Pointless motorway overhead messages

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JohnnyMo
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by JohnnyMo »

OK this is not the UK and not a motorway but what about this idea: Trivia quiz questions
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Truvelo
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Truvelo »

Again, outside the UK but what is the point of this? Surely nothing displayed at all will show the desired effect.
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the cheesecake man
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by the cheesecake man »

Truvelo wrote: Thu Dec 09, 2021 15:06 Again, outside the UK but what is the point of this? Surely nothing displayed at all will show the desired effect.
I'd interpret that as "The message system isn't operating" but blank as "We don't have anything to tell you right now" or "Oh dear the sign is faulty". I'm not claiming that is the intended or correct inference.
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Big L
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Big L »

Approaching M40 J11 (Banbury) from the north this morning. At about half a mile away, sign saying J11 exit closed. Nothing before that. Also, less helpfully, this sign had the same message.

No actual closure, lots of traffic taking the exit.
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brummie_rob
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by brummie_rob »

Lots of faulty signs at the moment including three lanes closed on M1 today by Luton causing 60 minute queues as they couldn't turn signs off. Same on M25. M6 also had a closure sign from yesterday on display. I suspect this is as NH move there software to the cloud.
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Barkstar
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Barkstar »

Heading north on the M40 got plenty of signs saying M42 closed Jcts 9 to 10. Which is helpful if you actually know where that is. If you have co-pilot they could look it up on a phone or in an atlas. If you have active Satnav that should guide you round it if needs be. In the end it turned out I exit at 9 on to the A446, so though it added about half an hour to my journey due to all the diverted traffic I stayed on route.
Given I must have passed 20+ signs about the closure a few should really say more than a Jct number. And as an asides the closure - which was to last a few days wasn't mentioned by the traffic reporter on Radio 2.
Bendo
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Bendo »

Truvelo wrote: Thu Dec 09, 2021 15:06 Again, outside the UK but what is the point of this? Surely nothing displayed at all will show the desired effect.
At least its fairly clear. The old looking signs on the M5 near Exeter that show sign not in use take a good hard look to actual read.
Duple
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Duple »

Barkstar wrote: Thu Dec 30, 2021 14:56 Heading north on the M40 got plenty of signs saying M42 closed Jcts 9 to 10. Which is helpful if you actually know where that is. If you have co-pilot they could look it up on a phone or in an atlas. If you have active Satnav that should guide you round it if needs be. In the end it turned out I exit at 9 on to the A446, so though it added about half an hour to my journey due to all the diverted traffic I stayed on route.
Given I must have passed 20+ signs about the closure a few should really say more than a Jct number. And as an asides the closure - which was to last a few days wasn't mentioned by the traffic reporter on Radio 2.
They had this on the VMS at the end of the M5 / M6 jnc 8 merger, I can't work out who this would benefit as it's north of the M42 ?
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Barkstar
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Barkstar »

Spotted another one today. One of the temporary matrix type signs approaching the current M56 roadworks states the works are suspended for the holidays. Now I certainly don't begrudge the workforce having a break but seeing as the cones, speed limit, narrow lanes and average speed cameras are all still in place the only thing actually suspended is the work...... :facepalm:
nearM65
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by nearM65 »

Seen a new helpful message today on M6 today saying ... Safe tyres save lives.. I just wish one day they would say.. Stop driving like morons.. straight to the point..
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fridayy
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by fridayy »

not an overhead message, but on the new A14 there are “camera not in use” signs on the gantries. If they’re referring to the speed cameras, seems a bit odd to have “not in use” signs on them, defeats the point of having speed cameras. it could be referring to the cctv though.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by DB617 »

nearM65 wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 19:10 Seen a new helpful message today on M6 today saying ... Safe tyres save lives.. I just wish one day they would say.. Stop driving like morons.. straight to the point..
The tyre campaign has the right intentions, at least. I've met far too many people (including mine and my SO's parents) who don't respect or check their tyres. Also once heard an anecdote from a customer once that his daughter wrecked her tyres and stated "I thought they checked them at the MOT..." So unfortunately NH seems to be trying to fix deep seated stupidity/ignorance with a few characters on a matrix sign.
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TomJ
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by TomJ »

I always find the "DRIVE TO ROAD CONDITIONS" VMS before the dead straight and empty section on the A74(M) near Annandale funny.

If I was driving purely to the road conditions, I'm not sure it would be legal...


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paranoid
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by paranoid »

Some dubious usage of "merge left" matrix signs on the Glasgow M8 lately, especially coming in from the Airport. Yes, the lane is closed at the next gantry, but that's because it swings across as everything moves left one lane because of the roadworks. What you don't want people doing in that circumstance is changing lane, surely.
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TomJ
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by TomJ »

paranoid wrote:Some dubious usage of "merge left" matrix signs on the Glasgow M8 lately, especially coming in from the Airport. Yes, the lane is closed at the next gantry, but that's because it swings across as everything moves left one lane because of the roadworks. What you don't want people doing in that circumstance is changing lane, surely.
See this daily. IMO it should either both have a merge left arrow, to indicate both lanes are moving over or even better, none at all.

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ais523
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by ais523 »

Seen on the M42 northbound recently: "Use hard shoulder for J4 only" (I think – I can't remember the exact wording but have the meaning right), combined with a red X on the AMI over the hard shoulder. As far as I can tell, the textual message was incorrect and the red Xs were correct, but this is the sort of contradiction that leaves people confused about how DHSR roads worked (and indeed, there was at least one driver on the hard shoulder).

This was some distance before J4, too, with at least two gantries (also with red Xs over the hard shoulder) between the contradiction and the junction.
DB617
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by DB617 »

It's really gross that there are no software interlocks for that kind of thing.
jnty
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by jnty »

DB617 wrote: Tue Jun 14, 2022 20:14 It's really gross that there are no software interlocks for that kind of thing.
My thoughts exactly - on the railways that sort of thing would be protected by an interlock. I understand that lower levels of safety are generally tolerated across the road network but surely motorways are the closest comparison in terms of safety criticality.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Herned »

On the M5 south near j25 the other day, the VMS was displaying "A35 closed at A375". As a local I have no idea where the A375 is (Honiton-Sidmouth). Wouldn't putting the place name be hugely more useful?
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Conekicker »

Herned wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 07:46 On the M5 south near j25 the other day, the VMS was displaying "A35 closed at A375". As a local I have no idea where the A375 is (Honiton-Sidmouth). Wouldn't putting the place name be hugely more useful?
How many characters in "A375"? How many in "Honiton"? There's only so much space on the VMS.

As a non-local, I've no idea where any of those are.
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