Seen on M42: Caution - Oncoming Vehicle
Discussion
ONCOMING VEHICLE. With a warning triangle. This is what I saw displayed on the overhead info signs on the M42 this afternoon,
just about to join the Toll road heading North, which continued the message along with a 20MPH restriction which everyone ignored.
Oncoming Vehicle? WTF really? That's somethnig that I think requires more than a warning. It's not in the same category as "windy conditions" is it? And 20 mph is OK to drive headlong into it at?
Never did see the alleged vehicle, fortunately.
Michael.
just about to join the Toll road heading North, which continued the message along with a 20MPH restriction which everyone ignored.
Oncoming Vehicle? WTF really? That's somethnig that I think requires more than a warning. It's not in the same category as "windy conditions" is it? And 20 mph is OK to drive headlong into it at?
Never did see the alleged vehicle, fortunately.
Michael.
Ozzie Osmond said:
If you were "in charge" what would you have done that was different?
Even though closing the motorway with police cars sounds kinda drastic, I think I'd choose thatbecause a head-on crash of any type can't be a better option. At least it'd give them time to find
this oncoming vehicle and stop it.
Otherwise I picture a scene in the control room "Oh, look at that. Best let people know and hope
they avoid it even though it's a moving obstacle/target"
mej023 said:
Even though closing the motorway with police cars sounds kinda drastic, I think I'd choose that
because a head-on crash of any type can't be a better option. At least it'd give them time to find
this oncoming vehicle and stop it.
Otherwise I picture a scene in the control room "Oh, look at that. Best let people know and hope
they avoid it even though it's a moving obstacle/target"
It takes time to effect a total closure. A sign can be instant. They'd probably put it up whilst they effected a total closure.because a head-on crash of any type can't be a better option. At least it'd give them time to find
this oncoming vehicle and stop it.
Otherwise I picture a scene in the control room "Oh, look at that. Best let people know and hope
they avoid it even though it's a moving obstacle/target"
Fox- said:
mej023 said:
Even though closing the motorway with police cars sounds kinda drastic, I think I'd choose that
because a head-on crash of any type can't be a better option. At least it'd give them time to find
this oncoming vehicle and stop it.
Otherwise I picture a scene in the control room "Oh, look at that. Best let people know and hope
they avoid it even though it's a moving obstacle/target"
It takes time to effect a total closure. A sign can be instant. They'd probably put it up whilst they effected a total closure.because a head-on crash of any type can't be a better option. At least it'd give them time to find
this oncoming vehicle and stop it.
Otherwise I picture a scene in the control room "Oh, look at that. Best let people know and hope
they avoid it even though it's a moving obstacle/target"
MX7 said:
They seem to put up all sorts of nonsense on the M42 and M40. I don't know if it's a test period, but I've seen many warnings that don't come to fruition.
It's annoying to be told, at 1am, that you can only drive at 50 mph in the slow lane, only to find nothing there.
The M42 for sure, they seem to specialise in being arses, lane closures that aren't there etc.It's annoying to be told, at 1am, that you can only drive at 50 mph in the slow lane, only to find nothing there.
mej023 said:
Ozzie Osmond said:
If you were "in charge" what would you have done that was different?
Even though closing the motorway with police cars sounds kinda drastic, I think I'd choose thatbecause a head-on crash of any type can't be a better option. At least it'd give them time to find
this oncoming vehicle and stop it.
Otherwise I picture a scene in the control room "Oh, look at that. Best let people know and hope
they avoid it even though it's a moving obstacle/target"
Not to mention the call from Joe Public who has reported the car going the wrong way "...between J3 and J4 of the M6". It wasn't. It was between J2 and J3 of the M5, which is the opposite direction on a different motorway.
You haven't really thought this one through, have you?
Ooo another chance to moan about gantry signs! Had a good one yesterday on the M27 - signs saying "Incident - 40" and a solid queue with a sign further on saying "60", followed by a sign saying "Incident - 40" again. Constant stop starting queue for 40 mins or so then magically it clears once the signs say that the restrictions have ended. There was no incident and if there was it had cleared long ago. Why not put the motorway back to full speed again straight away instead of wasting everyones time? It makes no sense to me at all!
Saw it once on the M1 near Sheffield, no car and noticed the same sign on the opposite carriageway.
There was a thread on here recently about these signs, and I posted about the one near Sheffield and someone who did the signs started posted and explained how it all works and why what the signs say often don't actually happen, not that I can remember why now though.
