Pointless motorway overhead messages

[Johnathan404]

While the message may be rubbing salt in the wounds, let's be honest, the frustration there is that you're not moving and nothing to with what's on the signs.

[ManomayLR]

The other day the M25 was closed through J21 for the M1.

[ManomayLR]

There were a mere 2 VMS saying that the M25 was closed at 21, the others saying: J21 ... mins, J23 ... mins which is not very helpful. The next thing we knew there was a taper forcing us onto the M1. There were no "leave motorway at next exit" signs over the lanes, neither were there Red Xs over the closed carriageway as M1 traffic left the M25. Talk about inadequate signage!

[RichardA35]

There were a mere 2 VMS saying that the M25 was closed at 21, the others saying: J21 ... mins, J23 ... mins which is not very helpful. The next thing we knew there was a taper forcing us onto the M1. There were no "leave motorway at next exit" signs over the lanes, neither were there Red Xs over the closed carriageway as M1 traffic left the M25. Talk about inadequate signage!

It may have depended where you joined the M25.
If the closure had managed to mobilise to a coned taper it suggests that it had been in place for some time and was probably signed strategically from many, many miles away. Also, given it may have been in pace already for some hours, did you check the route for traffic disruptions before you set off?

[Johnathan404]

Seeing as this thread has been bumped, it was good to see "REPORTS OF DEBRIS" rather than the usual "DEBRIS IN ROAD - SLOW".

[jonnyf90]

The VMS boards at the bottom of the hill on the M25 anti-clockwise at J8 usually have "M25 J8 - J7 DELAYS" on Friday afternoons.
Good work lads.

[ManomayLR]

There were a mere 2 VMS saying that the M25 was closed at 21, the others saying: J21 ... mins, J23 ... mins which is not very helpful. The next thing we knew there was a taper forcing us onto the M1. There were no "leave motorway at next exit" signs over the lanes, neither were there Red Xs over the closed carriageway as M1 traffic left the M25. Talk about inadequate signage!

It may have depended where you joined the M25.
If the closure had managed to mobilise to a coned taper it suggests that it had been in place for some time and was probably signed strategically from many, many miles away. Also, given it may have been in pace already for some hours, did you check the route for traffic disruptions before you set off?

You see, there was no traffic disruption, traffic still flowed freely. We had joined from J16 from the M40 and we were traveling clockwise.

[frediculous_biggs]

Approaching the QEII bridge yesterday about 11pm, there's a queue of traffic. Slowly approaching and then marked out, with cones, the A282 narrows to one lane.

Not a single sign! No wicket signs on the side of the road or in the central reservation and nothing on any of the electronic signs.

Not so much a pointless overhead message, but a total lack of overhead messages!

[Matthew]

Seeing as this thread has been bumped, it was good to see "REPORTS OF DEBRIS" rather than the usual "DEBRIS IN ROAD - SLOW".

I believe this is a policy change, following feedback.

[brummie_rob]

Seeing as this thread has been bumped, it was good to see "REPORTS OF DEBRIS" rather than the usual "DEBRIS IN ROAD - SLOW".

I believe this is a policy change, following feedback.

I saw both Reports of Debris in the smart motorway section and the old 'debris -slow' outside of the smart motorway today on the M6.

[ellandback]

"A180 CLOSED AFTER M180"

Well OK, but in the context of where it was posted (M62 eastbound j25), where else would the A180 be closed?

[Osthagen]

I've seen some overhead signs that point out the fact that the hard-shoulder is for "EMERGENCY USE ONLY". Quite pointless in my opinion.

[Matthew]

I've seen some overhead signs that point out the fact that the hard-shoulder is for "EMERGENCY USE ONLY". Quite pointless in my opinion.

Not really when you consider the number of people who drive on the hard shoulder when it's not in use.

[ais523]

I've seen some overhead signs that point out the fact that the hard-shoulder is for "EMERGENCY USE ONLY". Quite pointless in my opinion.

On motorways with dynamic hard shoulders, "Hard shoulder for emergency use only" is the standard wording to represent that the hard shoulder is not in use as a running lane (and is in fact just a hard shoulder). The opposite is typically "Congestion Use hard shoulder". In both cases, the message is reinforced using lane-specific VMS (showing a hollow cross for a hard shoulder or a speed limit for a running lane).

Seeing that message on a non-DHSR section would be a little more surprising, but there are plenty of places on the motorways that struggle with illegal hard shoulder use, and reminding people that it's illegal might be helpful.

[novaecosse]

I've seen some overhead signs that point out the fact that the hard-shoulder is for "EMERGENCY USE ONLY". Quite pointless in my opinion.

Not really when you consider the number of people who drive on the hard shoulder when it's not in use.

Used to see "Hard Shoulder for emergency use only" on the M90 between Junctions 7 and 8

[ManomayLR]

I've seen some overhead signs that point out the fact that the hard-shoulder is for "EMERGENCY USE ONLY". Quite pointless in my opinion.

On motorways with dynamic hard shoulders, "Hard shoulder for emergency use only" is the standard wording to represent that the hard shoulder is not in use as a running lane (and is in fact just a hard shoulder). The opposite is typically "Congestion Use hard shoulder". In both cases, the message is reinforced using lane-specific VMS (showing a hollow cross for a hard shoulder or a speed limit for a running lane).

Seeing that message on a non-DHSR section would be a little more surprising, but there are plenty of places on the motorways that struggle with illegal hard shoulder use, and reminding people that it's illegal might be helpful.

On most smart motorways, congestion use hard shoulder has been re-phrased to simply "use hard shoulder"

[Osthagen]

I've seen some overhead signs that point out the fact that the hard-shoulder is for "EMERGENCY USE ONLY". Quite pointless in my opinion.

Not really when you consider the number of people who drive on the hard shoulder when it's not in use.

Used to see "Hard Shoulder for emergency use only" on the M90 between Junctions 7 and 8

That is precisely where I saw that message.

[ManomayLR]

Rather pointless

[Owain]

On the M74/A74(M) in the middle of the night last weekend:

WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT!
- there is the odd situation where I might not use my seat belt (moving my car outside my house; driving from the supermarket car park to the supermarket petrol station; boarding the ferry), but I don't think anybody would consider barrelling down an empty motorway in the middle of the night without their seat belt on, unless they were on drugs.

DON'T USE DRUGS AND DRIVE
- the idea had never occurred to me. It might make Route 74 a little less boring though.

Oddly, none of the usual WATCH YOUR SPEED messages that I'm more used to.

[Johnathan404]

I think it has been said before those messages are more about keeping the issue in the public's collective mind, rather than directly changing the behaviour of the people reading it.

You sharing it on a forum with 4,500 members is helping them with that aim - although unfortunately Sabristi are too sensible to engage in behaviour like that.