Safe Speed Forums

Just seen on the news this morning that one county, Norfolk I think, are erecting signs that show a smiley face if you are under the limit. Didn't catch what they do if you are over.

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Shooting is good for you and too good for some people.

they distract your attention from the road with a flashing light display to inform you're doing nothing wrong?

Presumably too this is at a spot identified as dangerous too, where full driver concentration is highly desirable? How long before one 'legal' driver panic brakes when it lights up and the next one, also 'legal', steams in the back of him as he too was distracted by the disco lights?

The idiocy of these people never ceases to amaze me.

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Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

Slightly off topic?? - "Vehicle activated sign" - one in rear window of person doing moonie to tailgaters ?( to remind them of what an ar** they are)

I've always wanted something that did this: Probably not a good idea in reality to wind the eejits up more, but it's nice to think about.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

Hi folks,
There is a vas on the A41 at turnhill which is right on a bend.
There are good signs and chevrons,but the problem is, the sign is at the same height as most truck cabs so when the sign lights up it blinds you! You are just into the bend and for an instant you can't see whats in front of you, time enough for an accident to happen! I wonder if the Engineers who put the signs up ever take truck cab heights into consideration when installing these signs?

I dunno what the rules are on the disco signs but normal reflective road signs have to be angled away, (ie something like 92 degrees to the line of approaching traffic) so as not to reflect drivers own headlights back at them.

but then again they're installed by the highways agency with a scientific understanding of the more abstract aspects of road dangers as opposed to the simplistic schemes of bicycle worshiping do-good enviromentalists.

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Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

I thought these road signs were made of "diamond grade" material, ie, material containing miniature polygons to give perfect angle reflection to the light source?

you're probably right, the company i worked for that got themselves a contract to whack in a couple of large signs tended to be about 50 years behind the times in most practices. In fact the only reason we became aware of the angles was because one of the chaps got a book from the library and read up... after the sign fell down the first two times after it was errected.

ahh the wonderfull cheapest tender system eh. I think perhaps the company will remain nameless, but we were ISO 9002 approved...

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Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

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Too much of our money is being wasted on supposed road safety improvements that are actually making driving more dangerous.

I think most are 3M Scotchlite which uses glass beads. Diamond Grade is much more expensive and doesn't last as long because water can seep between the front plastic sheet and the white adhesive backing. Usually it is cut using a knife and heat sealer but look at any battenburg police car closely and inevitably it has dirt streaks inside the markings.

Gareth

There's a sign just round the bend before a traffic light on the A523 north of Macclesfield which randomly lights up and says "queue ahead". Usually when it lights up there isn't a queue - and vice versa! In fact it was so long before it did light up that I was wondering what it was there for. This is a road which was "dumbed down" a few years ago and had NSL replaced by 40/50 for no obvious reason.

There are also two near Hazel Grove station (Stockport) that flash 30 plus a bike. I've no idea why, as there is no obvious cycle path or crossing there. And - as so often - you don't have to exceed 30 to get the things to go off.

Brian

Saw a new type of VAS sign the other day and I'm interested to hear what others think of it. It's situated on a tight left hander at the end of a long straightish section of NSL (I think) road leading to 40mph before the bend. (Location (doesn't really show the bend too well, but Multimap's photo does it better.) There's a big black and white left pointing chevron on the bend, but the new VAS next to it appears at first glance to be another one of the same. However, approach at over a certain speed and the chevrons light up and march to the left. Not seen it at night yet, but even in daylight it's very noticeable. IMO pretty good at emphasising the hazard. The only concern I have is the outside chance that it might distract approaching drivers from keeping an eye on the side road that meets the bend from the right more or less at the apex.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

About £5,000 to install, then a small ongoing maintenance and electric cost.


I just read in a local paper that the council had just opted for a VAS rather than a fixed speed camera at a certain site. No prizes for guessing which most people here would prefer, and well done to the councillors for using a bit of common sense. The SCP spokesman seemed a bit miffed though. Still, he did say they would be sending out mobile enforcement cameras,anyway, so that drivers "couldn't get away with it".