Headline News: Fenland village dragged into the tech age.
We've just seen a couple of these interactive electronic speed signs erected in a village I travel through daily. When I heard the plans I was dead against for various reasons. After a couple of weeks they are growing on me.
There are many regular travellers who used to ignore the 40mph limit, never mind the new 30mph limit. The signs do at least jog the memory and cause folks to slow down as they absorb the "yes it means you" message that is driven home.
The first day they were fitted I watched as they were triggered constantly but now perhaps every third car gets a flash. Someone must be getting the message.
Thought I had something really exciting to post at the weekend when the sign lit up as I came within range in the tractor (at 18mph). Then I realised it was the Fiat Panda passing me triggering the system.
Two points there as well. What is a Panda doing passing a tractor and how did I let him get past without turning right with no warning.
David
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DW,
My folks live in a place called Fen End, needless to say they'll be really jealous to have been left out of the Fenland techno advance. I think they've just discovered the wheel up there.
Ooo ahhr.
Stu.
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Dagenham erected these signs on a road with a 30 limit last year. Far from having the effect of slowing traffic down, the locals regard it as something if a macho challenge to illuminate the signs which are set to display their message if they detect a vehicle moving at 40mph+. The traffic flow on that particular road is now about 5mph above what it used to be.
But then, thats Dagenham for you.
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Near Newmarket there is an even cleverer sign. It is on the approach to a crossroads. If you approach too fast, the sign lights up. The really clever bit is that it is wind powered, with a little wind turbine on the top which presumably charges some batteries inside it. I'm surprised no-one has stolen it yet.
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This would make an excellent 'find your way back to the tent amongst 10,000 other tents at Reading Festival' if you could find a way to trigger it by sound...
My mate Chris and I invented the 'find your tent device' at Reading Festival using a Caravan Aerial pole and a 'liberated' flashing road works beacon.
(But I'm much more sensible now).
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There's one of these at Peak Forest in the Peak District on the A623 - used to be quite sensitive I think. I was never sure whether it made people slow or, like Tom Shaw suggets, speed up just to set the thing off - there may be something slightly provocative about mechanical devices such as this which prompts people to exercise them - I'm not from Dagenham BTW!
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On the A47 in rural Leicestershire there is a junction immediately around a fast flowing corner. One of the aforementioned signs detects speeding cars and warns them to slow down as there is a car waiting at the junction. A very clever and worthwhile use of technology, far better than the overhead motorway signs that I was criticising in my post on M1 Fog.
Yours
Andy
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Too busy fiddling with your CVT gearbox, GPS, Digitronic command module, air conditioning and the CD player to notice that Panda, I suppose. Or is your tractor one of the older numb bum versions with optional plastic bag on the iron seat--the deluxe models have jute sacking. Afficionados might like to know there is a bar in Helsinki -- the Zetor (of course) -- that has uncovered seats appropriated from various old tractors. Personally, I favoured standing against going home with a brand name etched into .........
I quite like these electronic signs but admit to checking just how fast you need to go to trigger them when I come across a new one. Again casual observation suggests they do slow traffic down and seem a lot more sensible than speed humps and peculiar narrowing of entrances to villages. Both create extra noise and pollution as drivers get back up to their previous speed. Even less effective, my own village has adopted new pictorial signs which show both a duck(?!) and a parent leading a child symbol. They look naff and I'm sure have no impact whatsoever on slowing people down.
David
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A certain village I visit on a regular basis has aquired one of these signs. I can see the point is to inform drivers that they are no longer on an unrestricted country road and it probably does this quite well.
However I now find myself feeling quite robbed if I don't set it off and I'm sure those drivers are too busy staring at the 'pretty' sign to notice the village they have just entered at 60mph.
As for the Tractor seats try visiting the Rock Garden in Covent Garden. They have stools made out of tractor seats which are some of the more uncomfortable seats I've ever sat upon. Constantly attempt to tip you forward so you have to lean on a wall or table to stay upright.
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I'm sure the alcohol intake has NOTHING to do with that now, does it? 8>)
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David,
Tractor 30yrs old so no high tech bits to monitor, only need to look if the implement is still there or has fallen off back up the road....ie the usual.
But the seat....what luxury.
Tractor came fitted with a padded, sprung and hydraulic damped optional seat, absolute bliss.
Sped reduction measures: Have to admit I wanted the cobbles/narrowing set-up and thought the signs would do no good at all. So far they have proved a reasonable option.
You are right there is a temptation to see what their set speed might be, 40 mph in this case. Not that I'd do 40 in a 30 limit but there is a way. A little known but sometimes used defence in speeding cases is that the heater blower fan on high can confuse the radar and double the recorded speed. Hence I drove at 20mph with the fan on fast and the sign lights up.
Sorry thought I was LAS for a minute.
David
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I still think the best ones are those in France where excessive speed on the entry to a village turns the traffic lights in the middle of the village against the speeding motorist. There is one village where I think the 'X road ' consists of 2 small cul de sacs! However monsieur Le Plod sometimes will hide just to catch out those who think they can ignore it.
I would make one small improvement to the design, use sensors at various different points in the approach road as this will prevent those boy racers who slow for the one sensor and then accelaerate hard!
I remember a trial on the A20/M20 roadworks where a large computer controlled display actually displayed the registration and speed to the offending driver. This had a marked effect on people. I guess I saw that about 3 years ago, and number plate recognition has moved on since then. Whether it can cope with black bolts, italic script and distoterted letters yet has to be seen.
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Coming into Penworthham, Preston from Southport on the A59 there's a "You're speeding" warning camera, but it is followed about 100 yards by a GATSO. Guess you couldn't complain that there was no warning if you get a ticket!
Lee.
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That is like the system I saw in mainland Europe, I seem to recall Netherlands.
First stage interactive warning sign, second stage ditto but displayed reg number and speed, third stage flash flash. All out in the open, nothing hidden and I don't think anyone, even me, could complain about speed cameras used in such a manner. Was it at an accident blackspot though?
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Just wish there was a way I could flash an answer.
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