Pointless motorway overhead messages

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Chris5156
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Chris5156 »

Conekicker wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 07:51
Herned wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 07:46 On the M5 south near j25 the other day, the VMS was displaying "A35 closed at A375". As a local I have no idea where the A375 is (Honiton-Sidmouth). Wouldn't putting the place name be hugely more useful?
How many characters in "A375"? How many in "Honiton"? There's only so much space on the VMS.

As a non-local, I've no idea where any of those are.
It is very hard to find a message for these situations that will be meaningful to a majority of drivers and also concise enough to fit onto a sign without losing clarity.

Two other possibilities that would, I think, fit:
A35 CLOSED SOMEWHERE
A35 CLOSED GOOD LUCK

:wink:
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Herned »

Conekicker wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 07:51 How many characters in "A375"? How many in "Honiton"? There's only so much space on the VMS.

As a non-local, I've no idea where any of those are.
More than enough to write Honiton, it's a shorter message than many which they display. I would have thought the place name would be much more well known than a minor A road for a start
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Herned »

Chris5156 wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 09:10 It is very hard to find a message for these situations that will be meaningful to a majority of drivers and also concise enough to fit onto a sign without losing clarity.

Two other possibilities that would, I think, fit:
A35 CLOSED SOMEWHERE
A35 CLOSED GOOD LUCK

:wink:
Fair point. However, wouldn't "A35 closed, use A358" be better? As this was a couple of miles short of the A358 junction?
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Matthew
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Matthew »

Unless agreed with the local highway authority, you can't make some arbitrary decision to tell traffic to use an alternative road. You'd have to investigate height and weight restrictions for one.
Opinion is purely my own and all those other exceptions and excuses.
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Conekicker
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Conekicker »

Herned wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 10:17
Conekicker wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 07:51 How many characters in "A375"? How many in "Honiton"? There's only so much space on the VMS.

As a non-local, I've no idea where any of those are.
More than enough to write Honiton, it's a shorter message than many which they display. I would have thought the place name would be much more well known than a minor A road for a start
I've heard of both Honiton and Sidmouth but where they are, apart from "Down south somewhere", I haven't a clue.
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SouthWest Philip
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by SouthWest Philip »

Chris5156 wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 09:10
Conekicker wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 07:51
Herned wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 07:46 On the M5 south near j25 the other day, the VMS was displaying "A35 closed at A375". As a local I have no idea where the A375 is (Honiton-Sidmouth). Wouldn't putting the place name be hugely more useful?
How many characters in "A375"? How many in "Honiton"? There's only so much space on the VMS.

As a non-local, I've no idea where any of those are.
It is very hard to find a message for these situations that will be meaningful to a majority of drivers and also concise enough to fit onto a sign without losing clarity.

Two other possibilities that would, I think, fit:
A35 CLOSED SOMEWHERE
A35 CLOSED GOOD LUCK

:wink:
Another thing worth noting is that the where the A35 and A375 actually meet is also somewhat ambiguous. The OS, for example, has the A35 running all through Honiton High Street meaning it runs in three directions from the mini-roundabout east of the town centre. Open Street Map, however, has the High Street as part of the A375. Signage within the town doesn't give much away either with numbers omitted and "Town Centre" or "Other Routes" being favoured destinations.
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Barkstar
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Barkstar »

Okay not overhead but in the interminable M56 roadworks next to a new gantry there's a yellow temporary board with the legend: A new gantry for your safety. Not only is unnecessary it doesn't really make much sense. Then quite a few things on our highways fail in that regard :laugh:
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Chris5156
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Chris5156 »

Barkstar wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 14:45 Okay not overhead but in the interminable M56 roadworks next to a new gantry there's a yellow temporary board with the legend: A new gantry for your safety. Not only is unnecessary it doesn't really make much sense. Then quite a few things on our highways fail in that regard :laugh:
NH do seem to like putting yellow signs through roadworks telling you vaguely what’s happening in each area. I’ve seen ones in the M1 J13-16 works saying things like “nightshift works”, “stabilising embankments”, “refurbishing drains” and so on.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by tom66 »

fridayy wrote: Fri Jun 03, 2022 21:53 not an overhead message, but on the new A14 there are “camera not in use” signs on the gantries. If they’re referring to the speed cameras, seems a bit odd to have “not in use” signs on them, defeats the point of having speed cameras. it could be referring to the cctv though.
This seems pretty common on new roads.

I take it to mean one of two things:
- if you don't get a speeding ticket this time, it doesn't mean we're not going to enforce it later on just because the camera isn't flashing yet
- if you do see a flash, we might be calibrating the cameras, don't panic

As far as I know, there's no regulation that requires speed camera signs to be accompanied by actual functioning cameras.

But it is a bit odd... My favourite one so far has to be "sign not in use" signs... Seems a little recursive for a sign to declare its own meaning extinct. :lol:
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by jnty »

tom66 wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 13:43
fridayy wrote: Fri Jun 03, 2022 21:53 not an overhead message, but on the new A14 there are “camera not in use” signs on the gantries. If they’re referring to the speed cameras, seems a bit odd to have “not in use” signs on them, defeats the point of having speed cameras. it could be referring to the cctv though.
This seems pretty common on new roads.

