Matrix Signs - Con or not....
Discussion
Has anybody else noticed on the M6 matrix signs coming on saying queue ahead 40 miles per hour etc but never actually coming across a queue other than the one generated by the matrix sign?
Had yesterday neat jnc 19 traffic flowing signs lit up everyone slows down traffic bunches up/stops, you tip toe along then signs go out evryone starts to speed up then near jnc 18 signs on agian then jnc 17 same.
Presume its way to slow people down near junctions/control traffic. Pain inn the preverbial as traffic was flowing fine.
RANT over ;-)
Had yesterday neat jnc 19 traffic flowing signs lit up everyone slows down traffic bunches up/stops, you tip toe along then signs go out evryone starts to speed up then near jnc 18 signs on agian then jnc 17 same.
Presume its way to slow people down near junctions/control traffic. Pain inn the preverbial as traffic was flowing fine.
RANT over ;-)
philh said:
Has anybody else noticed on the M6 matrix signs coming on saying queue ahead 40 miles per hour etc but never actually coming across a queue other than the one generated by the matrix sign?
Had yesterday neat jnc 19 traffic flowing signs lit up everyone slows down traffic bunches up/stops, you tip toe along then signs go out evryone starts to speed up then near jnc 18 signs on agian then jnc 17 same.
Presume its way to slow people down near junctions/control traffic. Pain inn the preverbial as traffic was flowing fine.
RANT over ;-)
Maybe the idea is to hold you up a little bit so the blockage ahead can clear up, If so, then they work very well. I cant see someone putting on a 40/50 limit just for the fun of it.Had yesterday neat jnc 19 traffic flowing signs lit up everyone slows down traffic bunches up/stops, you tip toe along then signs go out evryone starts to speed up then near jnc 18 signs on agian then jnc 17 same.
Presume its way to slow people down near junctions/control traffic. Pain inn the preverbial as traffic was flowing fine.
RANT over ;-)
on a similar thread on here, someone who works the matrix boards explained it very well, and why you sometimes don't seem to see anything. Think one example was someone/thing on motorway between these 2 points, then they have to put restrictions on both carriages until information updated.
Every time I sit in 20 miles of 50mph roadworks, in place for three years to introduce managed motorways, a little part of me dies. I don't doubt that it sometimes keeps people moving where before they would have ended up stationary, but when the limit changes between EVERY gantry (50 - 40 - 60 - 50 - 60 - 40...) as it sometimes does, I lose all confidence in the system. They also get left in the hands of the over zealous it seems. The M4 west of the Severn Bridge in particular gets a 50mph slapped on it for anything other than bone dry weather. In Wales, this means that it's 50mph about 83% of the time. Drizzle does not guarantee congestion.
philh said:
Has anybody else noticed on the M6 matrix signs coming on saying queue ahead 40 miles per hour etc but never actually coming across a queue other than the one generated by the matrix sign?
Had yesterday neat jnc 19 traffic flowing signs lit up everyone slows down traffic bunches up/stops, you tip toe along then signs go out evryone starts to speed up then near jnc 18 signs on agian then jnc 17 same.
Presume its way to slow people down near junctions/control traffic. Pain inn the preverbial as traffic was flowing fine.
RANT over ;-)
Do a search, I've explained this so many times!Had yesterday neat jnc 19 traffic flowing signs lit up everyone slows down traffic bunches up/stops, you tip toe along then signs go out evryone starts to speed up then near jnc 18 signs on agian then jnc 17 same.
Presume its way to slow people down near junctions/control traffic. Pain inn the preverbial as traffic was flowing fine.
RANT over ;-)
ANYTHING that says "QUEUE" is an automatic setting, sensed by electronic loops in the c/way, these are MIDAS loops (go Goggle it)
Next time you're on the motorway, just near to where the signal gantry is, look at the road surface, you should see a set of lines in each lane that make a "Box" about 3ft square, these sense the speed of the traffic, they're automatically checked approx every 4 mins. So if it says "QUEUES" then there was queues within the last 4 mins.
