Junction review after wrong-way crash

[wrinkly]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-o ... e-46022641

[Berk]

Interesting. It would be helpful if someone could shine some light in each of these locations. What makes them particularly risky??

[Ambosc79]

A5 at M54 J7? It's the same road with a different number and letter.

I think they mean the B5061/ex-A5 underneath, which has slip roads leading up to the A5/M54 where the "wrong way" ones do have no-entry signs. Can't ever recall anyone going the wrong way there though. People have done it at the A5/A458 half-junction in spite of that also having no entry's https://www.instantstreetview.com/@52.6 ... .54p,2.24z
note the big sign positioned before the off-slip, with its bottom half hidden by the trees

[JF2309]

I’m very surprised that Bredbury Scissors hasn’t made this list.

[Peter350]

Interesting. It would be helpful if someone could shine some light in each of these locations.

Flowsignals?

[trickstat]

It mentions the A1(M) between Junction 4 and 5. This must be about 4 because 5 is only a northbound on-slip. 4 is just north of the Hatfield Tunnel and I can see that there may be some issues there. Both slips for the southbound carriageway come off the same rather dreadful roundabout. However, I suspect the greater risk is the northbound where you cross an overbridge from that roundabout to another much smaller roundabout. There you should turn right to head north. I suspect the angle of the off slip would make it very difficult to turn left but maybe there is a small but genuine risk of someone at quiet times not realising the bridge is 2 way and taking the roundabout in the wrong direction and heading down the off-slip.

[c2R]

If I'm honest none of ours are as bad as some of those in Spain, particularly on the early autovias, where it's all too easy to understand how someone could end up going the wrong way. That said, perhaps at these high risk locations putting "Danger wrong way" signs, reengineering road layout, or triggered flashing warnings is worth doing.

[Johnathan404]

Curiously the reported list doesn’t include the M40!

[Roavin]

The A64 isn't on this list? It has soo many at-grade dodgy junctions:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/A64,+ ... d6b4a8e840
https://www.google.com/maps/place/A64,+ ... 863a6e3332
https://www.google.com/maps/place/A64,+ ... 80eea47d5e
https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+O ... fbeda8b758
https://www.google.com/maps/place/A64,+ ... 0f2f0f8fc6
https://www.google.com/maps/place/A64,+ ... 0bff03a8ac
https://www.google.com/maps/place/A64,+ ... 873046b72a
And that's only on the A1(M) to Hopgrive roundabout stretch!

[KeithW]

The A1 at Stannington has the potential to be confusing as when if you leave the A1 Northbound and want to head for Bedlington or Stannnington Station you see a sign indicating you should cross under the dual carriageway and then look for a left turn.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.11393 ... 6656?hl=en

When you get to the next roundabout this is what you see.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.11426 ... 6656?hl=en

The sign for Bedlington is not really visible from the roundabout entrance. There are no entry signs on the A1 southbound off slip but the road angle is not particularly acute and if you are distracted I suppose it would be possible to miss them and take the first left instead of second left.

Personally I like the US approach which is after the Do Not Enter sign to have repeaters on the slip road itself.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@40.00010 ... 6656?hl=en

[Bryn666]

I’m very surprised that Bredbury Scissors hasn’t made this list.

After a few wrong ways in the early 1990s (it opened in 1989 or so) the junction gained such a fearsome reputation that I think the type of eejit who's going to join the M60 the wrong way avoids it entirely.

Of course joining the M60 in the other direction involves using a right hand entry too so this is really numpty repellent all around here.

Given J25 and J27 provide all the same movements it does make you wonder why the scissors exist at all; although granted it's useful for avoiding the double J25 roundabouts.

[hat]

seeing those wrong way signs puts me in mind of this classic response; "how do they know where we're going?"!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_akwHYMdbsM

[JF2309]

I’m very surprised that Bredbury Scissors hasn’t made this list.

After a few wrong ways in the early 1990s (it opened in 1989 or so) the junction gained such a fearsome reputation that I think the type of eejit who's going to join the M60 the wrong way avoids it entirely.

