Over the last year or so a lot more of these gantry signs seem to have been installed, presumably at great cost ,but they don\'t seem to me to be being used well.
Sure I\'ve seen them warning about upcoming tailbacks, etc, but alot of the time they are blank.
I\'d like to see them used more to repeat 2 messsages:
1. To say that in mist, spray, twilight, dipped headlights are required . I can\'t believe how many people either will not switch on at all ( and when 98% are illuminated, they become even harder to see) and then when they do insist on using parking lights until there\'s pitch darkness.
2 re mobile phone use .Since the law came in I\'ve still seen half a dozen or so people using hadheld ; today a can driver navigating a miniroundabout near me .It was always stupid and arrogant to do it, now it\'s illegal as well
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A couple of days ago, one of the overhead signs on the M53 was on, indicating "80". Does someone know something I don't....
Andy
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They could be much better utilised. When not informing of a direct hazard they could cycle through general good driving tips/prompts; keep left, check your lights, take a break, watch your speed etc.
Also could be used to display football scores, news headlines, live feed from "I'm a celeb, get me out of here", etc
....I'll get me coat!
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I imagine there's line to be drawn between giving information and distracting drivers, especially at motorway speeds. It may be therefore that general tips might have been discarded in favour of keeping more pairs of eyes on the road.
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These matrix information displays have and are used for other information. Firstly during the Fire fighters strike we were warned "firefighters strike - drive carefully" then we had warnings about mobile law changing. and they do sometimes display "use lights - spray"
Frankly I dont want every sign to be telling me useless crap. I want to the signs to say something important, I need to know,I need to know now or in several miles, so that when its lit up in the distance I know it needs reading.
They are there for important information, lets keep it that way,.
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I cannot believe that someone somewhere actually decided these signs were a good idea? I mean, they must cost tens of thousands each, and there's loads of them. Just to tell me, when i'm sat in stationary traffic "Queue ahead" ????? Whilst some information might be useful, i really don't see that the benefit of them is more than the huge cost. I can only think that the person who gives them the go-ahead must have shares in the companies that manufacture and install them.
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I *beleive* i remember my dad (who is a civil engineer working on major motorway projects) telling me they cost £250,000 PER SIGN
I could be wrong, mind
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I could also learn how to spell 'believe' :-)
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Owen is bang on here. Compare us with France if you will. There they have lots of signs, but they are much less elaborate than the ones we have. Typically they are attached to existing bridges and look like they cost about a tenth of our ones.
More importantly, they have sensible information on, such as junctions ahead that are "fluide" or if not then how many kms the queue is.
Looks like we've spent millions on signs but have no back up informantion gathering system for them.
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.. and it's almost as important to cancel these messages as soon as the emergency disappears.
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.. and it's almost as important to cancel these messages as soon as the emergency disappears.
If only they would, i've lost count of the thousands of miles I've travelled past them knowing well that they are wrong. Unfortunately, I'm sure it will be me that's wrong becuase teh signs are right for once.
--
I read often, only post occasionally
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>>.. and it's almost as important to cancel these messages as soon as the emergency disappears. If only they would, i've lost count of the thousands of miles I've travelled past them knowing well that they are wrong. Unfortunately, I'm sure it will be me that's wrong becuase the signs are right for once.
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I totally agree with the above
On the M25 just north of Heathrow today.
Warning Queus after next Junction. NOTHING.
Lots of speed limits down to 40MPH beyond the road works. NOTHING.
Ditto in the M40 towards London.
How about a specific telephone number, not 999, to ask them to WAKE UP & turn em OFF.
Oh! Sorry! That is too simple.
Who do I write to? Our wizard in North Wales or our wizard in Whitehall?
Rant off.
I am sure many of you suffer this almost daily.
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Firstly during the Fire fighters strike we were warned "firefighters strike - drive carefully"
Yes - I remember wanting to go back the next day to see if they said:
"Strike over - OK to drive like maniacs again"
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There is a great number being constructed as part of the never-ending roadworks on the northbound M42. They're all yet to be working but there seems to be way too many of them, and they're all not working at the moment.
They could turn them on just to put out a warning such as "we haven't actually finished painting the road markings so you'll have to put up with a lot of confusing markings and half-errected signs before we put a 50mph back on this re-opened 70mph stretch and leave you all guessing for another 2 years".
