Debris in the road.

Author
Discussion

doodles19

Original Poster:

2,201 posts

172 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
So, I'm just out on a casual drive and I encounter a massive branch in the middle of the road (NSL road, twisty, but fairly open), everyone seems to just be completely ignoring it and driving round it at the last moment when they have spotted it.

What has prompted me to start this thread, is surely there should be a public responsibility to keep the roads clear, of course only when safe to do so, but it just seems wrong to me that people just ignore it and carry on their merry way.

If I see dangerous debris in the road and again, it's safe to do so, I'll stop and move it off the carriageway mainly as I wouldn't want a more vulnerable road user i.e a biker to come round the corner and bin it because the 100's of people who have diven past have just ignored it.

Am I being over cautious/taking on a responsibility that isn't mine? Or am I doing the right thing?


DannyVTS

7,543 posts

167 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
You're doing the right thing.

I drove around a roadworks sign that was in the middle of the road last night, and regretted not stopping and moving it out of harms way all the way home.

Good Karma would have been nice!

MX5guy

22,079 posts

200 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
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Good job I say, as long as you make sure it's clear what you're doing, so that others aren't surprised. I saw a guy in a BMW around a month ago stop and move a bucket that had blown onto the road from a building site during stormy weather. Good on him.

StottyZr

6,860 posts

162 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
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Top move. I've moved a few things out of the road and left other things. Always feel a little bad if I ignore something :/ I must have a conscience after all

clanger

1,087 posts

257 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
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Morally 100% smile - you have no legal responsibility tho'

Well done that man...

gareth.e

2,071 posts

188 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
If its not too much hassle I'll always try and clear debris on the road or paths..

When I use to cycle I saw some abosolutely deadly debris.. Pitch black down a cycle patch with my lights on, suddenly out of nowhere an absolutely massive tree trunk that had just fallen, branches leaves everything all over.. slammed on the brakes and manage to only have a very minor prang with it (didnt fall off or anything)

guy about 100 meters behind me didnt hear my shouts or arm swinging to tell him to brake.. He went flying into it and went over the handle bars.. Too much effort to attempt to move it in pitch black so continued, didnt think anything of it. About 500 meter further down the cycle path where it gets lights again under a bridge, i have to slam the brakes on again.. Some tt has ripped out all the fence pannel and purposely put the nails pointing up. after about 2 minutes into clearing all of the pannels off the path, the guy comes steams along again.. I the same shout and arm waves as last time.. this time he absolutely sts himself and brakes instantly.. He fell off again and managed to break his breaks hehe

and then he started ranting to me about how he pays council tax and how the didnt grit the cycle paths when it snowed hehe

its deadly!

Dyl

1,248 posts

209 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
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I always feel the same, though typically the debris is on the motorway where removing it would be suicidal! What is the protocol in that situation? Who can you call to alert?

For example, a few months ago I was driving home and there was a, presumably very dead, swan on the right hand side of lane three - avoidable without major disruption, but one person keeping to the right would have hit it. What should be done here? Pull over and use the emergency phones on the hard-shoulder, non-emergency police number, etc?

doodles19

Original Poster:

2,201 posts

172 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
Dyl said:
I always feel the same, though typically the debris is on the motorway where removing it would be suicidal! What is the protocol in that situation? Who can you call to alert?
Thats where I draw the line, wouldn't catch me getting out on the motorway at all.

As for debris on the motorway, if its a severe threat, I would call 999, but then the whole issue of phoning whilst driving comes in.

Graebob

2,172 posts

206 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
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I attended a wedding a week or so ago, and because I had to leave early the next day, I played designated driver. Come 2am when the revelry was over and I was chauffeuring various people back to various houses, I drove through a section of temporary traffic light controlled roadworks. 5 mins later I come back to fetch the second lot and lo and behold, the roadworks have been re-arranged and the road is blocked (surely not by drunken revellers leaving the party wink ). Luckily I am using the brides father's Mitsubishi Delica so I pop the nearside up onto the pavement and negotiate the blockage, with a mind to fixing the problem after I've dropped everyone off. Return to venue, 10 minutes loading various party casualties into the van and I set off again, being mindful of the blocked road/knocked over traffic lights. I round the corner and...

There is a pack of 3 behoodied yoofs in the road.

Rebuilding the roadworks.

They're just finishing and walk off. I bip the horn as we drive past and give them a wave, and they wave back.

