Driver Location Signs - Whats the point?

[AdeTuono]

Would it be against PH protocol to admit I've no idea what Driver Location Signs are either? Can someone enlighten me?

[NoIP]

AdeTuono said:

Would it be against PH protocol to admit I've no idea what Driver Location Signs are either? Can someone enlighten me?

It's the blue marker boards every half mile or so that have M1 A 109.7 on them (for example).

[FiF]

George Smiley said:

999 for emergencies such as a crash
101 for spending 45 minutes on hold

For any/all other issues on the road its 03001235000 - highways agency who will instantly prioritise a response

In theory that's fine, except the 0300 Highways number in my experience is never answered in any timely fashion. I don't mean it takes them a minute to answer, more like ten minutes continuous ringing, and then one gives up. Not fit for purpose.

[George Smiley]

FiF said:

George Smiley said:

999 for emergencies such as a crash
101 for spending 45 minutes on hold

For any/all other issues on the road its 03001235000 - highways agency who will instantly prioritise a response

In theory that's fine, except the 0300 Highways number in my experience is never answered in any timely fashion. I don't mean it takes them a minute to answer, more like ten minutes continuous ringing, and then one gives up. Not fit for purpose.

Odd. I get a far better reaction from them. In the past I used to try 101 but repeatedly now get told it isn't a police matter that a huge cargo strap with buckle is straddling lanes one and two of an interchange. I used to use 999 and they were fantastic on motorway stuff but now HA are up and running I just use them, they nearly always answer within a few minutes (they have a few roads to look after) and get the correct prioritised response immediately (ie HATO, police/fire/ambwilans)

[giantdefy]

AdeTuono said:

Would it be against PH protocol to admit I've no idea what Driver Location Signs are either? Can someone enlighten me?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver_location_sign

[patmahe]

01189998819991197253

[FiF]

George Smiley said:

FiF said:

George Smiley said:

999 for emergencies such as a crash
101 for spending 45 minutes on hold

For any/all other issues on the road its 03001235000 - highways agency who will instantly prioritise a response

In theory that's fine, except the 0300 Highways number in my experience is never answered in any timely fashion. I don't mean it takes them a minute to answer, more like ten minutes continuous ringing, and then one gives up. Not fit for purpose.

Odd. I get a far better reaction from them. In the past I used to try 101 but repeatedly now get told it isn't a police matter that a huge cargo strap with buckle is straddling lanes one and two of an interchange. I used to use 999 and they were fantastic on motorway stuff but now HA are up and running I just use them, they nearly always answer within a few minutes (they have a few roads to look after) and get the correct prioritised response immediately (ie HATO, police/fire/ambwilans)

The last time, about a year ago, I tried that number, bloody mindedly I hung on to see when they actually would answer. It was an issue on the M1 somewhere south of junction 28, I turned off at junction 33 and it was still ringing over twenty minutes later. Hung up in disgust. Glad you have better luck, from my perspective, not fit for purpose.

[CraigyMc]

Ultimately isn't the point that if you ring up 999 you should get through to a call handler who has spent the necessary 10 minutes learning what the damn things are?

It's there for emergencies when lives are at stake.

[danllama]

Two idiots fighting on the hard shoulder? I'd have thrown my can of red bull at the fks.

[FiF]

CraigyMc said:

Ultimately isn't the point that if you ring up 999 you should get through to a call handler who has spent the necessary 10 minutes learning what the damn things are?

It's there for emergencies when lives are at stake.

Well quite so, it's not exactly rocket science to post graduate level is it. Though relative to someone ringing 999 to ask the time or where they can buy milk and bread at midnight the relative intelligence is on that scale.

[Ares]

I had a similar incident, I was right behind a bad smash on the M56. Hit the SOS button on my car which connects you to emergency services and beams your location (DMS co-ordinates).

The call was answered, the handler could see the co-ordinates but had no idea how to use them. All they can process is which junction it's between.

[Toltec]

Different thing, but still location related, breakdown services don't seem to be able to use lat/long from a gps to locate you a few years ago I had an odd experience trying to describe where I was. Called them, broken down etc.

I'm next to the Thistle hotel outside the Brands Hatch race circuit,
in West Kingsdown, Kent,
yes Brands Hatch, you know, the famous race circuit,
no, I've no idea if there is a school or doctors surgery nearby, I don't live here.
You really cannot find the Thistle Hotel in West Kingsdown?
You'll be calling PJM the local recovery firm won't you?
Just tell them at Brands Hatch and next to the Thistle.
Yes, trust me they will know where that is.
Thanks, bye.

[hyphen]

ashleyman said:

I had to phone up today to report something that had happened whilst I was driving, it warranted a 999 call as it was dangerous. I got straight on the phone and noted the next marker sign. I told the 999 lady I was driving a car and had seen X happening and was very dangerous. She agreed, and asked where it was happening and I told them just before XXX marker sign.

The 999 lady didn't have a clue and started asking where am I by which point in a few miles down an unfamiliar area of motorway. Again, told her the sign I saw it at and the sign I was at and she didn't get it. 'I'm sorry but I don't know what that is and I can't see that on my database. Where was it again?'

Had exactly the same issue around 5 years ago, 999 person didn't have a clue about the markers and I wasn't sure what junction I was near. I think they used the CCTV to locate instead.

How hard can it be to have a simple online map where they type in the marker...

[anonymous-user]

This is the problem with having national or large region based response/control centres, no local knowledge or any by the sound of the responses on here.

All this to save money but ultimately will probably cost peoples their lives instead.

[ecsrobin]

Ares said:

I had a similar incident, I was right behind a bad smash on the M56. Hit the SOS button on my car which connects you to emergency services and beams your location (DMS co-ordinates).

The call was answered, the handler could see the co-ordinates but had no idea how to use them. All they can process is which junction it's between.

Police like to use eastings and northings
Ambulance like to use postcode
Fire unsure
Coastguard will accept anything

[FiF]

It's all a bit depressing, this just not making use of modern technology. Away from driving for a moment, sorry, but when I'm out in the forest, moors or generally out in the wilds it's sometimes difficult to give a description of your location if you need to get help for yourself or another. Therefore use the Ordnance Survey app on my phone which uses GPS to track your position on purchases OS maps, mostly Explorer series for me, a few Landranger. It's easy with the app to determine your position, either lat long or grid reference and send it on. Rather depressing if the infrastructure or knowledge is not present in the call centre to use this information.

[grumpy52]

It used to be always used on police documentaries to locate incidents on the motorways .
Road number ,direction and distance from the start of the road .
Many people have got the road number wrong and most don't have a clue of the direction of travel ie north,west etc .
Motorway control rooms know them , emergency call handlers rarely do.
Many other organisations that you would expect to be fairly clued up on roads etc are lacking in the basics .
When in the highways dept offices of the County Council most of the staff didn't know the difference between the types of road on OS maps .
I also got contacted by an insurance company to recover a car from a local village but didn't recognise the road number .On phoning the customer he confirmed the road number as correct but was confused when I asked what county he was in .
I was based near Dover ,Kent he was in Norfolk. Both have villages called Aylsham.

[robinessex]

Here you go. For all those who need specsavers when driving on motorways.

[CoolHands]

I thought they meant these

[robinessex]

Location signs on the M25