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routinely ignored because of the poor way they are updated (or not) very often speed restriction or warning remains long long time after the problem has gone, i can honestly say in my experience 80 % of the time the thing they are warning about has long gone, which just builds a cynical attitude, and surprise surprise people ignore them when there is a real hazard
instead of spending masses on new signs they should invest a little more on keeping the ones they already have more up to date and relevant
isnt this "updating" subcontract with Serco in most parts of the country?, they should give the money to the traffic police and let them update them - they would probably do a better job
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If you are bored why not see what they say at the moment
www.highways.gov.uk/traffic and click on the map
As i am 200 miles away I dont care that the M2 is closed or that there are freight delays on the chunnel, but someone might...
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The exit from the M25 to the M1 at J10 the signs now seem permanently to say 'slow congestion ahead' and the mileage signs are set permanently at 40. Sometimes its true some times its not but I've got to the stage I just ignore them and look at the road conditions myself. So thats a few million up the spout then.
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There are two at the London end of the M11, constucted at the end of 1999 which I have only seen used half a dozen times in the succeeding five years.
They are right by the control centre but never warn of the stationary traffic on the North Circular a mile ahead, nor that you are approaching a 50mph limit (that would cut the revenue from the camera half a mile ahead), nothing!
A total waste of money (half a million the pair?)
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The most amusing thing to me about gantry signs was when new ones were erected on the M54 and had large notices stuck to their columns saying that they were not in use. So what! You can't take any notice of an unlit sign anyway.
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All the way up the M1 this morning, the gantries were displaying the helpful message "Strong winds - slow down" and flashing "50".
Really? I was astonished to be informed of the wind conditions, as I thought there was just something wrong with the steering which was making me veer from side to side.
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All the way up the M1 this morning, the gantries were displaying the helpful message "Strong winds - slow down" and flashing "50". Really? I was astonished to be informed of the wind conditions, as I thought there was just something wrong with the steering which was making me veer from side to side.
Ah! That explains it. I wondered who was playing God and telling the strong winds to slow down. Bit like the sign outside Perth going north on the A9 which tells the police that unmarked cars are operating (or something like that).
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Or, 'Heavy Plant Crossing'
Damn Triffids!
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And don't forget the Slow Children who attend the Slow School.
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The slow children are the ones getting ready for the STOP Children sign at the lollipop lady. It always seems to be the cars that stop rather than the children
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The Family Planning Association seems to have stopped sponsoring lollipop ladies with their "Stop Children" signs and they now just say "Children".
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All the way up the M1 this morning, the gantries were displaying the helpful message "Strong winds - slow down" and flashing "50". Really? I was astonished to be informed of the wind conditions, as I thought there was just something wrong with the steering which was making me veer from side to side.
You may realise it is the wind affecting your steering. However it is probably there as information for lorry drivers who can't understand why their vehicles fall onto their sides!
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Unfortunately the signs do not have enough space for the message:
"Turn your fog lights off and get out of the middle lane"
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Actually, that would be the best use. The signs recently added to the A1(M) in North Yorks all have cameras mounted above, so I reckon they should say things like
"You, you there in the silver 3 series, why not try some of the inner lanes?"
"Oi, sweaty bloke in the Vectra, stop tailgating that Audi, there's a dealership at the next junction if you want to look in the boot of an A6"
"Dense Fog, if you can't read this, please slow down"
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One has to laugh. The M8 was closed because one of the signs displaying "Caution high winds" blew down and was hanging on the motorway....
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In my more cynical moods, I suspect that those who are charged with dreaming up the slogans that appear on these signs have a competition going for who can think of the stupidest one.
Either that, or I reckon that the main qualification for deciding what goes on these signs is that one has an IQ of under 50.
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Maybe the operator sets the speed limit equal to their IQ.
Seriously though, _occasional_ messages such as
"Do you need to change lanes?"
"Do you need to turn your lights on?"
etc.
might be useful. They have to be infrequent though, as otherwise they will be ignored.
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One has to laugh. The M8 was closed because one of the signs displaying "Caution high winds" blew down and was hanging on the motorway....
The ultimate irony eh!!
I can assure you though it wasn't a laughing matter this morning!
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