Escape Lanes

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Bryn666
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Post by Bryn666 »

Some local ones to me:

The B6478 approaching Waddington - as there's a quarry at the top of a lengthy sustained 13% gradient. It looks rather untidy and unused though.

Another bizarre one is on the A682 approaching the crossroads with the A646 in Burnley. There's one signed but you'll be lucky to find one - it appears to just point at a wall.
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WHBM
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Throttle jammed .....

Post by WHBM »

Long ago and far away I had this happen to me. 1976 I would guess. Old Morris 1800, drove across a rather rough level crossing, engine went up to full throttle (no rpm limiters in those days). Just clutch down, then switched off.

Started it up again, went to full throttle straight away. Switched off and thought.

Well, I managed to get it home 10 miles through Saturday morning traffic in the towns. Basically drove it on the key, on or off. Get up to about 40 mph in second, then switch off and coast. When down to about 20, ignition on, let the clutch out, power for about 10 seconds. Repeat.

Coasted the last mile downhill and into my local garage. Let the clutch out with no ignition to maintain brake servo pressure from the engine rpm. Engine on for the last bit. Mechanic came out to see what the noise was. He had it fixed in a few minutes, throttle linkage had come apart. Bit of a bad design that the weight of the mechanism took it to full open in this condition.

Ah, British Leyland 1960s/70s products !
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Lonewolf
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by Lonewolf »

Well one of them failed yesterday.

Coach coming down Staxton Hill, presumably had brake failure. Missed the escape lane, took out a car killing both its occupants, took out some of the traffic lights and fetched up in a garden over the road taking a (fortunately empty) camper van with it!

Bad end for an days motorbiking for me I was right behind it.
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A102(M) Craig
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by A102(M) Craig »

A Horrible thing to witness Lonewolf, but if it missed the lane then it didn't fail, more like Driver Error.

1800, classy car, can beat a bit of old BL Tin.

A similar thing happend in my Citroen AX about 5 years ago (not long after I'd passed my test). Driving down the A12 through London the throttle jammed open and speed went from 30 to 40 pretty quick.

First step was into netural but the sound of the engine didn't sound promising so engine off (no steering lock on te first key position) and coast into a bus lane. Called out the AA and it was an easy fix. The AX has a shelf under the steering column, on that shelf was a fruit-tella that stuck to the throttle cable which runs almost touching the shelf. :oops: :oops:

At least I wasn't this person http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hamp ... 094840.stm

:cop:
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JohnM23
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by JohnM23 »

there's one leaving or entering eastbourne. i think it was the A259. Ive been rather fascinated by them. Is there anyone here with experience of using an escape lane for its intended purpose?
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bluebedouin
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Re:

Post by bluebedouin »

worcsfan wrote: Sun Aug 24, 2008 00:03 A44 Fish Hill between the Worcs/Gloucs border and Broadway.
...
Sorry for dragging up an old thread but I remember this being opened in the 70's.The original escape lane is where the tree line is now. (A) The shaded section (B) was a layby with a burger bar in it.The escape lane was often blocked by a vehicle stopping for a cuppa.Never saw or heard of any mishaps there though.
Image
I remember one occasion going round that bottom bend on the back of my mates bike with sparks flying off the footrest. :shock: :D
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Pendlemac
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by Pendlemac »

As the thread has been bumped I'll add some information about the escape road on the A682 mentioned by Bryn.

It's still there but does not seem to have been maintained. Trees have grown up either side of the entrance so you might struggle to get a large vehicle through.

Here are two links from Google showing it :-

Overhead : https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.77212 ... a=!3m1!1e3

StreetView ( 2016 ) : https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.77142 ... 312!8i6656

If you switch StreetView to the 2009 image the entrance is more obvious, although the retardation bed is still covered in grass.

The overhead seems to show several footpaths worn in the grass so it looks like it is maybe used by dog-walkers or kids playing. Could be 'interesting' if they are there when something needs to use it!
Fenlander
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by Fenlander »

Not an escape lane but an accidental one. If you look at the then A1073 here in 2009 you can see the road goes straight on to the trees in the distance and turns left, you can see the new alignment being built in the field to the right. Move on to the 2011 view and the new alignment is in use and the old straight on is grassed over, it caught out a lot of vehicles in the night when they were either on autopilot, or murky conditions, or outdated satnav and expecting to follow the straight on shown only to sink into the new grass. The 2016 view shows the weeds well established so there's some very visible clues that the road turns right.
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IAN
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by IAN »

There seems to be a trend towards removing escape lanes - The one on the A4117 at Hopton Wafers is an example of one that has been removed - Wonder why?