The M6 junction 19 has a problem with the amount of traffic joining it from the A556, so does bottle-up as traffic joins from the entry slip, clearing just after the junction
leggly said:
Try the M42 overnight. Tha Matrix signs will go down as low as 20 MPH in places on an empty motorway for no reason. When you finally arrive at the roadworks(if there are any) all restrictions are lifted.
Are these advisory? Can probably be ignored. Compulsory? Totally unacceptable. Would you drive at 20mph on a deserted motorway in the dark?!!! Dangerous driving, I would call it.
I believe these are an instruction rather than a warning. One will say 'queue ahead', and everyone starts queuing; right upto the one that says 'end', at which point everyone gets back up to speed.
I also suspect that someone is monitoring my progress via the cctv and having a little fun at my expense. For instance; I'll be near stationary in lane two while lanes three and one make good progress, as soon as I change lane it will stop moving. I can picture them behind a moniter screaming "HE'S MOVED TO THREE, STOP LANE THREE FOR CHRIST'S SAKE HIS TEA'S NOT COLD YET".
I also suspect that someone is monitoring my progress via the cctv and having a little fun at my expense. For instance; I'll be near stationary in lane two while lanes three and one make good progress, as soon as I change lane it will stop moving. I can picture them behind a moniter screaming "HE'S MOVED TO THREE, STOP LANE THREE FOR CHRIST'S SAKE HIS TEA'S NOT COLD YET".
Terminator X said:
I just ignore them, safest thing to do as they're always f
king wrong!
TX.
I must agree here - a while ago a member who ran the signs came on here and explained why they are great, but in my experience we could delete them and those that operate them with zero impact on traffic flow and safety.king wrong!TX.
I have never had a meaningful message on a matrix sign, so without exception I ignore them now.
0a said:
we could delete them and those that operate them with zero impact on traffic flow and safety.
Dunno about that. Traffic flow would surely improve in many instances.Particularly WRT silly signs that just display messages such as 'ROAD', thus giving all the w ankwits in this country another excuse to slam on their brakes.
750turbo said:
Gafferjim said:
Do a search, I've explained this so many times!
Well I have never seen your responses,:
Much of the stuff written about matrix signs is pure internet myth and imagination; they never show 20mph, for example, but Gafferjim has explained many, many times how they work, what the constraints are and exactly what signs can be set under what circumstances.
littleredrooster said:
750turbo said:
Gafferjim said:
Do a search, I've explained this so many times!
Well I have never seen your responses,:
Much of the stuff written about matrix signs is pure internet myth and imagination; they never show 20mph, for example, but Gafferjim has explained many, many times how they don't work, what the constraints are and exactly what signs can be set under what circumstances.
TX.
littleredrooster said:
Well you should pop into GG a little more often because our (very helpful) Gafferjim has answered this probably once a month for the past few years.
Much of the stuff written about matrix signs is pure internet myth and imagination; they never show 20mph, for example, but Gafferjim has explained many, many times how they work, what the constraints are and exactly what signs can be set under what circumstances.
So how on earth is it ok to have one hat simply reads 'Road'??Much of the stuff written about matrix signs is pure internet myth and imagination; they never show 20mph, for example, but Gafferjim has explained many, many times how they work, what the constraints are and exactly what signs can be set under what circumstances.
Stop trying to justify the unjustifiable FFS!
I have read the 'explanations' of how these signs are supposed to work but can't understand how that relates to the compulsory overhead signs on the M25 displaying a 40 limit between the M4 and M40 junctions when there are only a handful of cars around/visible at around midnight and no obstruction or incident apparent?
I've also come across the relatively new information signs on the M4 displaying 'queue ahead' when there isn't one. Before the Reading junction it is quite common. Now there can be queues at this junction but I get the feeling the signs are just switched on according to time of day because that's when there's usually a queue. Interactive they most definitely are not!
I've also come across the relatively new information signs on the M4 displaying 'queue ahead' when there isn't one. Before the Reading junction it is quite common. Now there can be queues at this junction but I get the feeling the signs are just switched on according to time of day because that's when there's usually a queue. Interactive they most definitely are not!
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