Safe Speed Forums

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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

It's just a crying shame, that Britain is going backwards and ruining ours, by putting traffic lights on them. If the Americans can see that roundabouts are less congestion forming and save fuel why can't the idiots in this country? Unless off course, there are some nice little back handers going around for purchasing traffic lights. Makes you wonder eh?

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Roundabouts stop working when there is a disproportionately heavy traffic flow on one of the approach roads. When that happens and there is, say, a solid East-West flow across the roundabout traffic on the North and South approach roads is frozen out. The problem is made worse by timid drivers who insist on having many car lengths of clear road before they will attempt to join the flow.

In those circumstances traffic lights are the only way of allowing all traffic a fair chance to cross the junction. A lot of roundabouts have traffic lights which are only operational when traffic volume is high

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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

Indeed, has graball not been reading SABRE?


But, equally many have them 24/7 when there is no need for them when traffic is light - M60 J1 is a particular bugbear of mine in this regard.

I have also noticed a recent tendency to replace small suburban roundabouts, in locations where there's never any significant congestion, with lights. Surely that's a retrograde step.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

I think that if and where traffic lights are necessary to stop heavy traffic flows from 'hogging' the roundabout, they should be placed so as to only gate the traffic entering the roundabout, and beyond which normal roundabout priorities should apply.
Traffic lights which are placed so as to stop the traffic on the roundabout, or, even worse, stop the traffic from getting off the roundabout, invariably cause a lot more problems than they solve.

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Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

Thats a theory but in my experience it doesnt have to work like that. There used to be a big roundabout crossing the A442 near us, which used to be situated also near a large industrial estate, which at around 5PM, means the roundabout gets very busy. Even before the traffic lights were put on it, I have never had to wait more than a couple of mins to enter the roundabout,(at peak times) because even with a main A road, there will always be hestitant people on the main flow or people wanting to turn left off the main flow, to let the side road traffic,(which by it's nature, is going to proportionally light anyway, compared to the main flow) join the roundabout. About five years ago they put lights on it which now means that you have to wait even longer during the quiet periods to join the roundabout from any direction and has done nothing to help the side road entry time even when busy. Also the accidents on that roundabout have escalated, some of them now quite serious.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

That's modern traffic engineering.
Instead of altering the traffic flow to slow down those entering you slow down all traffic to get people to go another way. Or take a bus.
In some places (Ampthill road Bedford) they've "engineered" a bus lane down the side of the road, and engineered a traffic light system to pass buses....and engineered a traffic jam every morning. Funny thing....the bus lane only goes INTO town, not OUT of town....try getting out at night.
Even funnier....the council would like everyone to use the park-'n-ride....but neglects its own staff in borough hall and the town hall....several hundred vehicles every day.
They have also re-engineered a roundabout to a hideously complex traffic light governed junction, just to get the bus lane....which then stops at a railway bridge.....and traffic jam...before continuing on the other side.
In fact, they're engineering a lot around here....a new housing estate/village (New Cardington) has the A600 running right through the centre.....complete with traffic lights at every junction...three sets of combination pedestrian/traffic lights in four hundred metres.

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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

Maybe my memory isn't as good as it used to be, not that it ever was much good! but, I was in Boston USA about 11 or 12 years ago and I'm pretty sure there was a roundabout or two.

Going back even further, 30 years or maybe more, the first and only time I ever drove in London, was visiting a friend. Picked my friend up and headed off for some lunch, me driving. At first roundabout my friend said "don't stop", the roundabout was very busy and I prefered not to take his advice, I did stop and we were stuck there for ages. At next roundabout and all subsequent ones I took his advice and didn't stop even if there was traffic on the roundabout. Result was that if you kept going and just pointed at any gap between vehicles folks just let you in, no fuss no problem, worked really well.

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You only need two tools - WD40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape. :0)

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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

Not here they wont, because

A: To prove a point
b: WooHoo Whiplash claim time (YOUR fault) <--- We got that idea from the yanks !!

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The Box said "Windows XP or better" ... So I installed Ubuntu

Yup you are probably spot on there!!

Proving the point seems to be a major pastime these days (maybe it always has been?). In the last couple of weeks I've seen 2 really heartstopping sphincter clenching you are f***ing crazy overtakes, a couple of inadvisable overtakes, and 1, you might well not have made that if I hadn't slowed down quite a lot, overtake (came round corner to find car doing multi car overtake coming in opposite direction). I don't recall seeing a single brake light among the vehicles being overtaken and I'm pretty sure the one where the car was coming at me, none of the overtaken vehicles slowed much if at all, and I'm certain nobody made a gap to allow the overtake to be easily aborted.

Seems that there are folks out there who would rather be involved in a potentially lethal ovetaking accident (to prove a point??), than take any action to make the situation safer.

Reminds me of a ditty I leaned way back ...

Here lies the body of Albert J
He died maintaining his right of way
He was right so right as he drove along
But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong

Or as my HGV instructor said ... to avoid A&E practice O&A ..... To avoid Accident & Emergency practice Obsevation & Action. If you observe something potentialy going pear shaped YOU yes YOU take action to do something about it no matter who you think is a fault.

Oh but hold on .... no compensation claims if folks did that!!!

Is that topic drift or has it run over the rapids and is now 5 miles downstream ??

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You only need two tools - WD40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape. :0)

Driving around London hasn't changed then.
Stop and you'll have a hard time starting.
Switch lanes by accelerating in front, then indicate and get back, and across....a satnav with sc warning is highly recommended....as is a van with large sunshades....
Stop and you're dead.

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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