Better brakes and safety features on cars?
Escape lanes give a false sense of security and could mean that drivers are less likely to drive at an appropriate speed on the gradient?
Cost of maintenance - replacing gravel? (stolen for other purposes)

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agc2070
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by agc2070 »

There's at least one on the former A20 Dover Hill in Folkestone (now B2011 I think). Also in Folkestone I think there's one right across the roundabout where the A260 comes down to the hill to cannon off of the A259 near Holywell.
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roadtester
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by roadtester »

Interesting short video on escape lanes from the website Business Insider:

https://twitter.com/businessinsider/sta ... 1090701313
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tom1977
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by tom1977 »

Interesting one in Lostwithiel, Cornwall. More of a rubbing barrier than an escape lane despite the signs.

https://goo.gl/maps/oov5pRTjveTKVZkd7
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rhyds
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by rhyds »

tom1977 wrote: Mon Sep 02, 2019 15:19 Interesting one in Lostwithiel, Cornwall. More of a rubbing barrier than an escape lane despite the signs.

https://goo.gl/maps/oov5pRTjveTKVZkd7
I'd imagine the idea is the nearside wheels of the vehicle will drop in to the sand/gravel bed, however that barrier will be taking an awful lot of load while that happens
Built for comfort, not speed.
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the cheesecake man
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Re Escape Lanes

Post by the cheesecake man »

joshurtree wrote: Sun Aug 24, 2008 13:34 The Snake Pass has a few on the run down to Sheffield.
I've never noticed any. The descent on the eastern side isn't sufficiently long and steep to justify them. The descent into Glossop is, but there's nowhere to put them: there's a precipitous drop adjacent to the road, with a scary number of scratches on the barrier.

The only places I can recall them are Burnley ( discussed above) and the A6 between Buxton and Bakewell.
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jervi
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by jervi »

Went past this escape lane on the A169 a couple of weeks ago
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.44546 ... 312!8i6656
Worcestershire Wolf
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by Worcestershire Wolf »

There's this one at the bottom of the B4319 St Daniel's Hill in Pembroke.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.67257 ... 312!8i6656

This dates from the mid 1990'3 when this part of the road received a substantial upgrade due to the amount of HGVs heading to the Pembroke refinery and power station.
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rhyds
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by rhyds »

IAN wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 18:58 There seems to be a trend towards removing escape lanes - The one on the A4117 at Hopton Wafers is an example of one that has been removed - Wonder why?

Better brakes and safety features on cars?
Escape lanes give a false sense of security and could mean that drivers are less likely to drive at an appropriate speed on the gradient?
Cost of maintenance - replacing gravel? (stolen for other purposes)

Ian (M5 Driver)
I doubt escape lanes were ever aimed at car drivers, more at lorries and other heavy vehicles which have always been a bit more marginal with respect to braking power.

One thing that does seem to have changed over the years is that there's more enforcement of HGV and driver safety rules than previously.
Built for comfort, not speed.
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OLD GIT
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Re:

Post by OLD GIT »

Hagbard wrote: Sun Aug 24, 2008 14:02

The over-revving engine wouldn't last long :shock:

I usually doesn't. I had this ( on the flat fortunately) with an old early model derv Astra which used the ISUSU engine. Engine oil had been overfilled and at throttle lift off ( for a roundabout--nasty :shock: ) it started to over rev. Only cure was to ,get into neutral /switch off engine and stall engine in 5th. But about 30s-1 min in over rev had taken out one or more cam followers. I later found out from RAC blokes that this engine was prone to problems like this if th oil level was too high.
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Re: Re:

Post by Ruperts Trooper »

OLD GIT wrote: Mon Sep 02, 2019 22:05
Hagbard wrote: Sun Aug 24, 2008 14:02

The over-revving engine wouldn't last long :shock:

I usually doesn't. I had this ( on the flat fortunately) with an old early model derv Astra which used the ISUSU engine. Engine oil had been overfilled and at throttle lift off ( for a roundabout--nasty :shock: ) it started to over rev. Only cure was to ,get into neutral /switch off engine and stall engine in 5th. But about 30s-1 min in over rev had taken out one or more cam followers. I later found out from RAC blokes that this engine was prone to problems like this if th oil level was too high.
All diesel engines can run away in certain conditions, when worn they simply burn their own oil instead of diesel - and then when the oil runs out, just go bang!
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OLD GIT
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Re: Escape Lanes

Post by OLD GIT »

This was not a worn engine- it had recently had an overhaul at a dealer garage, with an oil change, where it was suspected ( by breakdown agent) that one culprit was excessive oil. Common problem in his experience with this engine. Later Vauxhall engine suffered running away problems from a faulty throttle pedal sensor. Again -not nice, but on a petrol engine with an electric fuel pump turn off ignition and all was well .
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