druddle

Who is in charge of setting variable speed limits on Motorways ? Let me know cos i will duff 'em up a bit !!

It really @$&~s me off when the signs are put on totally inappropriately. Take last night, on the M25 at about 1800h. Travelled from M26 to M3 junction, and the traffic was not heavy, flowing at about 70-80 in my lane.

All of a sudden, just past Leatherhead, the 40 signs come up, and theres loads of heavy braking. Then, they went to 60, and at the Chertsey junction back to 40. The only place the traffic was really building up was approaching the M3 junction, so why on earth were the signs necessary before that ?

You also see the signs on motorways to warn of an accident, but the accident may have been cleared completely 1/2 hr earlier but the signs are still up. In my view, this makes people pay no notics to the signs out of frustration, and ignore them when they are required.

Oooh it does my head in. Nurse, the tablets.....

Dave

pugoetru

ive been on the m25 once and i thought the traffic up in glasgow was bad!

if i had to drive in that car park every day i would move

scoob_babe

I do have to do J19-J11 every day (and back again)

Gordo

prob a silly question, but are the variable speed limits enforceable? I've got it in my head that they're warnings only to alert you to problems ahead, not that you have to stick to the limits?

a bit like temporary traffic lights where you can't be prosecuted for going through them on red if they're obviously clear

druddle

On the M25 some are on gantrys with cameras fitted, but its not the point that are they/are they not enforceable, but as soon as most drivers travelling at 70 odd mph see a sign saying 40 in a camera zone they will stamp on the anchors (as per last night) and that is an accident waiting to happen.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

I'm no traffic expert, but I'm aware that if vehicles come to a standstill then clears, then the stop/start jam propergates away from the scene against the flow of traffic. If traffic is slowed a fair distance away before the scene then this 'wave' is dispersed quicker. Its just a case of some guy monitoring the situation judging it correctly.

Drunken Bungle Whore

The idea of the variable limit on the M25 is probably sound but I live right near there and use it a lot and it's a complete pain in the ***!! I've driven the stretch at 2am when it's deserted and the gantrys have had 40mph & even 30mph limits on them - they have cameras on some of them so you have to obey or risk a piccy and a ticket!! (Unless you can manage in excess of 180 mph which I belive is too quick for them.... )

I've also driven around there when they are not even remotely synchronised - if you're not familiar with this area, these gantrys are anything from a few hundred yards to 1/2 mile apart - I have driven the Kingston - Heathrow stretch and had each gantry showing a different limit!

The trouble is this makes people have less respect for them which is then a problem when they're really needed.

pugoetru

i think the biggest problem on the m25 is the fact you can see the cars on the other side and if there is an incident EVERYONE slows down to look cant they just build a wall?

Drunken Bungle Whore

I agree that rubber neckers are a COMPLETE PAIN IN THE ***, but can't you see the other side of the road on most motorways...?

Nimbus

I'm sure these are enforceable. If they have a red circular boarder then they are not a warning, they are a legal limit.

I'm sure these are enforceable too. As far as I know you must obay them as if they were permanant ones.

[Edited by Nimbus - 7/21/2003 12:39:59 PM]

pugoetru

yes thats my point build walls =ease congestion on all motorways.

ok the safety dudes will say a wall could be dangerous but you dont go on to a motorway planing on crashing into the centrall reservation.
the less distractions the better

brickboy

Gordo, Nimbus is right, temporary traffic lights are enforceable. A solicitor mate of mine told me ...

Gordo

I guess I ought to stop cheerfully changing down and chuckling when I see a temporary red light, then? heh heh

we get them reasonably often on country roads up here where you can see a good distance in both directions and the fickle things stay on red for ever if you're daft enough to sit there.

I know that driving through them can lead to a dangerous driving accusation, but thought you can't be done for jumping a red light with them (after all, if you approach them quick enough, there ain't gonna be a copper nearby to see it on red as you pass, is there? )

ah, you're right - edited to post "The maximum fine for ignoring temporary traffic lights is a fixed penalty of £1,000."

doh!

[Edited by Gordo - 7/21/2003 2:23:18 PM]