A4074 - North Of Reading, Berkshire
Discussion
Something to make you giggle.
The A4074 north out of Reading is a bit twisty and condemned to a 50 mph limit c/w a Gatso about halfway along. Its locally known as "The 13 Bends Of Death" (I kid not) and is generally quite busy.
Not painting a good picture so far am I and its not somewhere I would specifically go for a hoon due to all of the above outweighing the funky twisty bit in the middle.
Anyway a safety feature has been installed on the real twisty bit - catseyes with their own lights in!
Fantastic at night - if no-one's behind or in front and no-one's coming the other way and...........turn your lights off and see how long you can keep to the speed limit!!
Even looking in the mirror is funky watching the road unwind / wind behind you if you insist on keeping your lights on.
Has anywhere else got these?
P.S. Top tip - turn off radio and put a hat or something into the dash if gets too bright when the lights go out.
The A4074 north out of Reading is a bit twisty and condemned to a 50 mph limit c/w a Gatso about halfway along. Its locally known as "The 13 Bends Of Death" (I kid not) and is generally quite busy.
Not painting a good picture so far am I and its not somewhere I would specifically go for a hoon due to all of the above outweighing the funky twisty bit in the middle.
Anyway a safety feature has been installed on the real twisty bit - catseyes with their own lights in!
Fantastic at night - if no-one's behind or in front and no-one's coming the other way and...........turn your lights off and see how long you can keep to the speed limit!!
Even looking in the mirror is funky watching the road unwind / wind behind you if you insist on keeping your lights on.
Has anywhere else got these?
P.S. Top tip - turn off radio and put a hat or something into the dash if gets too bright when the lights go out.
I drive down there every night home, the double whites and 50 limit are a PITA and work against road safety IMO.
The led catseyes though are pretty good.
I'm not wishing to sound like your Dad here but don't forget you will not be able to see the plonker walking down the edge of the road in dark clothes (no pavements) or the cyclist with no lights without yours on or when you are watching your rear view mirror!
There are plenty of cyclists using that road.
The led catseyes though are pretty good.
I'm not wishing to sound like your Dad here but don't forget you will not be able to see the plonker walking down the edge of the road in dark clothes (no pavements) or the cyclist with no lights without yours on or when you are watching your rear view mirror!
There are plenty of cyclists using that road.
moto_traxport said:
Something to make you giggle.
The A4074 north out of Reading is a bit twisty and condemned to a 50 mph limit c/w a Gatso about halfway along. Its locally known as "The 13 Bends Of Death" (I kid not) and is generally quite busy.
Not painting a good picture so far am I and its not somewhere I would specifically go for a hoon due to all of the above outweighing the funky twisty bit in the middle.
Anyway a safety feature has been installed on the real twisty bit - catseyes with their own lights in!
Fantastic at night - if no-one's behind or in front and no-one's coming the other way and...........turn your lights off and see how long you can keep to the speed limit!!
Even looking in the mirror is funky watching the road unwind / wind behind you if you insist on keeping your lights on.
Has anywhere else got these?
P.S. Top tip - turn off radio and put a hat or something into the dash if gets too bright when the lights go out.
idiot! its britain's deadliest road! The A4074 north out of Reading is a bit twisty and condemned to a 50 mph limit c/w a Gatso about halfway along. Its locally known as "The 13 Bends Of Death" (I kid not) and is generally quite busy.
Not painting a good picture so far am I and its not somewhere I would specifically go for a hoon due to all of the above outweighing the funky twisty bit in the middle.
Anyway a safety feature has been installed on the real twisty bit - catseyes with their own lights in!
Fantastic at night - if no-one's behind or in front and no-one's coming the other way and...........turn your lights off and see how long you can keep to the speed limit!!
Even looking in the mirror is funky watching the road unwind / wind behind you if you insist on keeping your lights on.
Has anywhere else got these?
P.S. Top tip - turn off radio and put a hat or something into the dash if gets too bright when the lights go out.
PGM said:
I drive down there every night home, the double whites and 50 limit are a PITA and work against road safety IMO.
The led catseyes though are pretty good.
I'm not wishing to sound like your Dad here but don't forget you will not be able to see the plonker walking down the edge of the road in dark clothes (no pavements) or the cyclist with no lights without yours on or when you are watching your rear view mirror!
