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Britain's Scariests Junctions - Altea Ego
According to Brittania Rescue

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8382506.stm

Gravelly Hill (Spaghetti Junction), Birmingham
M8 junctions through central Glasgow
Marble Arch, London
Magic Roundabout, Swindon, Wiltshire
Hanger Lane Gyratory, west London
M5/M6 intersection, Birmingham
Piccadilly Circus, London
Five Ways junction, Birmingham
Magic Roundabout, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
Kingston Bridge, Glasgow
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Rattle
I am glad I don't live in Birmingham :).

Marble Arch,. my dad told me story about that, his dad was giving him lessons and took him down Marble Arch my dad was so scared he said he had trouible keeping his eyes open, this would have been 1971/72. It is scary enouigh crossing that junction (yes I know they are subways but I prefer not to use them).

Britain's Scariests Junctions - old crocks
About that time I used to go to Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner on my bicycle just for the thrill.
And I've lived to tell the tale.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Lud
Heh heh. They're all a doddle, and so is Hyde Park Corner which is just as bad as Marble Arch.

The Arc de Triomphe in a Paris rush hour has them all beat. Try crossing that on foot.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Alby Back
It would seem then that some Britons must be fairly easily scared.

There are junctions in Florence, Rome and Naples which can be genuinely disconcerting unless treated confidently or perhaps better still with blissful naivety.

Those though, in the main, generate only difficult traffic, there are junctions in some South American locations which not only handle large volumes of traffic but do so while everyone ignores the traffic signals. Not through some collective disrespect for the local traffic laws but mainly from recognition that stopping would result in being mugged, car jacked or simply shot by opportunistic bandits.

We have little to worry about by comparison.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Wurzel83
I think one of those Birmingham ones may be the roundabout near Wallsall which goes down hill in a spiral hence if you miss the exit then you can not go round again and end up on the spaghetti junction!

Edited by Wurzel83 on 27/11/2009 at 18:26

Britain's Scariests Junctions - NARU
My father's commute included Marble Arch back in the early 70s. After several years of doing it in a minivan he swapped the van for a landrover - and enjoyed the change so much that he went round twice!
Britain's Scariest Junctions - Old Navy
It must be frighten the motorist week, Yesterday Sky News was doing a scary motorway story. Must be a slow news period after the bad weather.

Edited by Old Navy on 27/11/2009 at 18:53

Britain's Scariests Junctions - b308
It would seem then that some Britons must be fairly easily scared.


Would agree, M5/M6 and the Gravelly Hill Interchange (Spag. Junc) are pretty straightforward... Five Ways is more daunting to a new driver rather than scary, just got to watch for the gap and then floor it!

The Arc de Triomphe - now that is "challenging"!!

Reminds me of a driving course I took years ago in the West End of Glasgow - a couple of women cam along and admitted that they'd never driven on a motorway as they were too scared of them, the policeman in charge asked them how they had got from where they lived (in the north east of Glasgow) to where the course was... answer was they'd driven through the centre of Glasgow in the rush hour! Much the more difficult way to do it... he took them out on the motorway at the end of the course!!
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Altea Ego
Looking at the list, I can tick them all off as "done"


Britain's Scariests Junctions - BobbyG
Can understand the junctions around the M8 in Glasgow and the Kingston Bridge.
At Charing X, you have a slip road coming onto the fast lane, then 2 slips off to the left and then a slip off to the right.

Kingston Bridge you have 2 lanes going straight on but 2 slip roads joining to your left, one coming from under the bridge and one from over!
Britain's Scariest Junctions - Old Navy
That area around the Kingston bridge is good fun, certainly keeps you alert!

Don't know why there is no roadside art in that area. :-)

Edited by Old Navy on 27/11/2009 at 20:05

Britain's Scariest Junctions - BobbyG
ON, I once stayed at the Marriot hotel which overlooks the Kingston Bridge. It was actually quite fascinating just looking out the window watching the traffic, the different techniques, the road ragers, the bullys and the mimsers.
Its also weird to see the road lights are mounted on the external sides of the bridge as "add-ons" to the structure due to the road lanes literally going right to the barrier.
Britain's Scariest Junctions - Old Navy
Takes real creative driving to hit a lamp post there, probably fatal too.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - CGNorwich
The Arc de Triomphe is truly an inspired bit of road design. Who but the French would have planned a junction with 12 major roads meeting in the middle of the city. Not a single white line sullies the road surface. The only way to negotiate it is with absolute certainty of purpose. Any hesitation and you are truly lost. Fantastic!
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Altea Ego
The Arc de Triomphe is truly an inspired bit of road design. Who but the
French would have planned a junction with 12 major roads meeting in the middle of
the city.


Napoleon, thats who. It makes sense when you consder he planned it as the centre of the world.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Alby Back
Allegedly designed it with one arm tied behind.....

Think I'll go for a swim. JC's on Jonathon Ross later.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - CGNorwich
"he planned it as the centre of the world"

Parisians believe it still is.

