Safe Speed Forums

It isn't just temporary traffic lights. Many road works signs just don't give enough information. For example: last week I reached the turn into the lane where I live there was a "ROAD CLOSED" sign. Now what use is that? Is the road closed before or after my house? Do I have to go to the other end of the lane? This is quite common and it would be easy enough for whoever placed the sign to do what I did - write "800 yards ahead" on the sign.

Similarly. When there are major road works on a busy road the signage should be far enough in advance to allow you to choose another route. In practice it rarely is. You don't usually see a sign until you are in the stationary traffic

_________________
When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

The Garden Centre where my job is based is at one end of a short (1/2 mile) lane which was recently closed (without warning) for resurfacing from both ends. No guidance was given as to how customers were meant to access the garden centre, and given how easily confused our customer base are generally, it caused chaos. In the end we had to erect our own diversion and "Stewarts Open For Business" signs, but it effectively meant driving through a section that was being worked on.

I might add the the council workmen were apparently a bunch of complete jobsworth @rseholes who seemed to find the whole thing amusing, but that was probably a safe assumption anyway.

I think tat there is a competition going on between road gangs to see who can get the biggest traffic jam reported on Radio 5

_________________
When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Ah, I think if you manage to get angry whilst driving a car you should park it up, switch it off and leave it for 20 minutes.

Is there a way of measuring anger level?

Already posted back in 2004 that a good driver has to put any tiff on the "back burner" and chill out before gettting into a car.

Angry drivers miss vital COAST clues - and are as dangerous as the tired driver.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Right -- the Mad Doc has already posted the legal side. Red means Red/amber mean Amber means but you may pass if too close to the post/or if accident may occur if you "emergency brake", Green means you may proceed only if safe for you do so

Temporary lights are subject to the same laws. If they "stick" - you phone the authorities who will give you permission to proceed and then fix the lights.


Now as regards the long waits on red for each side. If the road works are a long stretch of repairs or if there are side streets joinig the main carriageway - then each side will remain at stop to allow for any such traffic (which entered the zone on amber or joined from a side street to complete their journey through the road works.)

As regards the signs - I agree that they do not give adequate information either to locals or strangers to the area and perhaps worthy of lobby to council highways departments? to make things "safer"...

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

That's very easy to say and do when you're not angry...

_________________
Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

But the signs give the information they have to: ROAD CLOSED...............TRAFFIC LIGHTS.............ETC
Sometimes you may see: ROAD CLOSED DUE TO GASWORKS (ETC)
The only time the workers can just show-up and dig the road up without notice is for an emergency repair, otherwise they have to give notice and then get told when they can do the job.
As for the rail network.........it may be hard to realise, but the signaling system knows where the trains are....the trains have to proceed at certain speeds (signed on the trackside) (and to which the drivers HAVE to conform...or no job). They cannot just rush into a station then pile the brakes on (even within the limited braking available to trains) they also have to brake slowly because of the passengers. A single coach train will be about 40 tonnes....work out the energy to dissipate to slow that down fast....also note that practically all the controlled level crossings now have cctv

_________________
The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

If sitting at a red light for five minutes makes one very angry to the point of unreasonablness I'd probably suggest said person seeks help.

If sitting at a red light for five minutes makes one very angry to the point of unreasonablness I'd probably suggest said person seeks help.[/quote]

Perhaps they did not PLAN the journey. T of COAST can stand for allowing time for your journey If you set off late - then resign to fact - you will arrive late

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

_________________
The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

That depends on how you define unreasonable.
Safely edging forward in the belief that something must be wrong isn't unreasonable (even if it is technically wrong).
Even knowing the phasing is that (needlessly) slow, but knowing the way ahead is and will be clear and that it is safe to proceed (while accepting full responsibility if anything goes wrong from doing so) isn't unreasonable either.

Either way, encouraging people to become frustrated (without an explanation of the problem) isn't a mark of an effective road safety policy.

_________________
Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

If there was, they'd link it to a camera...

people get angry doing alsorts of things, why should driving be any different? I am not saying it is right to drive while angry and I am not saying it is right (or wrong) to get angry waiting for 5 minutes for a red light when it appears nothing is going on to justify a red light, it is just human nature.

When we're driving one tonne (or more) vehicles in a public space we should be striving to acheive virtual sainthood as far as anger or aggression goes IMO

of course you are right, however we are the same person when we walk, cycle, drive, work. The same things annoy us. There are some highly skilled, specially trained drivers that can put things a side, then there is everyone else.

We could of course engineer ways to stop people getting annoyed when travelling by road, by not having excessive red light times and not giving a reason why for example.

Frustration - 'slightly raised stress' from an 'X' input - mild : frown, mutter - fairly easily 'reversed' by logical thinking back to a 'calm & assertive self' ... to 'severe' : where a heighten state of concern/ agitation is exhibited. (- could increase from having no control over outside influences that have or are causing delays etc.,)

Anger - extremely raised stress with shouting, hitting out (perhaps) lots of arm gestures, - hard to reason or bring one self back into a calm & assertive state, IF possible left over stress levels are high, and lashing out at someone/thing else is highly likely over the next 'x' period.

So what's inbetween:
Extremely Frustrated ... ?

What are we actually talking about here. Many people can be 'momentarily' annoyed - they are not loosing it or about to lash out, they quickly dissipate their mood as soon as or within a few seconds of (in this case) travel being resumed. perhaps a queue every day may build up but most allow more time, knowing the delay is 'bad enough' without adding 'frustration' to the journey.
Many people staying in touch by using the phone remain calmer as people are 'informed' so are less stressed.
People are forgiven by unexpected delays.

Now Red Mist Anger is a whole 'nother' ball game - loss of control can result.

So how do we 'Anger manage' from day to day.
I try to always be 'in control' of my car and ALL the surroundings all the time, anything entering that space is by my 'allowing it to happen' and those that barge in (on those rare occasions) are immediately given (proper) room (as soon as possible) and added to the entire scenario that is constantly being updated on 'hazard alert', new dangers, immediate threats, Notice of 'soon events', distance hazards to others and ongoing 'effects' that 'will' or 'may effect me or a nearer car to me ...
By controlling the entire environment as much as one possibly can, the ONLY time I might possible be a little annoyed, is only ever with myself for not noticing something or not preparing myself fully for something that I missed.
If IMO you get angry at another it is only because YOU got scared, and you get scared because you feel threatened, and you can only be threatened because you failed to see / allow for, something.

_________________
Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

So, let me guess... it's ok to be angry in other lighter, less motorised vehicles?

Like an Ariel Atom for example (OK it is motorised but weighs considerably less than a ton)?

A pushbike for instance?

I'd advise somebody on a cycle getting angry and riding aggressivly is more likely to get THEM killed, but if they were driving a car in the same state they're likely to take somebody else out out this process.