Motorway Advisory Speed signs
Discussion
Anybody know if there is a set criteria for the need of advisory speed/bend signs.
The reason I ask, travelling north on the M5 the other night from J4 – a journey I used to make daily when I worked in that neck of the woods – I noticed towards the top of the climb up to Frankly Services there had appeared a 50mph and RH bend advisory sign.
After 40+ years(?) of this motorway being open has it suddenly become dangerous for what is a very gentle curve to be taken at 70mph.
Another sign of the nanny state ?
The reason I ask, travelling north on the M5 the other night from J4 – a journey I used to make daily when I worked in that neck of the woods – I noticed towards the top of the climb up to Frankly Services there had appeared a 50mph and RH bend advisory sign.
After 40+ years(?) of this motorway being open has it suddenly become dangerous for what is a very gentle curve to be taken at 70mph.
Another sign of the nanny state ?
There could have been a number of factors for the advisory limits to be set, am sure one of our control room bods will be along to update, but it might have been:
Heavy Rain
Standing Water
Queuing Traffic
Reports of debris / pedestrians / animals in the carriageway
High Winds
Snow / Ice
Breakdown on restricted hard shoulder
Diesel / Oil spill
Roadworks crew setting up
We might have been on the H/S dealing with an incident and requested them just to slow the traffic down
Anything really
Heavy Rain
Standing Water
Queuing Traffic
Reports of debris / pedestrians / animals in the carriageway
High Winds
Snow / Ice
Breakdown on restricted hard shoulder
Diesel / Oil spill
Roadworks crew setting up
We might have been on the H/S dealing with an incident and requested them just to slow the traffic down
Anything really
bob parr said:
There could have been a number of factors for the advisory limits to be set, am sure one of our control room bods will be along to update, but it might have been:
Heavy Rain
Standing Water
Queuing Traffic
Reports of debris / pedestrians / animals in the carriageway
High Winds
Snow / Ice
Breakdown on restricted hard shoulder
Diesel / Oil spill
Roadworks crew setting up
We might have been on the H/S dealing with an incident and requested them just to slow the traffic down
Anything really
Not talking illuminated signs - fixed 50mph inside triangle with bend sign underneathHeavy Rain
Standing Water
Queuing Traffic
Reports of debris / pedestrians / animals in the carriageway
High Winds
Snow / Ice
Breakdown on restricted hard shoulder
Diesel / Oil spill
Roadworks crew setting up
We might have been on the H/S dealing with an incident and requested them just to slow the traffic down
Anything really
It's an advisory, what the criteria is I don't know.
I remember when I learnt to drive my instructor said if for example you're on a 60mph road and you see signs and markers indicating say bend ahead 40 mph, then it's for a reason usually that you may struggle to take the bend at that speed.
Interestingly these "advisory" signs have recently been removed from parts of the A55
I remember when I learnt to drive my instructor said if for example you're on a 60mph road and you see signs and markers indicating say bend ahead 40 mph, then it's for a reason usually that you may struggle to take the bend at that speed.
Interestingly these "advisory" signs have recently been removed from parts of the A55
covboy said:
Anybody know if there is a set criteria for the need of advisory speed/bend signs.
The reason I ask, travelling north on the M5 the other night from J4 – a journey I used to make daily when I worked in that neck of the woods – I noticed towards the top of the climb up to Frankly Services there had appeared a 50mph and RH bend advisory sign.
After 40+ years(?) of this motorway being open has it suddenly become dangerous for what is a very gentle curve to be taken at 70mph.
Another sign of the nanny state ?
There may have been a few bumps there so one of the first/cheaper options to reduce these may be to see if signage has a 'positve' effect on accident reduction.The reason I ask, travelling north on the M5 the other night from J4 – a journey I used to make daily when I worked in that neck of the woods – I noticed towards the top of the climb up to Frankly Services there had appeared a 50mph and RH bend advisory sign.
After 40+ years(?) of this motorway being open has it suddenly become dangerous for what is a very gentle curve to be taken at 70mph.
Another sign of the nanny state ?
A recent scrim test may have highlighted the road is 'wearing out' and may be more slippery but not enough to meet the requirements for temporary or permanent skid risk signs or resurfacing.
Hardly nanny state. Maybe proactive safety measures ?
There used to be similiar signage on the M53 now gone. Their is similiar signage on a bend notoriously for regular accidents on another motorway. It may become a mandatory 50 as in other locations.
A quick call to the Highways information line should quickly get you your answer
There has been one of those, on the M5, by JNC 4 since I were a lad ...... and thats a long time !
It's a sad thing to say, but I've yet to see one of those signs anywhere that it was even remotely close to being needed !
This of course is a shame, because it leads to us ignoring warning signs.
It's a sad thing to say, but I've yet to see one of those signs anywhere that it was even remotely close to being needed !