Top job, yoofs biggrin

mike88

362 posts

155 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
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Motorways have those traffic officers that drive up and down all day in their big 4x4's. I'd imagine you'd call those chaps.

littleredrooster

5,523 posts

195 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
Dyl said:
I always feel the same, though typically the debris is on the motorway where removing it would be suicidal! What is the protocol in that situation? Who can you call to alert?

For example, a few months ago I was driving home and there was a, presumably very dead, swan on the right hand side of lane three - avoidable without major disruption, but one person keeping to the right would have hit it. What should be done here? Pull over and use the emergency phones on the hard-shoulder, non-emergency police number, etc?
Anything in a live lane warrants a call either (preferably) from the emergency roadside telephone on the motorway, or 999 elsewhere. Imagine you are a motorcyclist coming across the debris unsighted.....

BTW - it is permissible to stop on the hard shoulder to make an emergency phone call.

Pints

18,444 posts

193 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
I have the Highways Agency number on my phone and if I come across something which I can't move (e.g. Motorway), I'll give them a ring with the details.

mrmr96

13,736 posts

203 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
Dyl said:
I always feel the same, though typically the debris is on the motorway where removing it would be suicidal! What is the protocol in that situation? Who can you call to alert?

For example, a few months ago I was driving home and there was a, presumably very dead, swan on the right hand side of lane three - avoidable without major disruption, but one person keeping to the right would have hit it. What should be done here? Pull over and use the emergency phones on the hard-shoulder, non-emergency police number, etc?
Call the Highways Agency Debris Reporting Hotline as soon as it's safe to report debris on Motorways. I've done this countless times. The number is: 0300 123 5000.

If you can read off the info from a 'mileage' sign then all the better to help them pinpoint the location.
http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/17088.aspx

carreauchompeur

17,830 posts

203 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
I always clear stuff if I can. Doesn't stop the travelling chaverie giving you the horn/finger for holding them up though...

littleredrooster

5,523 posts

195 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
mike88 said:
Motorways have those traffic officers that drive up and down all day in their big 4x4's. I'd imagine you'd call those chaps.
Yes - the Motorway phones are linked directly to them.

littleredrooster

5,523 posts

195 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
mrmr96 said:
Call the Highways Agency Debris Reporting Hotline as soon as it's safe to report debris on Motorways. I've done this countless times. The number is: 0300 123 5000.

If you can read off the info from a 'mileage' sign then all the better to help them pinpoint the location.
http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/17088.aspx
Using the roadside phones is quicker and easier. It automatically provides a location and goes directly to the most local control centre.

XDA

2,141 posts

184 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
While it would be nice to remove such debris from the road, I personally wouldnt want to take the chance.

The last thing I want is to be messing about on a road, with traffic racing up and down. If they cant spot the debris, whats the chances of them actually spotting you?

All best to get straight onto the local police asap.

mrmr96

13,736 posts

203 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
littleredrooster said:
Using the roadside phones is quicker and easier. It automatically provides a location and goes directly to the most local control centre.
You're probably right. Less safe though. Given the choice between using my handsfree vs. stopping to use an orange box I'm afraid I'll pick the handsfree.

Dyl

1,248 posts

209 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
littleredrooster said:
mrmr96 said:
Call the Highways Agency Debris Reporting Hotline as soon as it's safe to report debris on Motorways. I've done this countless times. The number is: 0300 123 5000.

If you can read off the info from a 'mileage' sign then all the better to help them pinpoint the location.
http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/17088.aspx
Using the roadside phones is quicker and easier. It automatically provides a location and goes directly to the most local control centre.
None in Scotland so far either...

Thanks for all the answers to my question, I now know what to do next time smile

Jayho

2,005 posts

169 months

Wednesday 27th April 2011
quotequote all
It upsets me sometimes... Once going into uni, I see people taking turns on both sides of the road to use one side and manouver round a bin and a biggish branch on one side of the road. It was the side which I was on... Needless to say, when I got up to it, instead of waiting for "my turn" to manouver round it, I jumped out with my mate to move the stuff...

Put my hazards on, so the driver behind knew what I was doing ect. But then someone has to ruin a good cause dont they?

A BMW 3 Series manouvers round the car behind mine, and my car, away to pull in straight after my car, before realizing that two of us were there moving this tree branch off the middle of the road. He then had to Emergency brake and was about 3ft away from where we were standing... And then had the nerve to beep us and shout abuse out his windows...