Escape Lanes on A35 between Axminster and Bridport

[Vierwielen]

In the days before mobile phones, then, how did drivers inform the recovery services that they were in an escape lane? Did they have to walk to the nearest public phone? How did they know where it was?

EDIT: They'd have gone to an AA or RAC box, of course! How quickly I forget.

AA and RAC boxes were never all that common. Interestingly, the same key would fit both - I think I still have one somewhere.

But realistically you would be far more likely to use a callbox or ask to use the phone in a shop or pub.

The AA and RAC phones were call phones that were put in place by the organisation concerend. I certainly used an AA box on a few occasions. One example was in 1986 - I had an interview for a contract and was asked to ring the agency as soon as the interview was over. (No mobiles in those days). On the way home, the first phone I found was an AA phone.

[Ruperts Trooper]

The AA and RAC phones were call phones that were put in place by the organisation concerend. I certainly used an AA box on a few occasions. One example was in 1986 - I had an interview for a contract and was asked to ring the agency as soon as the interview was over. (No mobiles in those days). On the way home, the first phone I found was an AA phone.

The AA/RAC boxes were often located at strategic junctions as their patrols used them as a base in the days before radio-control.

My father was a patrolman for the AA, complete with motorbike and sidebox, and was based at the AA box at Galley Hill on what used to be the A604/B1040 junction south of St Ives, Hunts - now the A14/A1096 junction in Cambs (how times/places change). His regular patrol run was from Cambridge to Thrapston along the then A604, returning to his call box base each time to collect/await instructions phoned through from Norwich.

A small float of coin change was kept in the call box to allow members to call for assistance even if they didn't have the right change!

He took the job after he was advised by his doctor to take an outside job as his health had suffered as a Japanese POW but he gave up the second time a vegetable truck shed it's load on top of him - went back to an unhealthy indoor job!

[RichardA626]

The AA and RAC phones were call phones that were put in place by the organisation concerend. I certainly used an AA box on a few occasions. One example was in 1986 - I had an interview for a contract and was asked to ring the agency as soon as the interview was over. (No mobiles in those days). On the way home, the first phone I found was an AA phone.

The AA/RAC boxes were often located at strategic junctions as their patrols used them as a base in the days before radio-control.

My father was a patrolman for the AA, complete with motorbike and sidebox, and was based at the AA box at Galley Hill on what used to be the A604/B1040 junction south of St Ives, Hunts - now the A14/A1096 junction in Cambs (how times/places change). His regular patrol run was from Cambridge to Thrapston along the then A604, returning to his call box base each time to collect/await instructions phoned through from Norwich.

A small float of coin change was kept in the call box to allow members to call for assistance even if they didn't have the right change!

He took the job after he was advised by his doctor to take an outside job as his health had suffered as a Japanese POW but he gave up the second time a vegetable truck shed it's load on top of him - went back to an unhealthy indoor job!

I've only seen a few AA call boxes, the nearest to me is near Dunham Massey.

I had assumed they just had a hotline to a call centre, & couldn't be used like a normal phone.

Somewhere I have my parent's AA keys from when they were members in the 1970s.

My Dad said cars became more reliable & the membership costs were too high to keep paying them.

[mfmman]

There used to be two escape lanes on the old route of the A46 into Bath, a long steep downhill run then through the village/suburb of Lower Swainswick with an abrupt stop at a T Junction with the A4. Both appear to be gone now, just a odd shaped layby might be one and the other may have vanished when the bypass was built

[roadtester]

I don't know if they're still there but I think there are or were some on the A2 on the final approach to Dover, where I think their presence was probably justified, given gradients/conditions and the sorts of vehicle using the road.

[Berk]

Whilst we're on the subject, like I said, I found the idea of 'needing' to use an escape lane quite alarming. Are there any stats about how likely people are to survive a forced exit into an escape lane??

How does it work, for instance?? I'm assuming there's a small drop, so that the vehicle is basically stopped in motion. What if the engine's still in gear and revved up though??

[Ruperts Trooper]

Whilst we're on the subject, like I said, I found the idea of 'needing' to use an escape lane quite alarming. Are there any stats about how likely people are to survive a forced exit into an escape lane??

How does it work, for instance?? I'm assuming there's a small drop, so that the vehicle is basically stopped in motion. What if the engine's still in gear and revved up though??

In the days of undersized drum brakes and cross-ply tyres, the potential need for escape lanes used to be very much higher than it is today.

The idea is that the sand/gravel won't take the vehicles weight on it's tyres so it sinks in and the much higher drag on the body/chassis is enough to bring it a halt.

