Pointless motorway overhead messages

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KeithW
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by KeithW »

EpicChef wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 21:47
JammyDodge wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 21:56 Not an overhead message, but a road work sign on the M3, near the M27 stated:

Upgrading to Motorway

Obviously meant to have smart in there somewhere
oooh! is the A27 near the M27 finally being upgraded???
I believe the M27 is being turned into a smart motorway with ALR
https://highwaysengland.co.uk/our-work/ ... -motorway/
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owen b
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by owen b »

The main roads in Scotland get some great messages. I saw DRIVE WITH CONSIDERATION on the A1 east of Edinburgh today. I'm not saying that is a pointless message, but it did make me wonder if "consideration" is the longest complete word to be displayed on a permanent variable message display installation.
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Big L
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Big L »

"10 minute delay M6 J6-J5".

On the northbound M5, before the M42 split. So, useful if you want to drive past the M42 to the top of the M5 in the afternoon rush, turn right and head through Birmingham and go at least as far as the M42 junction.

Or you could just use the M42 if you wanted.
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the cheesecake man
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by the cheesecake man »

Not pointless but could be improved. On the M1 from junction 40 to 41 this morning "Report of blocked lane"

No lane was blocked. If it had been a clue as to which lane might have been useful. And if HA HE NH think a lane is blocked shouldn't they close it?
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Matthew
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Matthew »

the cheesecake man wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 12:22 Not pointless but could be improved. On the M1 from junction 40 to 41 this morning "Report of blocked lane"

No lane was blocked. If it had been a clue as to which lane might have been useful. And if HA HE NH think a lane is blocked shouldn't they close it?
Well that's the point really. In this situation, people have called in the Police or National Highways and advised there could have been something. Rather than setting blanket "incident|slow down" they've given a steer as to what may be happening. They cannot close a lane until such time the incident has been confirmed. And if memory serves me right, that section is not hugely well served by CCTV.
Opinion is purely my own and all those other exceptions and excuses.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by jnty »

Matthew wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 12:55
the cheesecake man wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 12:22 Not pointless but could be improved. On the M1 from junction 40 to 41 this morning "Report of blocked lane"

No lane was blocked. If it had been a clue as to which lane might have been useful. And if HA HE NH think a lane is blocked shouldn't they close it?
Well that's the point really. In this situation, people have called in the Police or National Highways and advised there could have been something. Rather than setting blanket "incident|slow down" they've given a steer as to what may be happening. They cannot close a lane until such time the incident has been confirmed. And if memory serves me right, that section is not hugely well served by CCTV.
Yeah - it's clearly hard to immediately action that message, but you can imagine that if you suddenly notice that everyone seems to be avoiding an otherwise empty lane, or see a few sudden brake lights/strange behaviour up ahead, you might react more cautiously or urgently than normal.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by ManomayLR »

Matthew wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 12:55
the cheesecake man wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 12:22 Not pointless but could be improved. On the M1 from junction 40 to 41 this morning "Report of blocked lane"

No lane was blocked. If it had been a clue as to which lane might have been useful. And if HA HE NH think a lane is blocked shouldn't they close it?
Well that's the point really. In this situation, people have called in the Police or National Highways and advised there could have been something. Rather than setting blanket "incident|slow down" they've given a steer as to what may be happening. They cannot close a lane until such time the incident has been confirmed. And if memory serves me right, that section is not hugely well served by CCTV.
Junction 40-41 is a managed motorway, so if it doesn't have adequate coverage that's a matter of concern.