There are plenty of cyclists using that road.
I understand what your saying (being a cyclist as well). If you do it for about 200m at a time it gives you a chance to quickly scope out the road etc. Straddling the centre of the road / catseyes also makes it (slightly) safer keeping you away from the edges of the road.The led catseyes though are pretty good.
I'm not wishing to sound like your Dad here but don't forget you will not be able to see the plonker walking down the edge of the road in dark clothes (no pavements) or the cyclist with no lights without yours on or when you are watching your rear view mirror!
There are plenty of cyclists using that road.
Dum de dum de dum - didn't suggest it was safe.
Give it a go one night even for just 50m - very spooky!
1) for switching your lights off
2) for admitting to it on a public forum
Next time you visit the stretch with the new cats eyes, take a look at the grass bank on the western side, you'll see a small wooden cross. Take a minute to think about it...
Edited to add - Reading might be in Berkshire, but the stretch of road you mean is in Oxfordshire...
Edited by Puggit on Monday 8th December 22:14
Puggit said:
1) for switching your lights off
2) for admitting to it on a public forum
Next time you visit the stretch with the new cats eyes, take a look at the grass bank on the western side, you'll see a small wooden cross. Take a minute to think about it...
Edited to add - Reading might be in Berkshire, but the stretch of road you mean is in Oxfordshire...
Edited by Puggit on Monday 8th December 22:14
t, cough) is tantamount to admitting to joining Al Qaeda / CIA (same thing). Marvellous...I worked in the funeral industry recently for a bit and I used my contacts to get me a good deal on a secondhand van from that industry (in the past 6 years it was the first collection vehicle for a local funeral service and it has carried an estimated 1000 bodies at the very least - leaking their fluids on the very floor behind me while I'm doing my lights off thing). Little wooden crosses and flowers are very distracting when you are out for a hoon during the day but wonderfully unnoticeable during the night. Get a life (sic)...
P.S. You are right - the bit of road I'm referring to is in Oxfordshire but its still north of Reading in Berkshire!
P.P.S. Sunday morning before I go to the Race Of Champions at Wembley I'll be peddling my pushie up there and I'll check out the cross - will it say "Bloody eeejit turned his lights off for 2 seconds for a laugh - 40 years old" or will it say "Waste of life - so much to live for - 22 years old". Something to think about - I'll let you know...
Edited to add 3 full stops a couple of times for effect...
Edited by moto_traxport on Monday 8th December 23:02
moto_traxport said:
So I can admit to driving at 200mph on this forum with no worries of course. Admit to following a line of lights for a couple of seconds "on Britain's deadliest road" (cough, horsest, cough) is tantamount to admitting to joining Al Qaeda / CIA (same thing). Marvellous...
I worked in the funeral industry recently for a bit and I used my contacts to get me a good deal on a secondhand van from that industry (in the past 6 years it was the first collection vehicle for a local funeral service and it has carried an estimated 1000 bodies at the very least - leaking their fluids on the very floor behind me while I'm doing my lights off thing). Little wooden crosses and flowers are very distracting when you are out for a hoon during the day but wonderfully unnoticeable during the night. Get a life (sic)...
P.S. You are right - the bit of road I'm referring to is in Oxfordshire but its still north of Reading in Berkshire!
P.P.S. Sunday morning before I go to the Race Of Champions at Wembley I'll be peddling my pushie up there and I'll check out the cross - will it say "Bloody eeejit turned his lights off for 2 seconds for a laugh - 40 years old" or will it say "Waste of life - so much to live for - 22 years old". Something to think about - I'll let you know...
Edited to add 3 full stops a couple of times for effect...
I encourage you to read this link. Page 2 lists most of the stats.t, cough) is tantamount to admitting to joining Al Qaeda / CIA (same thing). Marvellous...I worked in the funeral industry recently for a bit and I used my contacts to get me a good deal on a secondhand van from that industry (in the past 6 years it was the first collection vehicle for a local funeral service and it has carried an estimated 1000 bodies at the very least - leaking their fluids on the very floor behind me while I'm doing my lights off thing). Little wooden crosses and flowers are very distracting when you are out for a hoon during the day but wonderfully unnoticeable during the night. Get a life (sic)...
