Safe Speed Forums

New member here - hope I'm posting in the best place!

Coming along M62 late monday night and plenty of warnings (from M60 onwards) that J25-26 of M62 was closed. With 80 miles travelled and 40 miles from destination, I knew I didn't have to panic as diversions are always signposted....or so I thought!

Came off at J25 and no info, and unwittingly took wrong exit. Double backed on industrial estate and got back to the roundabout, still no info. So just headed towards Leeds and luckily after about 6 quiet miles saw signs for M62.

Might not sound a problem to all you experienced motorists out there, but I think a lesser motorist might have really panicked, and there is nothing like panicking when it's late at night, and dark, and miles from home and when you are unfamiliar with the route it would be easy to make a mistake or cause an accident.

Surely a sign - even up on the motorway notices -saying take A58 to Leeds - would have been simple?

Maybe - but a better idea is to have a map in the car and to know roughly where you are at all times.

Were there any square/triangle/diamond things on the road signs, incidentally? If there weren't, it might have been too difficult to sign the diversion in the time given.

Yep, have several maps in car. But how to check maps when doing 60+ on motorway, slip roads or dual carriageway?

(Remember recently the woman who got fined for stopping on the hard shoulder to ask a police officer for directions when motorway was closed!)

I do sympathise, but sometimes diversions must be started at very short notice, and at the same time that all available traffic police are dealing with safety issues surrounding the original need for the diversion.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Reminds me of going to Jersey last year.

I left home at around 3:15am to get to Weymouth for the ferry, on the A35 I got to a roundabout to find my exit coned off with a road closed sign, the area was deserted. The car was full of family & luggage, fortunatly there was a map burried underneath it all! I now keep the map more redily to hand

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Nick

I assume you were caught up in this.



Bit late now but there is no wrong exit at J25, both directions have routes back to the M62.

I had a similar experience coming back from Chester this week. Police bike parked blocking road, no information, no diversion, nobody I could simply ask. So I pulled down a side road, pulled out the map (had left the GPS at home), figured out where I was and found an alternative route.

Noticed then that the police were effecting some kind of rolling roadblock and I could have probably just waited for whatever they were escorting to pass, shame they couldn't have just had a bobby stood by the road to explain that instead of the menacing looking bike cop who was not really approachable due to his position in the middle of the road blocking a roundabout exit.

It's at times like this when sat nav really becomes useful. I have been diverted numerous times because of road closures/accidents and it doesn't matter how many maps you have in the car if you can't stop to look at them, but sat nav just re-routes you.

Thanks for the replies!

I think in summary there are two concerns here - both personal safety and road safety. When diverted off the motorway it can be miles before you can find somewhere safe to pull over and get your map out (I shan't be trying the hard shoulder!) And I would feel very vulnerable and visible as a lone driver (F) sat on a layby late at night with my interior light on and map out...

..and yes I was lucky this time as it was fairly straightforward to get back to the M62. But at least one sign to say I was on the right road would have lessened anxiety, and anxiety can lead to accidents.

The diversion had been advertised at least half an hour before I got there (had a break inbetween) but whether that's long enough to prepare is not for me to say.

I've always been against satnav (I like my maps too much!) but I agree, in situations like this they are invaluable, and if this type of omission is a regular occurrence, I think I'll get one.

thanks for the suggestions!

I now have a MIO168 with TomTom5 navigation software, this has enabled me to make unsheduled diversions to avoid hold-ups several times. I would reccomend sat-nav to anybody.

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Nick