U-turn to get out of road blockages
Discussion
Apologies for the BBC link (as it seems fashionable on PH to apologise for linking from biassed sources 
), anyways, the article has a quote in that it says "the drivers were behaving ridiculously", and also "risking not only their own but everyone's lives" :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33570707
I see crawling traffic at low speed and people who simply do not wish to be held up for umpteen hours trying to escape the misery of being held on a motorway with nowhere to escape.
A failing of traffic management and policing. Rather than blaming joe public trying to use their judgement to escape a bad situation.
I await the onslaught of opposing opinion and those who will quote the black and white of the letter of law!
), anyways, the article has a quote in that it says "the drivers were behaving ridiculously", and also "risking not only their own but everyone's lives" :http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33570707
I see crawling traffic at low speed and people who simply do not wish to be held up for umpteen hours trying to escape the misery of being held on a motorway with nowhere to escape.
A failing of traffic management and policing. Rather than blaming joe public trying to use their judgement to escape a bad situation.
I await the onslaught of opposing opinion and those who will quote the black and white of the letter of law!
Are you seriously defending these people?
What makes them so special that they can go the wrong way down the motorway to avoid the queue that every other normal person is going to have to sit in
I saw cars still trying to join the motorway only to be faced with idiots coming the wrong way
Hope they all get nicked
What makes them so special that they can go the wrong way down the motorway to avoid the queue that every other normal person is going to have to sit in
I saw cars still trying to join the motorway only to be faced with idiots coming the wrong way
Hope they all get nicked
OK, we have idiots behind the wheel . BUT how much money was spent on signs to say stupid things like "take a break " or other patronising messages. We have TV coverage of motorways and signs. What it appears we do not have is folks in control rooms THINKING. How simple would it be to use the nearest standard message to " standing traffic queue after JCN XX- find alternate route to avoid long delay" .
Who me said:
BUT how much money was spent on signs to say stupid things like "take a break " or other patronising messages.
Umm, in case you hadn't noticed, those signs are there all the time anyway. When they aren't needed for warning of problems, why NOT use them to display other messages?Riley Blue said:
In this era of 'managed motorways' I would have hoped some thought might have been given as to how to organise a controlled U-turn off the carriageway. Apparently it is still beyond the scope of UK authorities.
That requires a bit of independent thinking.From the public sector.
Riley Blue said:
In this era of 'managed motorways' I would have hoped some thought might have been given as to how to organise a controlled U-turn off the carriageway. Apparently it is still beyond the scope of UK authorities.
You mean something like this:http://www.standardsforhighways.co.uk/ians/pdfs/ia...
Which is used regularly at major RTCs. Who'd have thought it eh! Although I'm sure the Daily Wail would still welcome your comments. They might even make it letter of the week
AA999 said:
Apologies for the BBC link (as it seems fashionable on PH to apologise for linking from biassed sources )
Every source has a bias, this is inevitable. However the BBC does at least try to provide balance. Many sources are in fact editorial posing as news and as such heavily biased and generally light on actual facts, such as pretty much every News Paper. )How hard would it be to have a large matrix sign prior to the motorway entry slip roads to warn motorists not to enter the motorway in the first place due to an accident/closure?
All it would have to say is:
MOTORWAY CLOSED - DO NOT ENTER!
EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLY!
Yes chances are some people will not see the sign and still go onto the motorway, but I'm sure most drivers would and be saved from being trapped on the motorway or worse still, be tempted to carry out these dangerous U-turns.
It seems to Me to be a simple solution that would save thousands of people from the frustrations of being trapped on a motorway going nowhere fast, save people lost time (including work time in the middle of the day), reduce the risk of further accidents, help the emergency services get to incidents faster, save a fortune in fuel bills as there would be less vehicles sat stationary burning fuel whilst going nowhere for hours on end and help keep the Country moving.
Let's consult a motoring expert:
All it would have to say is:
MOTORWAY CLOSED - DO NOT ENTER!
EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLY!
Yes chances are some people will not see the sign and still go onto the motorway, but I'm sure most drivers would and be saved from being trapped on the motorway or worse still, be tempted to carry out these dangerous U-turns.