I imagine that a thorough physical mechanical examination of damage to the vehicle as well as to determine the cause of the runaway would have been necessary - and the alternative is barely thinkable.

[RichieGraham]

Whilst we're on the subject, like I said, I found the idea of 'needing' to use an escape lane quite alarming. Are there any stats about how likely people are to survive a forced exit into an escape lane??

How does it work, for instance?? I'm assuming there's a small drop, so that the vehicle is basically stopped in motion. What if the engine's still in gear and revved up though??

I've always assumed that they basically just a way of getting a vehicle to 'control crash'. Whether that would stop the engine or not I don't know; I assume though that it would be as safe as possible for any vehicle occupants, provided the vehicle was in good shape and occupants were wearing seatbelts etc!

[rhyds]

The idea is that the vehicle who's brakes have failed will be slowly stopped by the sand/gravel before hitting something harder. The specs call for a depth of 300-450mm (12-18" in old money) of loose gravel for the vehicle to sink in to, which should give a reasonably gradual slow down.

As for being powerful enough to overcome the engine and stall it, most vehicles going down hill will be at zero or very little throttle, and if there is an emergency then the driver can simply place the transmission in neutral to take it out of the equation.

[mfmman]

With reference to the Bath ones I mentioned earlier, they were pointed out to me by my dad who was a lorry driver and I'm sure he told me he had seen a wagon in one of them.

I'm pretty sure I have too, the cab was in a fair depth (headlights level) with an apparently uninjured but miserable looking driver stood alongside

[RichardA626]

Some railway sidings had a similar sand drag at the end to slow down any runway rolling stock as an alternative to trap points and hydraulic buffers.

[Berk]

if there is an emergency then the driver can simply place the transmission in neutral to take it out of the equation.

That's fine, unless your clutch goes - which has happened to me before. Fortunately, it was just round the corner from home, and I wasn't going very fast (I'd just had to give way, as a matter of fact, hence the gear change).

But normally, slipping it into neutral would make you slow right down, yes. Less likely to work on a steep slope, though.

[rhyds]

if there is an emergency then the driver can simply place the transmission in neutral to take it out of the equation.

That's fine, unless your clutch goes - which has happened to me before. Fortunately, it was just round the corner from home, and I wasn't going very fast (I'd just had to give way, as a matter of fact, hence the gear change).

But normally, slipping it into neutral would make you slow right down, yes. Less likely to work on a steep slope, though.

Slipping a car in to neutral doesn't really slow you down (unless the engine's throttle was jammed wide open). As for when the clutch stuck, you can either force the gearstick in to neutral (a dab on the throttle helps) or you can switch the engine off.

As for steep hills, you're better off staying in gear to use engine braking. The emergency I was thinking of was a stuck throttle cable or similar causing the engine to speed up.

[Berk]

I wouldn't know where to find it?? I know this makes me sound thick, but I haven't a clue.

[rhyds]

The throttle is the accelerator pedal.

[DavidBrown]

How does it work, for instance?? I'm assuming there's a small drop, so that the vehicle is basically stopped in motion. What if the engine's still in gear and revved up though??

I'd imagine in the same way that a gravel trap at any motor racing circuit would work.

[Stevie D]

As for steep hills, you're better off staying in gear to use engine braking. The emergency I was thinking of was a stuck throttle cable or similar causing the engine to speed up.

The thing is, a stuck throttle cable could happen anywhere, although thankfully such incidents are rare – while it would be more dangerous on a downhill, it's not something that they would build escape lanes for. No, the worry about vehicles (especially large vehicles and caravans) cooking their brakes is the main reason.

As well as the A35, the ones that I can think of off the top of my head (sorry if some of these have already been mentioned):
A169 at Sleights
A166 at Garrowby Hill
A59 at Beamsley Bank
B1249 at Staxton
A39 at Lynmouth (and probably other places!)
The common factor seems to be a junction, village or very sharp bend at the bottom of the hill.

[Big L]

B4246 on the Tumble.

[chris486]

Until I took up driving nearly 10 years ago, the only one I could have mentioned was the single one on the A52 descending in the general direction of Stoke, because I remember it from when I was young - I thought it was exciting and unique. There's a lot of quarry wagons descending the A52 from Cauldon Lowe to the Potteries.

I've seen the ones on the A39 but there are some a bit closer to home on the A6 between Bakewell and Buxton - presumably more for caravan numpties as so accurately described in the first reply

[Bryn666]

The B road dropping down to Waddington in Lancashire has one, there's a lengthy gradient of about 2 miles and a quarry at the top.