Megalomaniac dictators have generally proved quite effective in providing decent roads.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - movilogo
The Arc de Triomphe in a Paris rush hour has them all beat. Try crossing that on foot.


Did that when I visited Paris first time [in rush hour]! Didn't know that there was an underpass for pedestrians.

Some drivers swore in French though ;)

Edited by movilogo on 27/11/2009 at 20:29

Britain's Scariests Junctions - scouseford
Personally, I'd say that the Hyde Park roundabout is scarier than Marble Arch but it was put into perspective for me a few years ago when I went around it in a Hackney cab. I was watching the driver intently to see his technique. As he entered the roundabout (from Piccadilly) he calmly took a cigarette out, lit it with a match and was puffing away merrily as we entered Park Lane having not stopped at all!

I also reckon the whole of the Peripherique in Paris to be worse than anything in the UK with The Arc as the absolute junction from hell.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Andrew-T
Some drivers swore in French though ;)


Are you sure?
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Harleyman
Megalomaniac dictators have generally proved quite effective in providing decent roads.


Hmmmm..... Ken Livingstone lost the plot a bit then.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Lud
.... Ken Livingstone lost the plot a bit then.


Spot on Harley, excellent.

:o}
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Roly93
The Arc de Triomphe in a Paris rush hour has them all beat. Try crossing
that on foot.

I have to say that a lot of parts of Paris have the UK beat hands-down when its comes to traffic scaryness !
Britain's Scariests Junctions - paulb {P}
The Arc de Triomphe in a Paris rush hour has them all beat. Try crossing
that on foot.


Seconded. On my bucket list is to do a lap of that thing - probably in someone else's car...
Britain's Scariests Junctions - L'escargot
They're only scary if you're timid.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Cliff Pope
I know a rural junction where a minor road joins a major A-road at a very shallow angle.
Try joining it in a van - it is impossible to see what is coming in the blind spot, the only options are
1) just go for it and hope
2) edge out slowly and see if anyone hoots.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - redviper
Can i nominate, the A66 (East) - A19 North

drive towards Middlesbrough and join the slip road to join the A19 North

A Thin slip road that bends to the left joins another slip road for traffic coming from (i think) from the A66 West coming out of Middlesbrough

this then merges onto the A19 North, this is all done on raised ramps AND with fences that go right to the end of the kerbs when the Junctions meet, so you cannot see whats coming up the road.

So Joining the A19 you are in your 50mph Limit, you navigate accross the other sliproad which has cars coming from the A66 West, and immediatly it joins the A19 where its a national speedlimit, so effectivly for most no restriction

i think i got it right, this is the junction im on about (Link for Google maps)

tinyurl.com/yzpbylf

Edited by redviper on 28/11/2009 at 08:48

Britain's Scariests Junctions - perro
I used to cycle from sowf lunden to Hyde Park to go fishing in the Serpentine taking in Marble Arch on me way ... The 1st time I 'hit it' in a vehicle was in the firm's mini-van, I just stayed there waiting for a gap ... waiting .... waiting ... I'd still ave been there now if it wasn't for Bob saying "come on you clot - no one's gonna let you out - you've gotta fight your way out!
Britain's Scariests Junctions - the swiss tony
I know a rural junction where a minor road joins a major A-road at a
very shallow angle.
Try joining it in a van - it is impossible to see what is coming
in the blind spot the only options are
1) just go for it and hope
2) edge out slowly and see if anyone hoots.


3) find another route.

Thats my preferred option, I use it even if it means going 5 miles further - better taking longer getting there, than not getting there at all.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Auristocrat
I work on the Hagley Road in Birmingham and use the Five ways roundabout on a daily basis. Yes, it can be daunting to the new or more timid driver, but if one is careful the junction poses no problems.
Similarly I use the M5/M6 intersection regularly, and the same applies.
As an aside, during the Cold War, the Five Ways roundabout was supposedly used as a targeting point for incoming missiles - being so readily identifiable from the air and being so close to the City Centre, that the City Centre would be wiped out in the event of a missile strike. In fact, a civiil service building just down from Five Ways island had a nuclear bunker beneath.

Edited by Auristocrat on 28/11/2009 at 12:54

Britain's Scariests Junctions - ifithelps
...during the Cold War, the Five Ways roundabout was supposedly used as a targeting point for incoming missiles...

Poor old Brum - it took some hammer during the Second World War.

The rebuild made the centre easier to drive through north to south, but one or two of the designed open spaces were not a success.

Their susceptibility to through winds led to the inevitable nickname 'Windy City'.



Britain's Scariests Junctions - Niallster
1. the right turn for Blisworth on the Northbound A43. To get to the turn lane in the middle of the dual carriageway you have to stay in the outside lane and slow down with idiots screaming up behind you. You then turn against two lanes of traffic coming hammering at you hell for leather. Suicide.

