Fen roads

[wst]

Ok, so east of the A1 in Lincolnshire, the landscape flattens out and you get onto those long straight fen roads, with mild undulations but whatever.

Does anyone know why absolutely nobody overtakes on these, they trundle along in packs of 5-10 cars about 10-15 under the speed limit? The view goes on for half a mile. Every time I go past that great north road I find myself the most positive driver around and I wonder if I'm still driving ok or whether they all know something I don't!

[kev b]

I would love to know the reason myself, I have a few theories.

As many of these roads are on the route to the coast, in summertime holiday traffic unfamiliar with the area assumes there may be speed cameras everywhere.

Traffic bunches up behind a slowcoach as the following drivers are content to bumble along at 45mph as well.

Some of our roads are not in the best of repair with many potholes but also heavy traffic combined with weather has squashed the road surface into weird ruts and off camber slopes which can be disconcerting.

My guess is that the average road user is content to drone along behind the car in front as overtaking is now seen as the action of antisocial speed crazed lunatics.

[Riley Blue]

Folk there still believe the air gets sucked out of your lungs if you exceed 45.

[Johnnytheboy]

Would that this were confined to the Fens.

[jamei303]

Lots of these roads have drainage ditches and canalised rivers next to them, sometimes not visible from sitting in a car. I expect some people familiar with the news stories will be driving with an abundance of caution.

Two dead after car plunges into water-filled ditch on Puddock Road, Ramsey Forty Foot http://www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/two-dead-ditch-cr...
Girl, 9, dies after car plunges into freezing river: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-517201/Gir...
Former Downham student died in water-filled ditch: http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/former-downham-stud...
Marshland St James father may have tried to escape from car after it ended up in water-filled ditch inquest hears: http://www.fenlandbusinessawards.co.uk/news/marshl...
Ely man the latest victim of Forty Foot Drain: http://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/ely-man-the-late...

[Flick64]

Well having lived in the fens my whole life there are a few things to consider.

Apart from the other comments above, the road conditions have deteriorated considerably due to the lack of maintenance, at this time of year the roads can be covered in dirt from the numerous tractors, potato harvesters etc this leads to a slimy covering on the roads that can be slippery like ice and you do not want to find out about this the hard way.

The traffic volume and the general lack of common sense also come into play, I drive circa 25 to 30 thousand miles a year and find that you simply do not make up any time nowadays.

Also as we seem to have more tractors towing trailers than ever before causing traffic back logs it does not seem worth it to save a few minutes.

[zarjaz1991]

I get this a lot when I'm up that way. I just overtake the lot. I'm not scared of a safe, well planned overtake, but it appears the majority of drivers are.

[wst]

With regards to surface conditions making the roads more treacherous - people seem to do... well, somewhat ok on other roads around the country (with muck on them, and horrible things to crash into off of them). They crash, they go slow, etc... but the fen drivers are in the incredible position where they don't need a steering wheel or x-ray vision to see junctions. At least the overtaking is easy, I just don't get why they're not sitting at a steady 60 on said straight/flat bits, which abound there.

[Riley Blue]

The features of fen roads that I remember most are all the long, long straights followed by a 90 Right or 90 Left and also the unannounced 'yumps' over culverts - I took off over one of those...

[Davidonly]

jamei303 said:

Lots of these roads have drainage ditches and canalised rivers next to them, sometimes not visible from sitting in a car. I expect some people familiar with the news stories will be driving with an abundance of caution.

Two dead after car plunges into water-filled ditch on Puddock Road, Ramsey Forty Foot http://www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/two-dead-ditch-cr...
Girl, 9, dies after car plunges into freezing river: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-517201/Gir...
Former Downham student died in water-filled ditch: http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/former-downham-stud...
Marshland St James father may have tried to escape from car after it ended up in water-filled ditch inquest hears: http://www.fenlandbusinessawards.co.uk/news/marshl...
Ely man the latest victim of Forty Foot Drain: http://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/ely-man-the-late...

I live close by the 40 ft and it is about the best kept fen road (flat etc) - ref first link. They reduced the speed limit to 50mph AND installed ASC. Still people plop in the drink. THE SPEED IS NOT THE ISSUE, they are not looking where they are going. Obviously these events are tragic but the cambstimes' insistence that the most recent incident (ACCIDENT) this October (despite the magic cameras - not mentioned) was a COLLISION between one vehicle is quite frankly bizarre..... strange times.

[Davidonly]

wst said:

With regards to surface conditions making the roads more treacherous - people seem to do... well, somewhat ok on other roads around the country (with muck on them, and horrible things to crash into off of them). They crash, they go slow, etc... but the fen drivers are in the incredible position where they don't need a steering wheel or x-ray vision to see junctions. At least the overtaking is easy, I just don't get why they're not sitting at a steady 60 on said straight/flat bits, which abound there.

Once the tailgating twerp-fest gets hold the overtakes are not that easy.... Even with M3 acceleration - getting back in is often tricky. Having said that I have to take on these queues, as 45mph is so pathetic are rate of progress and I do actually need to do stuff.

[Red Devil]

Not forgetting where one of the back roads crosses a bridge/culvert via a couple of 90 degree bends to the other side of one of the fenland drains. But the telegraph poles don't follow suit...