It seems to Me to be a simple solution that would save thousands of people from the frustrations of being trapped on a motorway going nowhere fast, save people lost time (including work time in the middle of the day), reduce the risk of further accidents, help the emergency services get to incidents faster, save a fortune in fuel bills as there would be less vehicles sat stationary burning fuel whilst going nowhere for hours on end and help keep the Country moving.
Let's consult a motoring expert:
Those drivers deserve a serious penalty, a ban wouldn't go amiss.
If there's a sign saying "motorway closed" that's great, but do you think the local roads could cope with the volume of traffic that the motorway had? Quite often they'll be just as gridlocked within a few minutes too
Oh and I regularly see the matrix signs warning me of "Queue Ahead" or "Long Delays" usually these are for hundreds of miles away for some wacky reason.
If there's a sign saying "motorway closed" that's great, but do you think the local roads could cope with the volume of traffic that the motorway had? Quite often they'll be just as gridlocked within a few minutes too
Oh and I regularly see the matrix signs warning me of "Queue Ahead" or "Long Delays" usually these are for hundreds of miles away for some wacky reason.
4rephill said:
How hard would it be to have a large matrix sign prior to the motorway entry slip roads to warn motorists not to enter the motorway in the first place due to an accident/closure?
All it would have to say is:
MOTORWAY CLOSED - DO NOT ENTER!
EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLY!
Yes chances are some people will not see the sign and still go onto the motorway, but I'm sure most drivers would and be saved from being trapped on the motorway or worse still, be tempted to carry out these dangerous U-turns.
It seems to Me to be a simple solution that would save thousands of people from the frustrations of being trapped on a motorway going nowhere fast, save people lost time (including work time in the middle of the day), reduce the risk of further accidents, help the emergency services get to incidents faster, save a fortune in fuel bills as there would be less vehicles sat stationary burning fuel whilst going nowhere for hours on end and help keep the Country moving.
Let's consult a motoring expert:
You mean the big signs and cones we out up to close roads. The ones that say 'Road closed'. The ones that motorists drive around and say 'I didn't see the signs" or ask "is the road closed". All it would have to say is:
MOTORWAY CLOSED - DO NOT ENTER!
EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLY!
Yes chances are some people will not see the sign and still go onto the motorway, but I'm sure most drivers would and be saved from being trapped on the motorway or worse still, be tempted to carry out these dangerous U-turns.
It seems to Me to be a simple solution that would save thousands of people from the frustrations of being trapped on a motorway going nowhere fast, save people lost time (including work time in the middle of the day), reduce the risk of further accidents, help the emergency services get to incidents faster, save a fortune in fuel bills as there would be less vehicles sat stationary burning fuel whilst going nowhere for hours on end and help keep the Country moving.
Let's consult a motoring expert:
LoonR1 said:
Those drivers deserve a serious penalty, a ban wouldn't go amiss.
If there's a sign saying "motorway closed" that's great, but do you think the local roads could cope with the volume of traffic that the motorway had? Quite often they'll be just as gridlocked within a few minutes too
Oh and I regularly see the matrix signs warning me of "Queue Ahead" or "Long Delays" usually these are for hundreds of miles away for some wacky reason.
Can't recall the details, but I saw one very recently announcing a hold-up on a stretch of motorway miles away in a place that you would never be going to on that particular road in the direction!If there's a sign saying "motorway closed" that's great, but do you think the local roads could cope with the volume of traffic that the motorway had? Quite often they'll be just as gridlocked within a few minutes too
Oh and I regularly see the matrix signs warning me of "Queue Ahead" or "Long Delays" usually these are for hundreds of miles away for some wacky reason.
LoonR1 said:
Those drivers deserve a serious penalty, a ban wouldn't go amiss.
If there's a sign saying "motorway closed" that's great, but do you think the local roads could cope with the volume of traffic that the motorway had? Quite often they'll be just as gridlocked within a few minutes too
Oh and I regularly see the matrix signs warning me of "Queue Ahead" or "Long Delays" usually these are for hundreds of miles away for some wacky reason.