This of course is a shame, because it leads to us ignoring warning signs.
They put me on-guard that visibility around an approaching bend is likely to be poor = if there's standing traffic around the bend, I may not see it in time to pull up short without reducing my speed. I think they should make this point about lack of distance vision; might make people realise why the warning's there....?
bluetone said:
They put me on-guard that visibility around an approaching bend is likely to be poor = if there's standing traffic around the bend, I may not see it in time to pull up short without reducing my speed. I think they should make this point about lack of distance vision; might make people realise why the warning's there....?
The sign without the speed indication would make me think along similar lines, as soon as I see a suggested max speed ........ I take it as b
ksbluetone said:
They put me on-guard that visibility around an approaching bend is likely to be poor = if there's standing traffic around the bend, I may not see it in time to pull up short without reducing my speed.
Doesn't the presence of the bend do that?bluetone said:
I think they should make this point about lack of distance vision; might make people realise why the warning's there
More bl00dy dumbing-down.Streaky
That junction and opinions on those signs are of interest to me as on one of my regular retests I got a new one ripped by the plod examiner for blatting round that bend J4 Lydiate Ash on the M5(N). This was early on a Saturday morning, absolutely no other traffic around.
His argument was, restricted visibility, no hard shoulder, approaching the northbound on slip of J4, restricted visibility onto and from said on slip. Agreed that at no point was travelling in excess of speed that couldn't stop or deal with any hazard in distance seen to be clear.
Didn't cover what to do differently, which I found surprising and disappointing, eg seeing as no other traffic would it have been better to move out to L2/L3 and open up the view / limit point. No comment. Really!
Yet every other examiner or instructor have discussed this with has more or less said that he was being an arse and 70 is fine.
Personally I can see his point if the motorway is busy and you are in L1 and there is traffic in L2/L3 removing one option, so in that case peg it back, but then slowing to 50, per advisory limit, causes all sorts of aggro to vehicles behind so they are now looking for an overtake. So in reality, as always, it's a balancing act.
His argument was, restricted visibility, no hard shoulder, approaching the northbound on slip of J4, restricted visibility onto and from said on slip. Agreed that at no point was travelling in excess of speed that couldn't stop or deal with any hazard in distance seen to be clear.
Didn't cover what to do differently, which I found surprising and disappointing, eg seeing as no other traffic would it have been better to move out to L2/L3 and open up the view / limit point. No comment. Really!
Yet every other examiner or instructor have discussed this with has more or less said that he was being an arse and 70 is fine.
Personally I can see his point if the motorway is busy and you are in L1 and there is traffic in L2/L3 removing one option, so in that case peg it back, but then slowing to 50, per advisory limit, causes all sorts of aggro to vehicles behind so they are now looking for an overtake. So in reality, as always, it's a balancing act.
covboy said:
Hi Fif
Not sure about the one at J4. This one is towards the top of the hill after J4 about 2 miles before Frankly services
Hi there, Not sure about the one at J4. This one is towards the top of the hill after J4 about 2 miles before Frankly services
If that is the bend I'm thinking about aka "Dayhouse Bank" then the sign must be reasonably new, certainly doesn't appear on Google Streetview, though what does appear is that the Google camera car driver is a dedicated MLM.
I'll have a look later, have to head down that way around lunchtime. Report later.
bob parr said:
It's an advisory, what the criteria is I don't know.
I remember when I learnt to drive my instructor said if for example you're on a 60mph road and you see signs and markers indicating say bend ahead 40 mph, then it's for a reason usually that you may struggle to take the bend at that speed.
Interestingly these "advisory" signs have recently been removed from parts of the A55
Unfortunately, one of the most common reasons these days is that they've forgotten to switch the sign off. I remember when I learnt to drive my instructor said if for example you're on a 60mph road and you see signs and markers indicating say bend ahead 40 mph, then it's for a reason usually that you may struggle to take the bend at that speed.
Interestingly these "advisory" signs have recently been removed from parts of the A55
Right just back from the car park that is the M5 due to muppets driving into each other.
The bend referred to by the Op is here
Google street view and map
There are some of these newly erected signs 512 soon after J4 (N) and then a second set about where the street map view is together with 50 mph advisory text plates.
Obviously they must have been put up for a reason, but considering the bend is not that sharp, and if people just lifted their vision, and especially if they took a cross bend view, then there should be nothing to surprise them.
I conclude, therefore, this is another example of pandering to the lowest common denominator.
The bend referred to by the Op is here
Google street view and map
There are some of these newly erected signs 512 soon after J4 (N) and then a second set about where the street map view is together with 50 mph advisory text plates.
Obviously they must have been put up for a reason, but considering the bend is not that sharp, and if people just lifted their vision, and especially if they took a cross bend view, then there should be nothing to surprise them.
I conclude, therefore, this is another example of pandering to the lowest common denominator.
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