Hi!

My name is Stefan JK Milczarek and I work for the Highways Agency. I am the current project sponsor of Emergency Diversion Routes (EDRs). Fore those of you are not familiar (and I am anticipating quite a few of you) with the routes and the symbols then fear not as I am here to assist.

Some background...

Emergency diversion routes

Sometimes we or the police have to close a section of motorway or main road, normally because of a serious incident. When we do this, we may divert you off the road and onto an emergency diversion route.

The emergency diversion route will guide you around the incident along an alternative road and bring you back onto the motorway or main road at a later junction.

Understanding the diversion

We will give you advanced warning of a road closure using our electronic signs or through our other information channels, such as the travel media.

If we have implemented a diversion, you will see an information sign as you get closer to the incident. We call this a trigger sign.


The trigger sign tells you that you have to leave the road you are travelling on and gives you the diversion symbol (for example a filled triangle) that you must follow along the diversion route. You will see this symbol on signs along your diversion route and you must follow the exact symbol until you return to your original route.


Where will you find the diversion symbols?

The first time you see the diversion symbol will be on the trigger sign. This is normally close to the slip road or the verge of the road you were originally travelling on.

From there, the symbol may appear on special signs or be included on existing directional signs. Some roads form part of more than one diversion route so you could see more than one symbol. It is important that you follow the exact symbol you saw on the initial trigger sign.



What do the diversion symbols look like?

We use eight different symbols to show diversion routes (see my link) . These are a square, a triangle, a circle or a diamond and can either be filled or open. The filled and open shapes represent different routes so you must always follow the exact shape you saw on the trigger sign. They are always shown in black against a yellow background.

You've forgotten the X symbol that's occasionally used.

This would set better as a page on the Wiki, where it can be expanded. Here, it's likely to get buried in discussions.

Try this link...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-Networ ... sion_Route

The X symbol has no bearing on the EDRs. I think what you are referring to is the Red Cross's you sometimes see on Gantry signs above the motorway . These signs represent something altogether different.

I want to focus on EDRs because alot a time, money and effort have gone into producing what I would call a world class contingency plan.

Regards

Stefan

Follow the link, open with internet explorer...


C:\Documents and Settings\milczs\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\P100133 - Emergency Diversion Routes_4.swf

I may be wrong, but I don't think the members of this forum are the people that need this explained to them? The general public may be a more appropriate target.

Just my £0.02 worth.

Driver Education

Increasing the public’s awareness and knowledge of what an emergency diversion route is and how they should be followed. Only 1 in 20 members of the public who responded to a past Road Users Satisfaction Surveys (RUSS) had a sufficient understanding of how to follow the pre-defined signs and symbols. A more recent RUSS http://share/Share/llisapi.dll/overview/12021687

To support this, a concerted and co-ordinated effort by all stakeholders is essential to improve the public’s understanding of emergency diversion routes, making use a range of cost efficient communication channels to reach the widest possible target audience.

A sample of the initiatives from the comprehensive Communications Plan includes:

• Driving Standards Agency (DSA) are to introduce emergency diversion route questions into the Drivers Theory Test and enhance the Highway Code as well as referring to EDR symbols and their use in other driving publications
• Traffic Radio FM are to update their broadcasts to include emergency diversion routes infomercials as well as improving traffic information including in any incident update the symbols drivers have to follow whilst on the diversion route
• AA, RAC, Green Flag and National Breakdown are to distribute a leaflet and information on emergency diversion routes via their website
• Working with Local Authorities, Road Hauliers Association and Road Freight Association to utilise their various communication tools

The project team has developed an in-depth communications plan to illustrate the levels of engagement the Highways Agency is instigating with both internal and external stakeholders. It is anticipated that this should make a significant improvement in a recognised area of concern.


Driver Experience

This is largely focused on improving a drivers experience when requested to use a diversion route. This includes ensuring strategic signs, signals and any other available variable message signs are utilised to increase driver’s awareness of the route. In addition to this, consideration is being given to providing temporary signs possibly within the taper to supplement existing trigger signs. This will reduce the chances of drivers missing any diversion route signage especially in urban areas and at complex interchanges where large goods vehicles could mask the trigger sign.