I agree the local roads will be busy but diverting the traffic gives drivers a chance to eat, toilet stop, take a different route, etc which they won't have sat on the mway.If there's a sign saying "motorway closed" that's great, but do you think the local roads could cope with the volume of traffic that the motorway had? Quite often they'll be just as gridlocked within a few minutes too
Oh and I regularly see the matrix signs warning me of "Queue Ahead" or "Long Delays" usually these are for hundreds of miles away for some wacky reason.
The local roads round Findon are having to cope with the traffic from the A24 as it is closed because of the stabbing.
The matrix signs and traffic news needs to be far more efficient. One time on the radio, traffic news said to avoid Kingston (Surrey) as it was very congested. It was at the exact time I was driving there without any problem.
Jagmanv12 said:
I agree the local roads will be busy but diverting the traffic gives drivers a chance to eat, toilet stop, take a different route, etc which they won't have sat on the mway.
The local roads round Findon are having to cope with the traffic from the A24 as it is closed because of the stabbing.
The matrix signs and traffic news needs to be far more efficient. One time on the radio, traffic news said to avoid Kingston (Surrey) as it was very congested. It was at the exact time I was driving there without any problem.
To put this into perspective though. A few years back there seemed to be a spell where every Friday there would be a crash on the M62 over the Pennines where there is a fairly hefty distance between junctions. The local roads round Findon are having to cope with the traffic from the A24 as it is closed because of the stabbing.
The matrix signs and traffic news needs to be far more efficient. One time on the radio, traffic news said to avoid Kingston (Surrey) as it was very congested. It was at the exact time I was driving there without any problem.
Any attempt to try to take the A, B or unclassified roads would be a disaster with the amount of traffic, so the idea that you could grab some food was a nonsense. You might get a rest, but you'd get that in a stationary jam on the Mway. Local roads simply are no longer designed to take the volume of traffic that a motorway can handle amd the roads that were the previous major route have often been calmed, or covered in traffic lights to limit their capacity.
If you want accuracy then use google maps. Their traffic function is exceptionally accurate.
Around where i live there has been signs up with dates and times (10pm - 6am) of lane closures for scheduled works.
The other evening, i travelled home along a section of this dual carriageway at approximately 11pm and one lane was coned off for 4 miles before I stumbled upon workmen replacing a small section of crash barrier.
Does it really need to be coned off for this distance?
I understand and agree with the need to protect the work force etc, but 4 miles does seem somewhat excessive IMO.
The other evening, i travelled home along a section of this dual carriageway at approximately 11pm and one lane was coned off for 4 miles before I stumbled upon workmen replacing a small section of crash barrier.
Does it really need to be coned off for this distance?
I understand and agree with the need to protect the work force etc, but 4 miles does seem somewhat excessive IMO.
Alucidnation said:
Around where i live there has been signs up with dates and times (10pm - 6am) of lane closures for scheduled works.
The other evening, i travelled home along a section of this dual carriageway at approximately 11pm and one lane was coned off for 4 miles before I stumbled upon workmen replacing a small section of crash barrier.
Does it really need to be coned off for this distance?
I understand and agree with the need to protect the work force etc, but 4 miles does seem somewhat excessive IMO.
Incredible. How insightful of you to spot that. Why has nobody ever mentioned that before? The other evening, i travelled home along a section of this dual carriageway at approximately 11pm and one lane was coned off for 4 miles before I stumbled upon workmen replacing a small section of crash barrier.
Does it really need to be coned off for this distance?
I understand and agree with the need to protect the work force etc, but 4 miles does seem somewhat excessive IMO.
LoonR1 said:
Alucidnation said:
Around where i live there has been signs up with dates and times (10pm - 6am) of lane closures for scheduled works.
The other evening, i travelled home along a section of this dual carriageway at approximately 11pm and one lane was coned off for 4 miles before I stumbled upon workmen replacing a small section of crash barrier.
Does it really need to be coned off for this distance?
I understand and agree with the need to protect the work force etc, but 4 miles does seem somewhat excessive IMO.
Incredible. How insightful of you to spot that. Why has nobody ever mentioned that before? The other evening, i travelled home along a section of this dual carriageway at approximately 11pm and one lane was coned off for 4 miles before I stumbled upon workmen replacing a small section of crash barrier.
Does it really need to be coned off for this distance?
I understand and agree with the need to protect the work force etc, but 4 miles does seem somewhat excessive IMO.
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