P.S. You are right - the bit of road I'm referring to is in Oxfordshire but its still north of Reading in Berkshire!
P.P.S. Sunday morning before I go to the Race Of Champions at Wembley I'll be peddling my pushie up there and I'll check out the cross - will it say "Bloody eeejit turned his lights off for 2 seconds for a laugh - 40 years old" or will it say "Waste of life - so much to live for - 22 years old". Something to think about - I'll let you know...
Edited to add 3 full stops a couple of times for effect...
Edited by moto_traxport on Monday 8th December 23:02
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/features/...
A few snippets
In all, it has an accident rate of 53 per 100m vehicle kilometres travelled — nearly 70% higher than the national average for a road of its type. The figures do not include accidents where no injuries were reported which, according to research last month, could mean the true figure is 25% higher.
At night, when the majority of accidents occur, there is little lighting to warn drivers of the bends ahead and trees along the road invariably mean a hard impact for those who lose control.
I stand by my previous statement and extend it to any one who wants to try what you suggested
Here you go - Times Link explaining the cross. Save yourself the bother of stopping.
Hmmm - similar ages to yourself. A young woman within a week of marrying was killed by some idiots travelling the other way doing stupid things.
Hmmm - similar ages to yourself. A young woman within a week of marrying was killed by some idiots travelling the other way doing stupid things.
Puggit said:
Here you go - Times Link explaining the cross. Save yourself the bother of stopping.
Hmmm - similar ages to yourself. A young woman within a week of marrying was killed by some idiots travelling the other way doing stupid things.
Thankyou for the link. The fatal accident that ultimately produced the memorial was caused by a 23 year old (sorry, my guess was one year out). Innocent victim was 26 years old. Neither party a similar age to myself to be slightly pedantic. "Stupid thing" - that accident was caused by someone overtaking more than 50 cars on blind bends in a couple of miles (surely automotive version of russian roulette). Same thing as me? Really?? Really, really???Hmmm - similar ages to yourself. A young woman within a week of marrying was killed by some idiots travelling the other way doing stupid things.
I didn't suggest road was safe (far from it) but cast doubt on the ascertian it was "Britain's deadliest road". In all the lists of dangerous roads I could find on the internet it doesn't appear. An example on link below
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/news/EN...
It is certainly not THE deadliest. Again slightly pedantic (but this is a forum) as if a member of my family or friend was killed on any road its one too many.
This moral high ground arguement only has one logical conclusion and lights or no lights I'll have to remember not to knock down the fellow with the little red flag in front of my car next time I go down there if the Pistonheads chaps have anything to do with it.
Risk management versus living life and having a sense of humour - its a bit of a balance and I do most things I can to ensure I'm only about halfway through my life while still enjoying myself and certainly have no intentions of shortening anyone else's stab at long life or indeed enjoyment.
Lots of love!
P.S. Feel free to sit amongst the trees in the dark on the aforementioned road in the forthcoming weeks like a WRC bobblehat and wait for a dark lone vehicle to drone passed while emitting a chuckle
If you have the switch in your hands for the catseyes you may yet have the last laugh. 
[quote=moto_traxport
I didn't suggest road was safe (far from it) but cast doubt on the ascertian it was "Britain's deadliest road". In all the lists of dangerous roads I could find on the internet it doesn't appear. An example on link below
[/quote]
Have a read of the link I posted earlier and it will explain why the road dosent show up in your searches. Go to the bottom and scrole back to the previous page.
I didn't suggest road was safe (far from it) but cast doubt on the ascertian it was "Britain's deadliest road". In all the lists of dangerous roads I could find on the internet it doesn't appear. An example on link below
[/quote]
Have a read of the link I posted earlier and it will explain why the road dosent show up in your searches. Go to the bottom and scrole back to the previous page.
Edited by maximus4 on Tuesday 9th December 21:08
In reply to some of the OPs original questions, (and someone please correct my if I am a bit scetchy on details here). These lights were tested on the A590 in South Cumbria a couple of years ago but were removed after four young lads were killed after rolling their car at night. I believe it had become a bit of a challenge to see who could drive the furthest without lights.
Ring any bells?????
Ring any bells?????
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