Then-Highways-England published an interim advice note stating that if an event is reported, instead of just saying "Incident", which was the previous advice, the "Report of [event]" message could give more detail.
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Matthew
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Matthew »

EpicChef wrote: Fri Nov 05, 2021 17:19 And if Junction 40-41 is a managed motorway, so if it doesn't have adequate coverage that's a matter of concern.
No, that's an error on my part. It's admittedly been some time since l last viewed that section. My apologies.
Opinion is purely my own and all those other exceptions and excuses.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Monroads »

One VMS showing a reduced speed limit only for it to be never mentioned again on the proceeding VMS’s seems to be a common occurrence on the M1 smart section in Yorkshire/Derbyshire
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by ManomayLR »

If VSL signals are on and then the next one is blank, the rule of thumb we follow is to speed back up to NSL if two consecutive gantries/VMS don't show a speed limit.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by TomJ »

Coming up the A74(M) yesterday, I laughed when I saw this sign displaying the words 'DRIVE TO CONDITIONS'. I'd certainly argue that on this dead straight bit of 3 lane motorway, when there's only 2 other cars visible on my side on a clear sunny day that one could 'drive to the conditions' whilst exceeding the 70mph speed limit by a fair margin...

Of course, I didn't, not with the current price of fuel anyway. :laugh:
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by KeithW »

jnty wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 13:04
Yeah - it's clearly hard to immediately action that message, but you can imagine that if you suddenly notice that everyone seems to be avoiding an otherwise empty lane, or see a few sudden brake lights/strange behaviour up ahead, you might react more cautiously or urgently than normal.
In those situations acting cautiously is valid but urgently can be a problem. If I see that sign and /or brake lights up ahead I will ease off the loud pedal but stamping on the brake pedal can be a very bad idea.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Monroads »

A46 between Leamington and Coventry been shut all weekend for a Local Authority led scheme at the Stoneleigh junction.

Meanwhile VMS on the M69,M6 and M40 don’t advertise this instead advertising a closure next weekend for a National Highways led scheme.

Do the road authorities not communicate?
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Big L »

Northbound M5 an hour or so ago “M6 J10-10A strong winds”.

Seems very localised, especially so as the same warning was there 24 hours earlier!
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by mikehindsonevans »

Big L wrote: Mon Nov 29, 2021 13:48 Northbound M5 an hour or so ago “M6 J10-10A strong winds”.

Seems very localised, especially so as the same warning was there 24 hours earlier!
Ditto on M6 s/b near Carlisle on Sunday evening. In fog!
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by AlexBr967 »

Don't know if it's been mentioned before on this thread but sometimes you will get "Stranded Vehicle" warnings on smart motorways after you've already passed the vehicle in question.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by ais523 »

AlexBr967 wrote: Tue Nov 30, 2021 16:16 Don't know if it's been mentioned before on this thread but sometimes you will get "Stranded Vehicle" warnings on smart motorways after you've already passed the vehicle in question.
That isn't directly pointless – collisions with stranded vehicles are very dangerous, so it makes sense to guard against mistakes putting up the signs in the wrong place (especially as it can sometimes be quite hard to establish exactly where the stranded vehicle is).
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by JoshBostock01 »

YELLOW WEATHER WARNING ICE FORCAST

This was displayed on all the gantries on thet M90 up past Inverkeithing. At face value this seems fine. However just after the fourth gantry a bus had broken down on the hard shoulder and another bus was most likely picking up the stranded passengers. I kind of feel that this was a far more urgent issue than the yellow weather warning.

Might not exactly be pointless but I also saw a great one on the M90 last night.

ROADWORKS A/M90 AFTER FERRYTOLL

I'm guessing that Transport Scotland don't actually know what they call the short bit of non-motorway south of the Queensferry Crossing despite them building it.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by mikehindsonevans »

ais523 wrote: Tue Nov 30, 2021 22:04
AlexBr967 wrote: Tue Nov 30, 2021 16:16 Don't know if it's been mentioned before on this thread but sometimes you will get "Stranded Vehicle" warnings on smart motorways after you've already passed the vehicle in question.
That isn't directly pointless – collisions with stranded vehicles are very dangerous, so it makes sense to guard against mistakes putting up the signs in the wrong place (especially as it can sometimes be quite hard to establish exactly where the stranded vehicle is).
Agreed, wholeheartedly.

If the person reporting doesn't spot the motorway mileage marker, the convention seems to be "alert the entire section between two junctions". Better, in my opinion, to "fail safe" and put everyone on high alert.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by AlexBr967 »

Thanks for the insight. I'll admit I didn't even think of that. I just assumed that they always would know where the vehicle exactly is on smart motorways.
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