Junctions

Similar  problems  here  TF,  caused  by  the  fairly  recent  take  over  of  The  Teacher  Training  College  by  Manchester  Metropolitan  University.  The  ensuing  influx  of  students,  three-quarters  of  whom  appear  to  have  their  own  car,   has  caused  side  streets  in  the  older  parts  of  town  to  become  "No  Go  Areas"  to  anything  larger  than  a  unicycle  !!  Nose  to  tail  parking  every  inch  of  the  way,  until  term  end,  then  it  appears  utterly  deserted  .

Agree with Richardandros, although been caught out, a lot of drivers are very understanding.  But aside from that, I have now started to do a test run on Google Earth.  When planning to visit an area with the caravan, I do a complete run from home to caravan site along the route, and you come across the niggles and you expect them as you drive

I do exactly the same and although it takes a long time, I've got plenty of that and I find it's an invaluable tool.  Having researched the best route, I then program my in-car satnav with waypoints to make sure it selects the route I want and not the one 'it' thinks is best. It's also helped me to decide not to go to certain CLs - having seen the potential disastrous situations on approach roads I could get myself into!

Decided to use Google Earth to look at routes after our last trip to a site in Settle, Yorkshire that my OH had chosen. Arrived to find a single track road with passing places and a couple of miles to site. During our stay we met tractors ,artic lorry going into a farm and other vans and of course stone walls all along the road. We left site about 11am only to meet an enormous tractor and trailer and had to reverse caravan back along a narrow ,twisty road to the nearest passing place.Further on was the usual early arrival caravaner who managed to wait in a passing space. We still had a great time and site was lovely with good walks around it .

Why do they paint the direction arrows on the roads so near to the junctions ? Quite often get caught out by staying in the nearside lane only to see a left turn arrow appear as the traffic moves when you want to go straight on. Only takes one or two cars , bus or lorry to hide arrows from following traffic. Anyone else noticed this ?

it also presupposes that the paint hasn't worn off. Many times we've found ourselves in the middle of a roundabout, unsure where to go because there were no lane markings, or arrows

theres a large roundabout near Warwick which, when new, had really good direction arrows and lane markings which 'unwound' you beautifully for each junction - until the paint started to wear away...........

One problem is that there is no consistency.

Left hand lane can by left turn only or left and straight on. same with the right hand lane.

Try a roundabout where the right hand lane is signed to go all the way round, back where you came from, and then turn left in 100 yds. You cannot turn right into that road whilst approaching the roundabout. So presumably if you wished only to turn right, you would need to use the left hand lane on its approach?