Safe Speed Forums

(1) Does anybody know exactly what the distances are between lamposts so that drivers are supposed to know what the speed limits are where there are no indications?

(2) Have the rules changed regarding traffic entering motorways? I thought that drivers entering had to give way to traffic on the motorway! I am getting really fed up with motorists who don't do this and who try and race me.

Any police or Dept of Transport monitor this site?

Yes it's 200m, which is a long way. I work on the assumption that any 2 lamposts in view= built up area, to be on the safe side.



Drivers entering aren't allowed to just barge other traffic aside, that's what give way refers to. But traffic on the motorway still has an an obligation to be safe and considerate: this means assisting joining traffic where possible and leaving a safe gap for people to move into. Remember that traffic joining a motorway has to match speed, so it can't just stop and wait.

i would imagine this site is heavily monitored

This is why the Highway Code says "Give priority", not "Give Way" - a subtle but important difference. It is perfectly acceptable to come to a halt at a normal Give Way sign, but if you come to a halt at the end of a motorway slip road, unless the motorway is crawling, someone has fouled up, and it isn't necessarily the joining driver.

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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 it's 200 yards; 187m.

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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

If you're having trouble with merging traffic the easiest thing to do is simply not be there. when you pass the off ramp (an on ramp almost always follows), consider pulling out into L2 if there's likely to be traffic merging ahead.

Suspending overtaking near slip roads (and ensuring that no vehicle is alongside you) makes room for common errors.

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

"Drivers entering aren't allowed to just barge other traffic aside, that's what give way refers to. But traffic on the motorway still has an an obligation to be safe and considerate: this means assisting joining traffic where possible and leaving a safe gap for people to move into. Remember that traffic joining a motorway has to match speed, so it can't just stop and wait."


But don't some drivers in the UK think that he rules apply the same as on the continent. I was out today with a group of kids in a Minibus was I cut up several times by twits trying to get in front when I had no room to maneuver. Is this that driving schools now teach?

Driving on motorways is not part of the test so I doubt they teach learners anything about them.

Are you sure you are not trying to race them yourself? Not being judgemental, just have a think about what you are feeling when you see a vehicle passing you on the slip.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

"Driving on motorways is not part of the test so I doubt they teach learners anything about them."


Then maybe it should be part of the test.Even if it's only simulated.

And NO not trying to race them. Why is it that on forums there's always some who set themselves up as a Devils advocate!!!!! Again no. Not with kids on board and a limted speed of 50mph!!!!

I prefer to think of it as using scientific method, i.e. testing all assumptions.

Sorry if I annoyed you.

edit:

Battery is just about dead on the laptop so no more replies tonight.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

No, of course they aren't (/shouldn't).

But you know that sometimes they do, so it's smarter and safer for you to be well out of the way when it happens.

Obviously we can look at this in a few different ways...

- we might ask: how do we improve driving standards
- we might ask: how do we stay safe while others are screwing up

Until driving standards rise, it's smart (and really rather rewarding) to ensure that we're out of harm's way.

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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

This topic isn't about news.

Someone joining a motorway has to end up joining in front of somebody. Ideally it should be at a safe distance in front, so the best thing you can do is assist them by leaving lane 1 clear if possible, and if not, by opening up the space they are going for.

When you say they're trying to race you, what specifically is causing the danger? Someone who pulls out in front of you at a higher speed shouldn't be a collision risk as they are moving away. It certainly sounds preferable to someone pulling out while moving slower, which presents a serious risk. Therefore when joining a motorway, I find it better to err slightly on the side of moving a bit faster than the L1 traffic

Instead of entering the motorway behind me. I was forced to slow abruptly twice yesterday. Because two idiots deiced that's not what they wanted to do and cut across me instead.

It's ok for contributers to this forum to say change lanes(not always possible) and if you do being called a centre lane hogger comes to be!!

You're right. I've moved it. Thanks.

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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

Fair enough. That's a result of their failing to accelerate enough, rather than 'racing' though.

As a side note (not aimed at chajun), language usage can really influence people's thinking. It's probably that kind of misunderstanding that has led to 'speed kills'; with any type of bad driving now popularly referred to as 'speeding' or 'racing'.

Hi Chajun.
To be honest I'm not sure what sort of answer (to the motorway joining issue) you expected from the forum.
You/we all know that some drivers do not exercise proper planning and caution when joining, or leaving for that matter, a motorway. If the UK adopted a zip merge policy such as that practiced on some parts of the continent this may help.
A bit of driver education through the use of short TV infommertials that used to frequent our screens, but now appear limited to 'speed kills' messages might also help to stem the declining standard of driving we are witnessing on our roads. Or even putting more traffic cops out on the roads to start pulling over divers guilty of serious road safety infringements.
However, in the mean time we all need to look out for ourselves. If you know that a particular stupid behaviour is likely to occcur, ameliorate the situation by taking positive action yourself. Yes, there are times when it is a case of 'twixt rock and hard place', moving in to L2 may cause friction with other users who aren't thinking and planning as carefully as yourself, but it is reasonably easy to make your foray into L2 a transient one before moving back to L1 to allow everyone passage.

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Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

From Butterworths Police Law (Fifth Edition)


So, you have to drive the entire length of the "streetlamp lit" section of road to determine whether the "1 in 24" error applies

Also, you need to be able to determine whether they are streetlights or footway lights, and their height also has significance.

I believe that a year or so ago, the government tried to suggest that any light that projected onto a road could be classified as a streetlight - with all the obvious confusion regarding PIR security lights etc!!!

...wouldn't it be so much easier and clearer if they simply posted the limit on little round signs

mb

The sign makers would certainly agree with you as they'd all make a fortune. And the extra staff required to put them all up and maintain them would also be a nice little earner...all paid for out of taxation, of course, AND making it easier to defend an allegation of speeding.

How many repeaters would have to be missing before a limit became unenforceable?

The answer is, of course, education not more signs.

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Less Kodak, more Kojak.
In times of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

So who does the educating?