2. the Madejski Stadium roundabout off the M4. Three hundred yards up from the motorway to a plateau of madness. On a Friday at 6pm the only way through is to close your eyes floor the accelerator and pray.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - perro
The TF-1 Northbound where it joins the TF-5 can be rather fun in rush hour, its not in Britain though thank goodness ! (Tenerife)

Edited by Webmaster on 29/11/2009 at 12:42

Britain's Scariests Junctions - Bromptonaut
1. the right turn for Blisworth on the Northbound A43. To get to the turn
lane in the middle of the dual carriageway you have to stay in the outside
lane and slow down with idiots screaming up behind you. You then turn against two
lanes of traffic coming hammering at you hell for leather. Suicide.


Agree !00%. Turn left towards Tiffield and approach Blisworth via local roads. Takes a few minutes longer but at least you arrive alive.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - barney100
Any junction on Malta has me in a sweat. Those guys just don't care!
Britain's Scariests Junctions - 1400ted
There's going to be an almighty wallop here some time !

tinyurl.com/y9rchqx

The slip road from the top left crosses the northbound track of Princess Road and feeds into the southbound. The southbound, which has been 3 lanes for some distance, by now has become 2 lanes with the 3rd merging into the second some way before the slip road enters.
But.....the 3rd lane is still there, just adjacent to the 2 white trucks, except that it's now hatchings. Most people on the main road heading south in the 3rd lane ignore the hatched area and treat it as a lane. There is no protection for them or sliproad traffic in the way of lights or give way signs. The limit is 40mph with traffic often going at 50 or 60.
Also, some traffic off the slip has to get across the main road for the M60 slip, further south.

I drive past here daily but I no longer use the slip road...I go straight across from left to right and make a right turn onto the southbound Princess Road...protected by lights.

A bit complex, but I hope you see what I mean.

Ted
Britain's Scariests Junctions - ifithelps
Ted,

Looks like a Scalextric layout.

Britain's Scariests Junctions - Lud
A lot of the worst junctions, the ones you will go another way to avoid, aren't these huge urban-motorway interchange thingies at all, but are minor crossroads made lethal by extremes of gradient or poor visibility in places where cars on the major road may not be displaying due caution in response to road signs. I know a couple like that in West Sussex.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - 1400ted
Ted
Looks like a Scalextric layout.


Could be more fun than Scalex. Iffy. The other thing is that cars coming off the slip have to get from 2 lanes into one, but won't, and are up to about 40mph by this point if the TLs are in favour at the start of the slip.
Vision between the two roads is limited due to some bushes and trees.
So, 40mphers meeting 50 mphers side on...be like a game of skittles !

Ted
Britain's Scariests Junctions - JH
hmm, I reckon the voters are the same people who want to ban balloons from outside someone's shop as they are" a health & safety risk". To them maybe. But not to any sane person :-(

JH
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Sofa Spud
Complex roundabouts and other junctions are usually more scary if you're unfamiliar with them. Once you know your way round these, like which lanes you need to be in, they're not so bad.

So strange towns can be daunting, even if you're used to negotiating more demanding layouts in your familiar home territory.

What I find most scary are ones with limited visibility - especially if you're turning right onto a busy main road.

There used to be a short stretch of road in Bath where two sections of one-way street ran side by side, meaning that there was effectively a two-way road where everyone drove on the wrong side of the road. There were marker posts down the middle of the road, but it was still a bit disconserting.

Edited by Sofa Spud on 28/11/2009 at 16:33

Britain's Scariests Junctions - Nsar
Can't see why Spag Jnc is scary, it's just slip roads.

M60 westbound at Worsley crossing to the left to get onto the M62 to Liverpool while all the Worsley junction joiners are trying to get over to the right to continue on the M60, all on a bend and all achieved in 300 yards of one of Eurpope's busiest stretches of Motorway tends to stir the blood on on a wet Monday at about 8.00am

Britain's Scariests Junctions - 1400ted
Especially on a bike, Nsar, you need about 6 eyes. I come down here a lot and always get in the 3rd lane for the M60 well before the split and stay there, whatever else is happening behind. If I'm up to speed I'll be in the 4th by then!
It's all right if you know it well, but it's the visitors that scare you with their late swerves..

Ted
Britain's Scariests Junctions - carl_a
>>M5/M6 intersection, Birmingham

The only scary thing about this junction is the tailbacks it produces.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - bristol01
Spaghetti Junction isn't scary, it just looks it from the air.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - hjd
I would nominate the part of the central motorway in Newcastle upon Tyne, where you can join on the right hand side of the motorway - you could then cut straight across the carriageway to exit on the left. A bit heart in mouth in that area.
Britain's Scariests Junctions - SteelSpark
Just did Marble Arch for the first time the other night, don't know what all the fuss is about.

Mind you, I was only turning from Edgware Road onto Park Lane, and I did spend a couple of minutes studying it beforehand on Google Street View :)
Britain's Scariests Junctions - Altea Ego
Marble arch is easy. Just aim for a black cab - he will avoid you.

Edited by Altea Ego on 05/12/2009 at 10:01