I did once see a "Pedestrian in road"sign, didn't think much of it and then saw about half a dozen people who looked of eastern European descent walking along the hard shoulder, a police car had just pulled up. It was accurate that time.
There was a thread on here recently about these signs, and I posted about the one near Sheffield and someone who did the signs started posted and explained how it all works and why what the signs say often don't actually happen, not that I can remember why now though.
I did once see a "Pedestrian in road"sign, didn't think much of it and then saw about half a dozen people who looked of eastern European descent walking along the hard shoulder, a police car had just pulled up. It was accurate that time.
shoehorn said:
Off topic but look at the spacing of the 3 cars in the o/s lane and the few in the n/s lane of that picture,t
ts!
I would say the two behind the blue peugeot thing are the tts!ts. The pug driver looks like he's got his head screwed on properly by leaving extra distance due to tailgating.mej023 said:
Even though closing the motorway with police cars sounds kinda drastic, I think I'd choose that
because a head-on crash of any type can't be a better option. At least it'd give them time to find
this oncoming vehicle and stop it.
... and how exactly is Mr Plod going to "find it and stop it"???because a head-on crash of any type can't be a better option. At least it'd give them time to find
this oncoming vehicle and stop it.
Switching on the signs is much quicker and probably more effective.
Thread resurrection time!
Saw this last Thursday (12/05) from Junction 4a of the M5 heading North to Junction 1 of the M42.
Most traffic carried on regardless.
Not far from Junction 1 there was a convoy of unmarked dark vehicles heading south at speed with blue lights flashing then two scruffy "builder's vans" also with blue strobe lights doing the same.
Any ideas if the two were related and what the convoy was?
Saw this last Thursday (12/05) from Junction 4a of the M5 heading North to Junction 1 of the M42.
Most traffic carried on regardless.
Not far from Junction 1 there was a convoy of unmarked dark vehicles heading south at speed with blue lights flashing then two scruffy "builder's vans" also with blue strobe lights doing the same.
Any ideas if the two were related and what the convoy was?
100SRV said:
Thread resurrection time!
Saw this last Thursday (12/05) from Junction 4a of the M5 heading North to Junction 1 of the M42.
Most traffic carried on regardless.
Not far from Junction 1 there was a convoy of unmarked dark vehicles heading south at speed with blue lights flashing then two scruffy "builder's vans" also with blue strobe lights doing the same.
Any ideas if the two were related and what the convoy was?
Ah, this ties in with what I just posted on the 'unmarked police' thread. Thursday, about 7pm on the M40, I was passed by a grey unmarked Transit going very quickly with blue lights and siren going. Pretty unusual.Saw this last Thursday (12/05) from Junction 4a of the M5 heading North to Junction 1 of the M42.
Most traffic carried on regardless.
Not far from Junction 1 there was a convoy of unmarked dark vehicles heading south at speed with blue lights flashing then two scruffy "builder's vans" also with blue strobe lights doing the same.
Any ideas if the two were related and what the convoy was?
carlove said:
Saw it once on the M1 near Sheffield, no car and noticed the same sign on the opposite carriageway.
There was a thread on here recently about these signs, and I posted about the one near Sheffield and someone who did the signs started posted and explained how it all works and why what the signs say often don't actually happen, not that I can remember why now though.
I did once see a "Pedestrian in road"sign, didn't think much of it and then saw about half a dozen people who looked of eastern European descent walking along the hard shoulder, a police car had just pulled up. It was accurate that time.
There was a guy called Gaffer Jim who worked in the North West control room.There was a thread on here recently about these signs, and I posted about the one near Sheffield and someone who did the signs started posted and explained how it all works and why what the signs say often don't actually happen, not that I can remember why now though.
I did once see a "Pedestrian in road"sign, didn't think much of it and then saw about half a dozen people who looked of eastern European descent walking along the hard shoulder, a police car had just pulled up. It was accurate that time.
Basically, something moving such as animals or a wrong way vehicle requires a long distance closure. Plus there's the issue mentioned above of people giving wrong locations and even wrong motorways. A work colleague of mine said his mother had a flat tyre on the M6 at Samlesbury going home from Blackpool. She phoned the AA and said she was on the M55, the motorway she'd left three junctions back, and then complained to the AA that the patrolman took too long to find her.
If the issue is believed to have cleared, the police and Highways officers have to do several patrols up and down the affected stretch to confirm it to be clear before warnings and restrictions can be lifted.
With regard to ignoring 20mph limits, presumably they're enforced by the cameras on a smart motorway, so people either have to do 20mph all the time or brake for the cameras.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff