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Slow signs on roads have sometimes puzzled me, because how slow is slow meant to be, so why not indicate a speed limit instead just a slow sign? In some instances there is a proliferation of these signs on the road? I am particularly puzzled by a stretch of road between Hathern (Leics) and Rempstone (Notts - I think). This is the A6006, Hathern to Melton Mowbray road, and for a considerable stretch, just before the crossroads with the A60, just outside Rempstone, there are slow signs on the road every 200 yards or so. The road is quite straight for much of this stretch, with good visibility, so I fail to see the need for all of these signs, but if they really want to the traffic to slow down, why not put up a lower speed limit, which is the practice on many stretches of rural roads these days?
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because a lower speed limit doesn't properly cover it
if you're driving along on an early sunday morning in the summer, bone dry road, good road surface, brilliant sunshine etc........you'd be able to drive faster than fri night at 5pm in the winter, pouring with rain and a diesel line all the way around the corner
the problem with the lower limit is some drivers would take the limit literally and still be too fast in some circs.....and it would annoy the keen drivers who could drive it faster and still be safe in other circs
'slow' means slow down from what has been your normal speed, pay more attention and take care of the following bit of road where there are more hazards....(my definition not Highway Code)
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because a lower speed limit doesn't properly cover it if you're driving along on an early sunday morning in the summer bone dry road good road surface brilliant sunshine etc........you'd be able to drive faster than fri night at 5pm in the winter pouring with rain and a diesel line all the way around the corner
This surely applies to roads with specific speed limits too? The speed limit is a maximum for ideal conditions, so one would be expected to exercise more caution in less than ideal conditions.
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This surely applies to roads with specific speed limits too? The speed limit is a maximum for ideal conditions so one would be expected to exercise more caution in less than ideal conditions.
you can look at it another way though........i.e. the limit might be set for what the clown with a deflated tyre, in the wet, dark night, with a car well over due a service, not paying attention etc, etc might do ..... so if you didn't fit that criteria, you could safely go faster, albeit illegally
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lots of roads with 50mph limits have Slow bits, where Slow is painted in the road along with 50.
Which seems a bit pointless as the speed limits already 50, so you should be going *slower*. Unless of course you've been breaking the law and going above the speed limit for the rest of the road.
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Perhaps 'Caution!' would be better than 'Slow!'.
Preferably with some explanation, like 'Loose Chippings', 'Blind Bend', 'Slippery Road', etc.
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I was told by my driving instructor it means to slow down if you're already over the speed limit or something of those words.
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Some bends do have recommended speed signs, and they suffer from exactly those disadvantagages that Westpig mentions. In ordinary circumstances in an ordinary car they are far too cautious, but for a lorry, wet road, heavy traffic, etc, it may be too fast.
I think in the main it is better to say what the hazzard is and then let drivers make their own judgement.
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The first time I went to Southern Ireland I noticed on some rural roads you'd get an initial SLOW before a sharp bend. Than 100yds further on SLOWER painted in the road.
Cracked me up the first time I saw it. They obviously knew how much notice the average driver takes of these signs.
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I think a lot of the slow signs must have originated before rural speed limits were imposed, or were intended for ancient vehicles having cart springs and retreaded/recut crossply tyres of dubious origin. The signs seem to bear no relation to the roadholding capability of a modern vehicle already obeying the current limit.
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L\'escargot.
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Beat me to it, dieselnut! I'm still laughing now - but it worked...
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Dieselnut - I also noticed these signs, which made me think there should have been a 'TOLD YOU!' just after the bend :-)
There are also 'WRONG WAY' markings at some dual-carriageway bits - which were equally amusing (also in the US, I believe).
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> ...I also noticed these signs, which made me think there should have been a 'TOLD YOU!' just after the bend.
Shouldn't that be on the other side of the hedge?
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Shouldn't that be on the other side of the hedge?
No. On the other side of the hedge there should be a garish flashing sign that says 'Pink fluffy dice!' or similar.
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To get a limit for a road you need a Traffic Regulation Order which takes months to sort out. To put up a slow sign you just need permission to erect them.
You know the road very well so the signs are now of little use to you. I don't know the road at all so such signs are an obvious warning to me to be cautious. As you say it's a crossroads, so potentially an area for a high speed 'T bone' crash to take place.
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The slow signs, of which there are dozens on both sides of the road, start miles before the crossroads. For traffic travelling away from the crossroads the crossroads are not relevant anyway. The road before these signs start/stop is much bendier, so I am at a loss to understand why there is the need for so many of these signs on the road at such frequent intervals. It must have been an expensive job to do them too.
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I regard them as recommendations - just as say, your co-driver in a rally car gives indications about the next turn, its distance/radius etc. They're also useful since they allow the ambient speed limit to stay, but indicate caution needed, without having a temporary lower limit for whatever the slow' was meant to warn about. Those corners or sections where there's a lower maximum advisory, i'm sure act like a red rag to a bull to some drivers - 'Hmmm... only 20mph eh? , I can do that at 40, easy...'
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Those corners or sections where there's a lower maximum advisory i'm sure act like a red rag to a bull to some drivers - 'Hmmm... only 20mph eh? I can do that at 40 easy...'
Yea - they are a red rag to me. On the A69 there are loads of signs coming up to bends. Some of them say max speed 40, and you can see right round the bend which is really just a slight curve. You can take these bends in top at 80. I always try and double what it says. Max speed 30 - no problem at 60.
On the subject, I think drivers are given too much information. I think they (don't know who) should get rid of most of the road clutter. All I need is road numbers and and speed limits (if different from the NSL).
Chevrons are stupid too. Do they (don't know who) think I can't see a bend coming up or something. All these signs just distract drivers from the task in hand. I think it would be far better to make drivers think for themselves, rather than spoon feeding them - telling them what speed they need to drive at round a particular bend.
As part of my research into immediate influences on driver behaviour - see earlier thread - I held a focus group with my supervisors. One of them said she took the number of chevrons as a guide for what gear she ought to be in - e.g. 2 chevrons = drop down one gear; 3 = drop down two. What a load of rubbish (I didn't say that). Just look at the road. All these signs distract you.
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I know the road you are talking about quite well, it's on my daily commute.
There are frequently long queues for the crossroads at peak times, and I know I've seen accidents where people have pulled out of side roads, or overtaken straight into oncoming traffic. Some of the junctions are particularly blind for those joining the A6006 (Try the East Leak turns!)
I guess the signs are to remind people to drive with full regard to the road conditions. Sadly, if people drive too slowly, it will only encourage drivers to overtake more frequently, increasing the risk of a crash.
Just don't get me started on the A6/A6006 junction! There have been more accidents there, yet the council do nothing.
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The junction at Hathern is ridiculous and really should be controlled by lights. I always turn left there now, even when wanting to go right, which is most of the time. It is much safer to find a place to turn round further up the road towards Loughborough.
Coming back to the A6006, the section from Hathern to the stretch where the slow signs start is no less hazardous; for instance, the speed limit through Zouch used to be 50 mph and is now 40 mph. If the stretch further on is so hazardous, why not simply impose a lower speed limit there too? All of that white paint on the roads cannot have been a cheap exercise. I don't know of any other stretch of road with that many slow signs painted on the road
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it means ease off the gas,to a speed below posted limit. they only write on the road after somebody gets killed, they more paint their is on the road the more dangerous it is , give these people some credit, they might know more about these things than the rest of us. just rember to think that slow is written in BLOOD.
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Sorry, but it still doesn't explain why they don't just lower the speed limit. There are thousands of miles of A roads in this country where limits of 40/50 mph have replaced the national speed limit. I am not questioning the need for a lower speed limit, although I think that other stretches of this are just as hazardous.
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