Traffic "calming"
Discussion
Ever notice that the traffic flow in a "calmed" area makes it almost impossible to get out of side roads unless driving a 4x4 ?
Everyone races for the pinchpoint, nearly causing a smack up, and once a stream of cars is in motion, next to impossible to get your right of way.
When pulling out of my road you have to go IMMEDIATELY you see any gap, otherwise the next "batch" of cars means that you sit there for ages until their progress is blocked by the next pinch point.
All our pinch points are on low visibility curves, and the accident rate has soared, but pedestrians are safer. Yeah right.
Don't get me started on ramps & raised sections...
Everyone races for the pinchpoint, nearly causing a smack up, and once a stream of cars is in motion, next to impossible to get your right of way.
When pulling out of my road you have to go IMMEDIATELY you see any gap, otherwise the next "batch" of cars means that you sit there for ages until their progress is blocked by the next pinch point.
All our pinch points are on low visibility curves, and the accident rate has soared, but pedestrians are safer. Yeah right.
Don't get me started on ramps & raised sections...
Well the reason for this speeding up, is something known as "The Venturi Effect".
Trying to force a quantity of something from a large area to a small area, results in the increase in speed, at the the same time that flow quantity is reduced(constriction).
Widely used in carburretors(venturi) and other areas too.
Shame the road planners dont understand this simple principle.
I phoned the head honcho of our local councils planning dept about these dumb obstructions, basically we're all thick and know nothing, theyre smart and know it all, at least thats the impression he gave me.
Kinda took the wind out of his stupid sails when i pointed out that contrary to his claims that they prevent overtakers, the converse is true.
Funny how he went all quiet and put the phone down.....
ASSES!!
Trying to force a quantity of something from a large area to a small area, results in the increase in speed, at the the same time that flow quantity is reduced(constriction).
Widely used in carburretors(venturi) and other areas too.
Shame the road planners dont understand this simple principle.
I phoned the head honcho of our local councils planning dept about these dumb obstructions, basically we're all thick and know nothing, theyre smart and know it all, at least thats the impression he gave me.
Kinda took the wind out of his stupid sails when i pointed out that contrary to his claims that they prevent overtakers, the converse is true.
Funny how he went all quiet and put the phone down.....
ASSES!!
mmm councils are staffed by two type of people.
the very good that do all the work..
the very bad that do fcuk all but bugger up the good work of others and then claim all the credit for things that work, even if they dont....
no one in senior management will make a decision as they are scared of upsetting the councillors,( who are another bunch of complete tossers imho, my mates ex was a councillor. here day job was petrol pump attendant, here council job has head or economic redevelopment !!!!!)
G
who used to work of a council a long time ago...
the very good that do all the work..
the very bad that do fcuk all but bugger up the good work of others and then claim all the credit for things that work, even if they dont....
no one in senior management will make a decision as they are scared of upsetting the councillors,( who are another bunch of complete tossers imho, my mates ex was a councillor. here day job was petrol pump attendant, here council job has head or economic redevelopment !!!!!)
G
who used to work of a council a long time ago...
To be honest it isn't really safe as a pedestrian, the only benefit being that traffic will only be coming from one direction. The disadvantage is that it is ALWAYS going to be angry traffic. Traffic calming makes me mad, and spoils the start to any drive.
Almost as bad is the 2 mini roundabouts at Sawbridgeworth.. ah, mini roundabouts. Grrr. Not big enough to "surf", too slippery when cold/damp to ride over. Wrongly placed to turn easily.
Hi Terminator! going to VW this weekend?
C
Almost as bad is the 2 mini roundabouts at Sawbridgeworth.. ah, mini roundabouts. Grrr. Not big enough to "surf", too slippery when cold/damp to ride over. Wrongly placed to turn easily.
Hi Terminator! going to VW this weekend?
C
Nope, can't make it this time, although I doubt that the allure of the M25 on the second Sunday before Christmas would tempt me out even if I could make it. The 15 mile jam coming back from the VW meet in September was bad enough
hertsbiker said:Hi Terminator! going to VW this weekend?
C
I'm thinking of initiating a meeting somewhere in the Herts/Cambs/Essex area for March time for those of us north of London.
Everyone races for the pinchpoint, nearly causing a smack up, and once a stream of cars is in motion, next to impossible to get your right of way.
Ah, I knew I was doing something wrong by giving way to oncoming traffic. The worst of it is, that when you're in a car in which the sitting position is very low and you're behind another car, there is no hope of seeing the forward situation around the evil obstruction.
And thus you have two choices: i) wait until view is clear or ii) hope to God that the driver in front isn't already pushing his luck with the oncoming traffic. I know which I prefer.
And then when you have nipped around the said obstruction, low and behold there's a cop with a gatso waiting to catch you doing 31mph. Whence follows an agonising letterbox vigil.
@rse.
Steve.
Our stupid local coucillors installed these idiotic high kerbed obstructions in the middle of most of the roads around here.
About 3 months ago, i went out for a bit of a taz(youd know bout that herstbiker
), and as i was goin down this particular road i noticed the sirens and warning lights of a fire engine behind me.
So theres a petrol station in front of me and i decide that cos of the obstructions in the road, ill dive into the petrol station and clear the road for em.
Guy behind has a freeze-up moment(numpty) and basically parks it in the road.
Car on the other side of the road(going uphill) can see whats coming and stops well in front of the obstruction so as to give em room to come thru.
I get about half way acrooss the garage forecourt and the 1st of the 3 fire engines comes thru the gap(wrong side of road cos of numpty), then the second, then the third.
