Caravans don't cause jams -- official
M5 'keep left' scheme finds no impact on congestion levels
Sheds stayed in the slow lane -- but it didn't help much. As we reported last June (link below), caravaners using part of the M5 in south-west England were asked to stick to the inside lane during the holiday season. The aim of the pilot scheme was to ease jams on a two-mile stretch of the motorway in North Somerset during the holidays.
There were signs at Naish Hill advised towing vehicles to keep left. Many did -- more than ever before -- but it made "no significant improvement" in the levels of congestion on the route, according to Highways Agency engineers who monitored the scheme.
Expect more sheds in the outside lane but you can take cold comfort from the finding that they're not the main cause of the congestion.
corozin said:And by trucks, and tractors, and cars towing trailors, and old drivers, learner drivers, and all the other slower people on the roads...
Take any of the main A roads which leave the M5 in either Devon or Cornwall and measure the congestion caused by caravans there.
An inherent problem with single carriageways
GetCarter said:
Caravans don't cause delays to cars on motorways
Simple fact, GC. Cars can use the outside lane, caravans can't. If the outside lane is packed with cars doing 70mph because some numpty at the front of the queue wouldn't know lane discipline if it bit him, that's hardly a caravan's fault.
As for taxing caravans to the hilt, they already are - just as sports cars are - through the petrol pump. Towing a shed burns a lot of fuel.
I can never understand people's attitude to caravans, especially people who frequent a forum like this. The drivers of high powered sports cars and the towers of caravans have more that unites them than divides them.
Viggo said:
GetCarter said:
Viggo said:
Caravans don't cause delays to cars on motorways
Simple fact, GC. Cars can use the outside lane, caravans can't.
Now don't get me wrong - I've not got anything against caravans, and have towed sports cars up and down motorways to track and back for years. (delaying other road users...)
Fact is there are shed loads of ...
1/ Two lane motorways (overtaking lane often full of lorries and towing vehicles)
2/ Drivers towing vehicles who are not as savvy as you.
3/ Drivers towing vehicles who own cars that have nowhere near enough power to pull the load.
4/ Speed limits for cars towing on motorways.
There are also millions of rubbish car drivers that hold up caravans.
Caravans, like the rest of all slow moving, slow accelerating traffic - DO cause delays on motorways - The thing is, caravan owners have to drive *better* than the rest of the flock to stand a chance of NOT causing delays. Some do, some don't.
When they don't, it can cause real problems, as not all car drivers understand the limitations of a 'rig'!
Caravans are fine, I'm happy that people have them... but don't tell me they don't cause delays on motorways. Almost as much as bad (centre lane owner) car drivers. If you do, I suggest you drive a sports car from London to Ullapool in August (many miles of two lane motorways)- THEN tell me caravans didn't delay you.
Steve
edited to correct rubbish spelling (well some of it)
>> Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 3rd February 08:21
>> Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 3rd February 08:22
GetCarter said:
Caravans are fine, I'm happy that people have them... but don't tell me they don't cause delays on motorways.
At the risk of sounding like a spokesman for the National Rifle Association
- caravans don't delay people: people delay people. 
My original statement referred to 3-lane m-ways - on 2-lanes, yes, they can cause delays, although that's as much down to the speed limit as to the caravan - but otherwise any delays caused will be because of bad driving or pressure of other traffic affecting the van-tugger. I include taking to the road in an underpowered car as bad driving.
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