Of course joining the M60 in the other direction involves using a right hand entry too so this is really numpty repellent all around here.

Given J25 and J27 provide all the same movements it does make you wonder why the scissors exist at all; although granted it's useful for avoiding the double J25 roundabouts.

This is exactly it isn’t it? It needn’t exist at all. It still think you’ve Under estimated the sheer stupidity if some of our road users though. They may only account for 0.5% of all road users but the carnage they create affects the other 99.5% directly.

[mikehindsonevans]

I still endorse the Irish approach - big red oblong signs saying "WRONG WAY" in white at the "wrong" entrance to dual carriageways. They are big and simple - and very effective: and since they are a country in the EU, it obviously doesn't matter that the sign is only in English - the world's most-used language.

Any word on a date for the inquest into the M40 tragedy? The innocent victim's family deserve an explanation for the apparently un-explainable.

[MayzieY]

One thing that's not been brought up on this thread is the age of the driver. I can recall my mum saying to me at one point that she was surprised, and more than a little concerned, that dad had driven the wrong way around a roundabout (he had been a police Class 1 driver). He was in his early '80s at that point and we were doing our best to discourage him from driving, including advising the DVLA of our concerns. Unfortunately that merely resulted in some ill-feeling towards us for trying to 'take away his independence' and the need for his GP to assess his capabilities. As his GP had also to consider his role as his sole health practitioner this put him in a very difficult place.

I think that there should be mandatory retesting once we hit a certain age and I speak as someone who is nearing that stage. But age isn't the only factor, so should there be regular reassessments throughout driving careers?

[lefthandedspanner]

I still endorse the Irish approach - big red oblong signs saying "WRONG WAY" in white at the "wrong" entrance to dual carriageways. They are big and simple - and very effective: and since they are a country in the EU, it obviously doesn't matter that the sign is only in English - the world's most-used language.

See also the NI approach of having flashing red lights under the no-entry signs.

[Berk]

I don’t think there should be mandatory re-testing. It should be easier to take action against an individual after near misses, that sort of thing. Camera evidence should be used if necessary.

[Ruperts Trooper]

One thing that's not been brought up on this thread is the age of the driver. I can recall my mum saying to me at one point that she was surprised, and more than a little concerned, that dad had driven the wrong way around a roundabout (he had been a police Class 1 driver). He was in his early '80s at that point and we were doing our best to discourage him from driving, including advising the DVLA of our concerns. Unfortunately that merely resulted in some ill-feeling towards us for trying to 'take away his independence' and the need for his GP to assess his capabilities. As his GP had also to consider his role as his sole health practitioner this put him in a very difficult place.

I think that there should be mandatory retesting once we hit a certain age and I speak as someone who is nearing that stage. But age isn't the only factor, so should there be regular reassessments throughout driving careers?

In an ideal world drivers should be retested every 5 years with an extended test for anyone who fails the retest and then reapplies - not talking about anyone failing their initial test. This won't happen politically but it would employ a huge number of examiners!

Getting family members to stop driving is a difficult area - I personally want to be aware enough to know myself when the time to quit comes but some/many won't want to give up so instantly.

[Ambosc79]

I knew a 70-something man (an ex-magistrate no less) who forgot to renew his insurance one year and only became aware of the fact 12 months later when he phoned up to renew it for the next year... Goodness knows how he got away with driving uninsured for a year with all the ANPR cameras, police checkpoints, databases Tec- he drove almost every day, often from Shrewsbury to Birmingham and back- never got stopped once.

[scragend]

I still endorse the Irish approach - big red oblong signs saying "WRONG WAY" in white at the "wrong" entrance to dual carriageways. They are big and simple - and very effective: and since they are a country in the EU, it obviously doesn't matter that the sign is only in English - the world's most-used language.

The Australians have a similar approach, but even more explicit. Not only do they tell you that you're going the wrong way, they also tell you what you need to do about it!