Trouble is the third one hit this 8 inch high kerbing and put the fire engine up on two wheels, dukes of hazzard stylee, 1st the front set of wheels then the rear set.
Result is that the fire engine is going down the road for 40yards like a stunt fire engine would...if they did stunts.
Guy who stopped on opposite side of road saw it coming for him but had noplace to go, coulda sworn he was praying.
It missed him by inches before the driver got control back.
It missed a tree hanging off the verge by an impressive 2 inches minimum(from the tyre tracks).
I phoned these twats in council. and told them what id seen, and that obstructions like these are dangerous as they launch vehicles into the air when struck.
Said councillor( ignorant pig farmer) reckoned that they make the road safer because they make drivers go slower.......FFS!!!!
They prevent overtaking so he says, but he didnt have a thing to say when i told him that it dont stop me.....(turboed motor)....
Nothing good came out of this whole episode, and as usual, you try to tell them of their stupidity, but being stupid as they are, they just- dont- listen.
Maybe itll take 10 or 15 people to be killed their as it nearly did that afternoon before theyll take notice.
About 3 months ago, i went out for a bit of a taz(youd know bout that herstbiker
), and as i was goin down this particular road i noticed the sirens and warning lights of a fire engine behind me. So theres a petrol station in front of me and i decide that cos of the obstructions in the road, ill dive into the petrol station and clear the road for em.
Guy behind has a freeze-up moment(numpty) and basically parks it in the road.
Car on the other side of the road(going uphill) can see whats coming and stops well in front of the obstruction so as to give em room to come thru.
I get about half way acrooss the garage forecourt and the 1st of the 3 fire engines comes thru the gap(wrong side of road cos of numpty), then the second, then the third.
Trouble is the third one hit this 8 inch high kerbing and put the fire engine up on two wheels, dukes of hazzard stylee, 1st the front set of wheels then the rear set.
Result is that the fire engine is going down the road for 40yards like a stunt fire engine would...if they did stunts.
Guy who stopped on opposite side of road saw it coming for him but had noplace to go, coulda sworn he was praying.
It missed him by inches before the driver got control back.
It missed a tree hanging off the verge by an impressive 2 inches minimum(from the tyre tracks).
I phoned these twats in council. and told them what id seen, and that obstructions like these are dangerous as they launch vehicles into the air when struck.
Said councillor( ignorant pig farmer) reckoned that they make the road safer because they make drivers go slower.......FFS!!!!
They prevent overtaking so he says, but he didnt have a thing to say when i told him that it dont stop me.....(turboed motor)...
. Nothing good came out of this whole episode, and as usual, you try to tell them of their stupidity, but being stupid as they are, they just- dont- listen.
Maybe itll take 10 or 15 people to be killed their as it nearly did that afternoon before theyll take notice.
Anyone got any good ideas for reducing the popularity of this sort of thing? At the moment, everyone is being told that 'its for your own good'.
I was thinking about signs saying something like "This pointless delay brought to you courtesy of the parish counsil" stuck under the give way sign - or just borrowing all the signage (presumably if the youth can get away with this, it must be legal???)
Make everyone start thinking about whether it's really necessary...
Sean
I was thinking about signs saying something like "This pointless delay brought to you courtesy of the parish counsil" stuck under the give way sign - or just borrowing all the signage (presumably if the youth can get away with this, it must be legal???)
Make everyone start thinking about whether it's really necessary...
Sean
Locally they have been installing a lot of these "Hazards" to slow the traffic (funny how they make the road more dangerous in an "attempt" to improve road safety) but I have noticed a lot of "Mr angry" letters in local papers from residents (who wanted them in the first place) complaining about the noise generated from these obstructions.
A good idea would be to point out the pollution, vehicle damage and risk of accident so the Numpties themselves call for them to be removed, problem is they probably want them replaced with revenue cameras.
A good idea would be to point out the pollution, vehicle damage and risk of accident so the Numpties themselves call for them to be removed, problem is they probably want them replaced with revenue cameras.
I read somewhere that in Europe motorists sound thir horns as they pass over speedbumps in a "noisy protest" to piss off the local residents who requested them. Souns good to me!
I have a very loud car, and choose to select 1st gear when negotiating these monstrosities . . . most of those that get removed are done so because of noise problems.
I have a very loud car, and choose to select 1st gear when negotiating these monstrosities . . . most of those that get removed are done so because of noise problems.
deltaf said:
Said councillor( ignorant pig farmer) reckoned that they make the road safer because they make drivers go slower.......FFS!!!!
The abd has a section on speed bumps which dispels this theory. In fact with many speed bumps the faster you take them the better. The abd has a quote from a cop who takes at 70 in his impreza cop car.
Also they make the roads much more dangerous cause like speed cameras it causes drivers to be thinking about something else, rather than concentrating on driving.
Also for people like me it causes my blood to boil as I think about the damage being done to my suspension. I get very very stressed and go into a monstrous rage leading to tearing around the streets at 1 zillion mph trying pollute as much as possible while finding someone from the council to run over.
But perhaps they think that getting motorists in such a frame of mind is a good idea?
There's a lovely traffic constriction near me which says 'Give Way To Oncoming Traffic' at both ends.
Non-locals sit there flashing their lights at each other while locals now play Chicken against the oncoming traffic.
I'm sure I'd find this more amusing if it wasn't on a road I happen to use a fair bit...
Non-locals sit there flashing their lights at each other while locals now play Chicken against the oncoming traffic.
I'm sure I'd find this more amusing if it wasn't on a road I happen to use a fair bit...
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