Mobile speed display
This mobile sign spends its life travelling around Lincolnshire in an attempt to make drivers slow down by displaying their speed. This
is not a speed trap as there is no camera and you will not receive a fine for exceeding the limit. These devices have recently attracted
groups of boy racers as they try to get the highest speed displayed.
Mobile speed display
This is another mobile scoreboard. This one is on the A50 to the south of Knutsford which happens to be in the middle of one the few decent overtaking straights.
Mobile speed display
The image below shows a typical scene on the motorways around Birmingham during peak periods. The M6 between junctions 4 and 10a is always slow moving and often stationary, so is the M42 between junctions 2 and 7 and the M5 north of junction 1. This congestion is as regular as clockwork.
Is that car going to use the hard shoulder to jump the queue or is it going to reverse and go the other way?
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This is the M6 southbound at Hilton Park Services. This is where the congestion starts and usually lasts for the next 10 miles or so.
Stationary traffic
A foggy morning on the M1 near Nottingham. Most vehicles have turned on their rear fog lights, but not all. The car in lane 1 has just his normal lights on while the car the right has fog lights on. Even though it is further away, the car on the right is more visible due to its lights. If the car on the left was the same distance away, it would be almost invisible.
Worst still, there were cars with no lights on at all. This is suicidal, especially when changing lanes. I wonder if accidents in fog are
caused by people driving around with their lights off rather than speed.
Fog on M1
Another foggy M1 scene. The lorry and the car both have a single fog light. The car is OK but aren't lorries supposed to have two. Anyway,
there are no lights at all on the offside of the lorry, so I'm assuming the bulbs must have blown. At a distance any vehicle with a single light
could be mistaken for a motorbike.
Fog on M1
This scene shows a recently closed road in London. Unfortunately, such closures force more traffic onto fewer roads. Some drivers totally ignore the no entry signs even when being photographed. This goes to show that unreasonable restrictions on motoring results in drivers treating the law with contempt. No one will wait in queues when they could duck down a 50 yard stretch of closed road.
Update - I'm pleased to announce that common sense has prevailed and this stupid road closure has been scrapped.
Pathetic road closures don't work
This image shows the construction of the No Mans Heath bypass near Whitchurch. This is the busy A41 and the existing road is totally unsuitable
for todays traffic conditions. The sharp bends are being replaced with long straights which will allow traffic to flow smoother. The village will
benefit by having through traffic removed.
Bypass under construction
The same scene shortly after opening. The double bend has been replaced by a nice overtaking straight.
Bypass shortly after opening
This is the north end of the Bypass under construction. This time a straight is being replaced by a bend.
Bypass under construction
Part of the old road still exists and is now a cycle path.
Bypass shortly after opening
A rare sight of an urban road with a national speed limit. Some motorways have a lower limit than this. Seems the so-called 'safety brigade' hasn't
butchered this road yet.
National speed limit on urban road
This is a rare sight of a dual carriageway with two lanes right up to the end of the central reservation. There aren't many left like
this as nearly all dual carriageways
have had the right hand lane hatched for the last 100yds or so. Notice how the speed limit is only 50mph.
Dual carriageway ending with two lanes
This is a deliberate attack on motoring. The purpose of hatching one lane is to force cars into a procession by denying any opportunities
to overtake. Not only is this anti motorist, its also anti safety. A driver who catches up with a slower vehicle will start to get annoyed and
some drivers will start tailgating. With our roads becoming ever more congested this is a dreadful waste of space.
Dual carriageway reduced to one lane
This is another hatched dual carriageway. This shot clearly shows several vehicles in a procession unable to overtake.
Wasted roadspace
This crawler lane in Oxfordshire has been hatched out in a deliberate attempt to frustrate motorists. Because the lines are broken is it perfectly legal for
uphill traffic to overtake. It is illegal for downhill traffic to overtake even though there is enough room to pass someone before the dip in the distance.
Crawler lane hatched out
This is the sort of vandalism which seems to be springing up everywhere. Just out of shot is a side road which attracts a lot of traffic.
Instead of building a filter lane, some bright spark thought it would be best to build this piece of chicanery which reduces capacity and annoys
motorists.
Another vandalised road
This is the A449 near Wombourne, a stretch that is notorious for accidents. In September 2009 part of the 70mph limit was reduced to between 40 and 60mph and one lane of the northbound carriageway
was removed. Within two weeks there were two further accidents which suggests these measures have failed. The only thing they are good at is increasing frustration when you can't legally overtake.
Another road butchered
Most older trunk roads had three lanes with the centre lane being an overtaking lane which traffic in both directions had equal priority to.
This was an extremely successful way of passing slower vehicles when there was traffic coming in the opposite direction. Sadly, nearly all
of these centre lanes have been removed, either by narrowing the road, turning the centre lane in to hatchings or by building keep left bollards.
The result of this is a long procession of vehicles with frustrated drivers who are unable to overtake. So much for road safety.
Three lane single carriageway
Another legacy from the good old days. I'm surprised the middle lane hasn't been turned into a right turn lane.
Another three lane single carriageway
This three lane stretch is on the A38, a road which was mostly three lanes before the M5 was built. This short stretch is all that remains.
Three lane single carriageway
This road has just been resurfaced and the three lanes have been retained. This is most unusual these days as three lane roads normally have a
double white line to give priority in a certain direction.
Newly resurfaced road with three lanes
This three lane road is in a 30mph limit in Cwmbran. This is one of the 1960s/70s new towns and the road network was
designed for maximum efficiency. Nowadays most new towns have had their roads altered to make driving unpleasant by removing overtaking
opportunities but this road has yet to be vandalised.
The car in the centre lane is overtaking a learner
This road used to have three lanes as can be seen by the cats eyes which have been filled in. Some of the markings also remain, especially
those at the edge which really meant the edge of the road and not 6 foot away as they are now. This is an attempt at trying to prevent
overtaking which results in processions.
This road used to have three lanes
This road has excessive verges which are almost as wide as the car. With the same amount on the other side, this road could easily have three lanes
and possibly four. Perhaps there was at one time. Increasing road capacity would go a long way to solving congestion and frustration which in turn
would reduce accidents, but the powers that be seem intent on making driving as unpleasant as possible.
Two lane road with enough room for three lanes
This is how it should be done. Four lane roads use only slightly more land (or none at all if you look at the picture above) but
the improvements to the flow of traffic are enormous. Most four lane roads now have a double white line in the centre but
this one still has a broken line which means it is legal for four vehicles to be parallel with each other in the same direction.
Four lane road
Short stretches of road like this are created when a road has changed course. The hatched markings used to be part of a right turn lane
which has been replaced by a roundabout.
Old road
The M5 on a quiet saturday afternoon. A blue Nova is in lane 3 while a blue van (can't tell what it is) is about half a cars length
in front having just let the white car join. The lamposts have a longer arm on one side so the light can reach the edge of the carriageway
on the outside of a sharp bend. They won't last long as replacement is imminent.
A rather empty M5 junction 4a
Another M5 scene, this time with a bit more traffic. The red car in lane 3 seems to be holding up the silver car, you can tell because
he is being tailgated. White van man is making his appearance. A Transit hi-cube sits in lane 2, with plenty of space around him, normally he
is the worst tailgater of them all. The old orange strip lighting will be replaced shortly by the new 'peachy' colour lamps. Work is currently
taking place a few miles further down.
M5 in Worcestershire