I take it to mean one of two things:
- if you don't get a speeding ticket this time, it doesn't mean we're not going to enforce it later on just because the camera isn't flashing yet
- if you do see a flash, we might be calibrating the cameras, don't panic

As far as I know, there's no regulation that requires speed camera signs to be accompanied by actual functioning cameras.

But it is a bit odd... My favourite one so far has to be "sign not in use" signs... Seems a little recursive for a sign to declare its own meaning extinct. :lol:
For the temporary roadworks average speed cameras I feel like the 'not in use' signs are useful as they highlight that whatever temporary limit may have applied before, it doesn't any more, so don't worry that you've missed something when you see the cameras.

Sign not in use messages seem silly but they're probably useful for confirming that the sign is working to the people who care about that, and perhaps more importantly ensure that any message on a previous sign (eg. 'accident ahead') is not implicitly cancelled by the following sign being blank.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by ManomayLR »

Chris5156 wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 12:35
Barkstar wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 14:45 Okay not overhead but in the interminable M56 roadworks next to a new gantry there's a yellow temporary board with the legend: A new gantry for your safety. Not only is unnecessary it doesn't really make much sense. Then quite a few things on our highways fail in that regard :laugh:
NH do seem to like putting yellow signs through roadworks telling you vaguely what’s happening in each area. I’ve seen ones in the M1 J13-16 works saying things like “nightshift works”, “stabilising embankments”, “refurbishing drains” and so on.
This scheme isn't the only place where I've seen such things. M4 J3-12 too.
"constructing emergency refuge areas"
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by rhyds »

While driving in Scotland recently I saw a VMS displaying

"SOFT TYRES WASTE FUEL"

Luckily my tyres are "NutterBa###rd Radials" and are as tough as nails
Built for comfort, not speed.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by DB617 »

rhyds wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 16:20 While driving in Scotland recently I saw a VMS displaying

"SOFT TYRES WASTE FUEL"

Luckily my tyres are "NutterBa###rd Radials" and are as tough as nails
During the last heatwave I saw one on the M4 that said 'SAVE TYRES SAVE LIVES'. Either the heat got to them or they were promoting some sort of tyre rescue charity...
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by brummie_rob »

DB617 wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 12:54
rhyds wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 16:20 While driving in Scotland recently I saw a VMS displaying

"SOFT TYRES WASTE FUEL"

Luckily my tyres are "NutterBa###rd Radials" and are as tough as nails
During the last heatwave I saw one on the M4 that said 'SAVE TYRES SAVE LIVES'. Either the heat got to them or they were promoting some sort of tyre rescue charity...
Talking of heat, the new one this week is:

'Heatwave until 14th August, plan ahead, carry water'

Isn't it a bit late if your reading that on the motorway itself unless by a services?
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by DB617 »

brummie_rob wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 15:07
DB617 wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 12:54
rhyds wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 16:20 While driving in Scotland recently I saw a VMS displaying

"SOFT TYRES WASTE FUEL"

Luckily my tyres are "NutterBa###rd Radials" and are as tough as nails
During the last heatwave I saw one on the M4 that said 'SAVE TYRES SAVE LIVES'. Either the heat got to them or they were promoting some sort of tyre rescue charity...
Talking of heat, the new one this week is:

'Heatwave until 14th August, plan ahead, carry water'

Isn't it a bit late if your reading that on the motorway itself unless by a services?
I guess if you use it a lot you might consider bringing some next time. I do try and carry some now - if you get stuck standing behind armco for hours on a motorway in 36+ degrees you're going to NEED suncream, a hat and water at minimum, preferably some shade. It's got to be just as dangerous as getting stuck in sub-zero conditions.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by brummie_rob »

I carry water at least in this heat, both for me and the car itself. I don't carry suncream or a hat though but lucky I don't burn too easily.
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the cheesecake man
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by the cheesecake man »

CONGESTION STAY IN LANE

Not really pointless but I'm usually leaving at the next junction so staying in lane isn't good advice.
Last edited by the cheesecake man on Thu Nov 03, 2022 12:55, edited 1 time in total.
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KeithW
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by KeithW »

Matthew wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 14:29 Unless agreed with the local highway authority, you can't make some arbitrary decision to tell traffic to use an alternative road. You'd have to investigate height and weight restrictions for one.
Many motorways and major roads have pre planned diversion routes
https://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/a ... ion-routes
https://www.roads.org.uk/articles/emerg ... ion-routes

This was certainly the case for the A19 from Portrack Lane to Wolviston when it was being widened last year.
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Big L
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Big L »

Not a motorway, and not overhead, but I’m not starting a new thread just for this.

Wolverhampton has this message on pretty much every council owned electronic sign, certainly all around the ring road.
BC677512-BB7F-47C5-BD8A-65E5DF935A64.jpeg
Turns out that several councils have apparently wasted good money getting an injunction banning something I’m fairly sure is already illegal. The signs are a condition of the injunction.

Story (and a load of annoying adverts) here. At least it’s not a Reach website!!
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by darkcape »

There's loads of static signs saying similar in Birmingham around the Heartlands & Fort Dunlop.

Not overhead but it was on a roadside VMS in roadworks: "shift change", presumably to explain why no workers were visible. Will they also sign when a worker pops off to the loo in case motorists get concerned?
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