have a 4th lane for the M25 when we get a 3rd lane for the M8.

PetrolTed

34,461 posts

323 months

Friday 26th July 2002
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No Government will ever have the bottle to make undertaking legal. It's a shame we don't have the same mentality as the Europeans. Driving on the Autostrada was a revelation to me some years ago. Everyone going very fast and letting people get past. Here we take it as a personal affront if someone tries to get past us.

hut49

3,544 posts

282 months

Friday 26th July 2002
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From sources, I understand that the Transport Minister is in receipt of a harmonization recommendation from the Eurocrats in Brussels that would require the UK, within 10 years, to implement a change to driving on the right side of the road.

Recognising the potential confusion that can be anticipated on changover day, one of the helpful suggestions in the report is to phase the introduction by having trucks changeover on Monday and cars on Tuesday.

Benefits identified in this recommendation include reduced requirements for extra motorway lanes following the first phase of the changeover.

hutch

scruff400

3,757 posts

281 months

Friday 26th July 2002
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Simple formula:

More roads = more traffic

It's been going on for years...

CarZee

13,382 posts

287 months

Friday 26th July 2002
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Scruff: You don't think the size of the population gives a ceiling to that particluar expansionary scenario..?

scruff400

3,757 posts

281 months

Friday 26th July 2002
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quote:

Scruff: You don't think the size of the population gives a ceiling to that particluar expansionary scenario..?


Yeah, but raise the roof...

It's been going on for years :giggle:

>> Edited by scruff400 on Friday 26th July 16:09

gnomesmith

2,458 posts

296 months

Friday 26th July 2002
quotequote all
quote:

From sources, I understand that the Transport Minister is in receipt of a harmonization recommendation from the Eurocrats in Brussels that would require the UK, within 10 years, to implement a change to driving on the right side of the road.

Fantasy

hut49

3,544 posts

282 months

Friday 26th July 2002
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Of course. But surely you didn't think this was for real? If you did, try that second para once more!
Hutch

mondeoman

11,430 posts

286 months

Saturday 27th July 2002
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quote:

Scruff: You don't think the size of the population gives a ceiling to that particluar expansionary scenario..?


Gotta be close to it now haven't we... Something like 23m cars on the road. Allowing for marrieds etc that only have one car, old buggers who can't/never could drive (that'll be most of em then ) and from the population of , oh wot is it , about 50m, then a figure of about 30m cars would sound about right to me. - se we NEED 30% BIGGER roads. Simple really.

hertsbiker

6,443 posts

291 months

Saturday 27th July 2002
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quote:

More roads = more traffic


That is a particulary pointless argument. Bit like when I was a kid, the other kids said "the more ants you kill, the more come out the ground".

At the time I said "bollocks", because eventually there are no more ants. In this example, build enough roads and like America, we will have 4/5 lane highways with very light traffic. Unlike today, where it is a bloody awful mess... so don't try that argument with me. More roads = less traffic. End of. Got it?!!

see ya all in a week.
Carl