A4074 to Oxford
Discussion
Many moons ago, when I were a young 18 year old (well OK 4 years ago) one of my favorites journey's involved driving out from Reading towards Oxford along the trusty A4074.
There are some fantastic stretches where you could really step your little 1.1 First car over the line listening to your trusty cassette of bruce springsteen.
Over the years I've upgraded along the usual path of Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus, and the occasioanl nice-ish car here and there all of which you can have fun in, especially listening to bruce springsteen along the A4074.
I wonder how many people here know the stretch along the route to Oxford where you come out of a little 30 zone onto national speed limit, it's so wide you could literally have 4 buses side by side with no problems.
The sort of place whereby it would be possible to accidently break the speed limit slightly because you've learnt over the years that moving slightly over to the right you can see for miles around the slight bend.
Why or why, and how did they get away with painting those solid white lines and ziga zagas to stop you from overtaking along that stretch? It's quite upsetting to think you could stand to gain 3 points for overtaking a rover 214 that happens to be towing a caravan (oh there's always one!)
Now all you get it big signs saying "STAY IN LANE" . I was being followed along the stretch by a police-car and an oncoming vehicle was overtaking (which is fine seeing you can fit 5 cars along there and he was in no danger of getting close to me even if the road was wide enough for 2 cars) and yet the police-car turned around and went to pull him over...
If you can't put your foot down along these roads, what is this country coming to !! boo hisssss
There are some fantastic stretches where you could really step your little 1.1 First car over the line listening to your trusty cassette of bruce springsteen.
Over the years I've upgraded along the usual path of Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus, and the occasioanl nice-ish car here and there all of which you can have fun in, especially listening to bruce springsteen along the A4074.
I wonder how many people here know the stretch along the route to Oxford where you come out of a little 30 zone onto national speed limit, it's so wide you could literally have 4 buses side by side with no problems.
The sort of place whereby it would be possible to accidently break the speed limit slightly because you've learnt over the years that moving slightly over to the right you can see for miles around the slight bend.
Why or why, and how did they get away with painting those solid white lines and ziga zagas to stop you from overtaking along that stretch? It's quite upsetting to think you could stand to gain 3 points for overtaking a rover 214 that happens to be towing a caravan (oh there's always one!)
Now all you get it big signs saying "STAY IN LANE" . I was being followed along the stretch by a police-car and an oncoming vehicle was overtaking (which is fine seeing you can fit 5 cars along there and he was in no danger of getting close to me even if the road was wide enough for 2 cars) and yet the police-car turned around and went to pull him over...
If you can't put your foot down along these roads, what is this country coming to !! boo hisssss
Being a Caversham resident I know the road well 
You CAN overtake over those hatchings, as the dividing lines are only hatched. If they were solid there would be a problem.
Maybe the BiB were just going to keep a watching brief incase the errant overtaker did anything really silly?
I have been stuck in some huge convoys on that stretch, where overtaking would be foolish because you can't get back in. It is VERY annoying
You CAN overtake over those hatchings, as the dividing lines are only hatched. If they were solid there would be a problem.
Maybe the BiB were just going to keep a watching brief incase the errant overtaker did anything really silly?
I have been stuck in some huge convoys on that stretch, where overtaking would be foolish because you can't get back in. It is VERY annoying
puggit said:
You CAN overtake over those hatchings, as the dividing lines are only hatched. If they were solid there would be a problem.
I know the road too, overtaken many cars along there...usually queues of numpties that have no idea that they can use the hatched section
chris_lx said:
Why or why, and how did they get away with painting those solid white lines and ziga zagas to stop you from overtaking along that stretch? It's quite upsetting to think you could stand to gain 3 points for overtaking a rover 214 that happens to be towing a caravan (oh there's always one!)
Don't complain too much about the hatchings, the majority of numpties don't realise you can use them, leaves it clear for the rest of us
I'm another former Caversham resident too...
What a great road - I used to have a girlfriend who lived out past Goring, so got to blast up and down the stretch up to Woodcote regularly late at night. One of the best runs anywhere in the county (although the B road from Goring across to the A34/M4 junction is well worth a run too).
Always frustrating if you come up behind cautious drivers during the day though...
What a great road - I used to have a girlfriend who lived out past Goring, so got to blast up and down the stretch up to Woodcote regularly late at night. One of the best runs anywhere in the county (although the B road from Goring across to the A34/M4 junction is well worth a run too).
Always frustrating if you come up behind cautious drivers during the day though...
chris_lx said:
Are you sure you can overtake on them??