Policy and Procedures

From various meetings with Operations personnel it was clear that they would benefit from improved training on emergency diversion routes good practice. As a result, the project team are currently working with the Traffic Learning Centre to improve foundation training understanding of EDRs they are also looking into the feasibility and value of producing an aide memoire to provide Operators with good practice guidance when implementing emergency diversion routes. This also includes ensuring that all route cards are up-to-date and easily accessible within the Regional Control Centre (RCC).

Work is also being carried to increase local police officers awareness of the emergency diversion route project to build their confidence in the various routes available during incident management.

Further Enhancements

The Highways Agency is also beginning to trial the use of the pictogram MS4 signs to help communicate emergency diversion route information to the public. DfT have agreed in principle their use and a test is scheduled and the impact of this intervention will be analysed. This method would supplement the trigger signs and reduce the risk of drivers missing the symbol they have to follow. This will improve drivers understanding of the route and reduce uncertainty and the risk of drivers stopping or consulting maps whilst on the route thus improving flow along the route and safety.

That's a local file on your hard drive. It's wrong for anything other than Windows XP anyway.

As I said, this information would sit better as a wiki page here under Category:Signage, where it can be expanded and improved. The Wikipedia article you link to has already been tagged as not containing reliable sources and could be deleted at any point.

I can start this off when I've got some free time.

We can't, that's on your computer.

IIRC, there's black on yellow X signs when you leave Blackwall Tunnel.

There are only the eight variants of the diversion symbols, if you saw an x it was probably some Joe Bloggs builder making it up as they went along when they dug up a road.

I've definitely seen black on yellow X signs in the English Midlands area. They're used when more than eight routes are needed.

A better guide is page 14 of http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg ... 191929.pdf

I think I saw a hollow circle, with a smaller black circle at the centre of it (Both black on yellow) somewhere down near London.

Has anyone else seen these?

Stefan,

I appreciate that you're a professional posting in a forum of enthusiasts, but this comes across as patronising. SABRE members in general are very familiar with emergency diversion symbols and they are not daft enough to confuse them with "lane closed" red crosses showing on overhead VMS.

As others have said, a black cross on a yellow background is used in certain places where more than eight symbols are required - as with many things on the road network, it might not be in the official paperwork, but it does happen.

I'm not sure what you think you're achieving by copying and pasting text from official leaflets or publicity into forum posts.

Another thing about the recent explosion in EDRs is the mangling of existing signs to make space for the symbols, and the poor quality of patching in the process.

Chris,

The HA has spent nearly 5 years implementing Emergency Diversion Routes on the strategic road network. I joined the project last year and one of the first things I did was to conduct a Road User Satisfactory Survey (RUSS). The results were not positive. As I stated on my last post (only 1 in 20 members of the public) had a sufficient understanding.

I can assure you that all the wording used (in my last posts) are of my own, no 'leaflets or publicity in forum posts' have been doctored. I have joined this forum specifically for other reasons. I envisaged the members would generally have an idea of EDR symbols but are they aware of what to do if for example, they get caught in the middle of an incident on the motorway? My RUSS report suggests not.

I hope I would not be coming across as patronising to, I'm almost certain that not be the case (from my end). I'm extremely passionate about this project and with the financial restraints currently deployed on the public sector; I need to find other solutions for driver’s awareness.

We're not your typical members of the public. We know more than the HA about the road network numbering, for instance.

But SABRE does not consist of general members of the public. Many of us are at least aware of TSRGD and DMRB, and some of us are professionally qualified traffic engineers. You need only take a tour through this thread to show the general understanding of road sign design.

As nowster, and the thread I link to, point out, there are many examples where councils themselves cannot confirm to proper regulations, and that's where I'd like to see this type of education directed to!

Let’s help/work together.
No political points to be won here just education (for those that require it).

Are the members aware of the recent M1 incident (the fire at the scrap yard) which was right underneath the flyover?

There's quite a lot of discussion here.