Signs that State the Obvious

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sheeldz
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Signs that State the Obvious

Post by sheeldz »

On the A595 south of Whitehaven there is a traffic light junction that is a few years old that replaced a give-way. The give way priority was towards the A595, so there was a turning lane turning right. Obviously the traffic flows meant that getting out of the sideroad was impossible, hence the lights.

Location is here.

On the traffic lights, heading southbound, there is a yellow text sign that states "Right-turners must give way to oncoming traffic". This is a sign that states the obvious. That's what a set of traffic lights does; a green light doesn't mean you get priority over the oncoming traffic.

Any others?
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Arcuarius
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Arcuarius »

sheeldz wrote:On the A595 south of Whitehaven there is a traffic light junction that is a few years old that replaced a give-way. The give way priority was towards the A595, so there was a turning lane turning right. Obviously the traffic flows meant that getting out of the sideroad was impossible, hence the lights.

Location is here.

On the traffic lights, heading southbound, there is a yellow text sign that states "Right-turners must give way to oncoming traffic". This is a sign that states the obvious. That's what a set of traffic lights does; a green light doesn't mean you get priority over the oncoming traffic.

Any others?
There's one of those on the A60 in Papplewick. Also "Cross when green figure shows" signs attached to signals in Lincoln. Which is gender neutral, at least...
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Bryn666
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Bryn666 »

There's a 'give way to oncoming vehicles' sign in Blackburn at a junction where a segregated right turn stage was replaced with a gap-accept early cut off. Local idiots still manage to collide with each other...

Never underestimate the stupidity of British drivers.
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Arcuarius »

My all-time favourite is a set of 'traffic signals ahead' signs on an arrow-straight piece of dual carriageway, mounted on a yellow backing board, with "70 yards" sub-plates, here.

You don't say? It's not like I can see them from the top of the road, or anything...
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Lockwood
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Lockwood »

Any VMS with "M25 Congestion"?
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by ScottB5411 »

Bryn666 wrote:There's a 'give way to oncoming vehicles' sign in Blackburn at a junction where a segregated right turn stage was replaced with a gap-accept early cut off. Local idiots still manage to collide with each other...

Never underestimate the stupidity of British drivers.
Agreed, Americans outdo the British hook line and sinker in this department though, literally no clue at all some of them
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by WHBM »

Lockwood wrote:Any VMS with "M25 Congestion"?
All too often, unfortunately.
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Johnathan404
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Johnathan404 »

Lockwood wrote:Any VMS with "M25 Congestion"?
File it under "would be funny if it wasn't true".

For three years I joined the M27 eastbound at J5 around 7pm. There is a VMS after the first bend, which almost every single day took the form 'M25 Jx-Jx LONG DELAYS'.

I used to look forward to when it said J4-J30, so I could say to myself "that's not as bad as it sounds".

I believe that sign displays journey times now, which would have been a nice change.
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Piatkow »

sheeldz wrote:On the A595 south of Whitehaven there is a traffic light junction that is a few years old that replaced a give-way. The give way priority was towards the A595, so there was a turning lane turning right. Obviously the traffic flows meant that getting out of the sideroad was impossible, hence the lights.

Location is here.

On the traffic lights, heading southbound, there is a yellow text sign that states "Right-turners must give way to oncoming traffic". This is a sign that states the obvious. That's what a set of traffic lights does; a green light doesn't mean you get priority over the oncoming traffic.

Any others?
Street view predates the signals. Without driving the length of the country to have a look I would guess that there is something about the signal positioning that was fooling people into thinking that the directions had separate phases.
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by lefthandedspanner »

There is of course the classic give-way sign with the caption "GIVE WAY to traffic from RIGHT" at the roundabout on the M12 in Co. Armagh.
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Conekicker »

Patience is not a virtue - it's a concept invented by the dozy beggars who are unable to think quickly enough.
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Johnathan404
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Johnathan404 »

lefthandedspanner wrote:There is of course the classic give-way sign with the caption "GIVE WAY to traffic from RIGHT" at the roundabout on the M12 in Co. Armagh.
Doesn't every roundabout (big and mini) in Northern Ireland get that as standard?
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by drm567 »

Earlier this year on the M25 clockwise we'd taken about 30 minutes to get from J12 to J14 with nothing on any VMS. Then on the one just north of 14 was the message 'Congestion ahead - slow' (or words to that effect). The congestion was caused by a broken down lorry under the M4 bridge where there is no (proper) hard shoulder.
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Glen »

Conekicker wrote:Sheffield are good at this sort of silliness
"Look both ways" seems sensible enough when the road has the look of two carriageways separated by a central island, when it is in fact a two-way road and a two-way tram way.
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by sheeldz »

Piatkow wrote: Street view predates the signals. Without driving the length of the country to have a look I would guess that there is something about the signal positioning that was fooling people into thinking that the directions had separate phases.
Absolutely. I have always wondered if there is an argument to suggest that the over use of single signal arrows on junctions causes issues/ But that is a total other thread...
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Blatso »

There was one on the A872 at the northern end of Denny which said: NEW ROUNDABOUT AHEAD. That would be useful if it wasn't about 50-100 yards from it and the road is perfectly straight for a good bit more than that and the roundabout is perfectly visible for a good distance
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Jonathan24 »

Arcuarius wrote:My all-time favourite is a set of 'traffic signals ahead' signs on an arrow-straight piece of dual carriageway, mounted on a yellow backing board, with "70 yards" sub-plates, here.

You don't say? It's not like I can see them from the top of the road, or anything...
This one's even better. 30 yards...
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Bfivethousand »

Jonathan24 wrote: This one's even better. 30 yards...
Judging by the module of the zig-zag markings I'd guess that in reality the distance is more like 20 yards. Certainly not the 70 as according to the plate...

And what's the deal with the cycle lane? The zig-zag markings are odd enough on the approach, but worse still, are cycles not required to stop at the pedestrian crossing or summat?

where's the stop line?
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Fenlander »

Being as far out as they are you could park between the zig zags and the kerb at the crossing.
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Re: Signs that State the Obvious

Post by Owain »

ScottB5411 wrote:
Bryn666 wrote:There's a 'give way to oncoming vehicles' sign in Blackburn at a junction where a segregated right turn stage was replaced with a gap-accept early cut off. Local idiots still manage to collide with each other...

Never underestimate the stupidity of British drivers.
Agreed, Americans outdo the British hook line and sinker in this department though, literally no clue at all some of them
... or the arrogance.

You are told to 'give way to oncoming vehicles' here. Because I know what 'Give Way' markings mean, and am able to read, I stopped to allow the first oncoming car to pass. He thanked me.

Behind him, the road was clear, so I drove forwards. I don't hang about when I'm driving, so I was off the mark pretty quicky. Suddenly, a car* came tearing around the corner and blasted his horn at me as I took evasive action, having thankfully cleared the narrow section of road.

Either he was travelling way over the speed limit, or the traffic engineers have failed to take into account that a car might come around the corner while you are in the narrow section. I suspect the problem was caused by the former rather than the latter.

*It was a black Audi. Just saying.
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