Oh yes
www.highwaycode.gov.uk/10.shtml#109 highway code online said:
If the area is bordered by a broken white line, you should not enter the area unless it is necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so.
It is always necessary to overtake numpties on the A4074!
On a related topic-ish. The 3rd Thames crossing in Reading is a step closer then it ever has been since 1932!!! Although Oxfordshire council don't want it because they say their roads can't cope with the extra traffic.
As a resident of Caversham I say we can't cope with 2 f
g bridges!!! >> Edited by puggit on Thursday 3rd June 14:14
I'm also a former Caversham resident! I use that road quite a bit on bike and in car and you're right, they've made a right mess of it.
I was prompted by M&P setting up shop down the road. Loads of bikers go there on the weekend (weekend warriors) and a few make nuisances of themselves by trying to break the land speed record along that stretch.
Surprised they haven't put a Gatso there yet but at least Oxon county council seem to prefer the electronic warning jobs 
I was prompted by M&P setting up shop down the road. Loads of bikers go there on the weekend (weekend warriors) and a few make nuisances of themselves by trying to break the land speed record along that stretch.
Surprised they haven't put a Gatso there yet
but at least Oxon county council seem to prefer the electronic warning jobs I've just been down this road for the first time during one of my running-in drives. After finding lots of nice country roads with suprisingly low speed limits I was happy to find this nice, open road.
I noticed a lot of signs along the lines of "27 incidents along this road in 3 years" or some such thing. Fine, I'll be careful. It seems to me however that animals must play a large part in this:
1 rabbit trying to dodge the traffic. The mercedes won; but I can tell you that the rabbit didn't suffer as it's demise was quite spectacular.
1 deer laying in the middle of the road with a car a hundred yards later in the long grass at the side of the road. Almost certainly not such a clean kill.
A mile later, a fresh dead fox.
I noticed a lot of signs along the lines of "27 incidents along this road in 3 years" or some such thing. Fine, I'll be careful. It seems to me however that animals must play a large part in this:
1 rabbit trying to dodge the traffic. The mercedes won; but I can tell you that the rabbit didn't suffer as it's demise was quite spectacular.
1 deer laying in the middle of the road with a car a hundred yards later in the long grass at the side of the road. Almost certainly not such a clean kill.
A mile later, a fresh dead fox.
I think I know that bit well...
I agree that the hatching are a pain but in very slight defence (oh the shame!) I have seen a few crashes on that stretch over the years. The worst bit of that run to Oxford has to be the wide bit between the Shillingford roundabout and the Abingdon roundabout (foxes diner, for bikers!). That road has hatchings down it but people hammer past lines of traffic there... I admit to the odd overtake but i have witnesses a focus hitting a horse truck head on on that bit! Not nice at all....
I agree that the hatching are a pain but in very slight defence (oh the shame!) I have seen a few crashes on that stretch over the years. The worst bit of that run to Oxford has to be the wide bit between the Shillingford roundabout and the Abingdon roundabout (foxes diner, for bikers!). That road has hatchings down it but people hammer past lines of traffic there... I admit to the odd overtake but i have witnesses a focus hitting a horse truck head on on that bit! Not nice at all....
This stupid stretch of road highlights much that is wrong about the ludicrous roads of South Oxfordshire.
Stuck yesterday behind a convoy of numpties led by an old fart in a shabby old Nissan hell-bent on maintaining 43 mph on a wide road with a 60 mph limit.
Despite all the 'Stay In Lane', 'Do As Nanny Says' signs and about an acre of white lines, there is nothing illegal about overtaking on hatched lines.
So I did - but having to maintain 60 mph to avoid one of Brown's scameras increase the passing exposure unnecessarily.
To hell with Nimbys, this road should be improved, not obstructed!
Stuck yesterday behind a convoy of numpties led by an old fart in a shabby old Nissan hell-bent on maintaining 43 mph on a wide road with a 60 mph limit.
Despite all the 'Stay In Lane', 'Do As Nanny Says' signs and about an acre of white lines, there is nothing illegal about overtaking on hatched lines.
So I did - but having to maintain 60 mph to avoid one of Brown's scameras increase the passing exposure unnecessarily.
To hell with Nimbys, this road should be improved, not obstructed!
Edited by nickwilcock on Sunday 23 May 22:40
PGM said:
I use this bloody road every day, sometimes twice.
Gets on my t1ts the driving on it behind the selfish idiots at 40 or less in the mile after mile of double whites.
then you safely over take, slow down at the 30s and they are right up your arse (well thats more if you were in little milton side...)Gets on my t1ts the driving on it behind the selfish idiots at 40 or less in the mile after mile of double whites.
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