Motorway Gantry Warning

Snowy1 , I bet it's an impressive sight when you land that Chinook on site and roll your caravan out 😁😁.

Ha ha, I like your banter, there are like yourself, many members on here who have a good sense of humour!

All lanes, 24/7? All fine until a breakdown occurs! Where do they go then? Yes, I agree, an accidental looking for somewhere to happen!

Nothing like Military humour Snowy- some of the best humour in the world. Not the most PC but that's why it's  so funny! 

My issue with Overhead Gantry messages is how current are they?

1. Too often they seem to offer warnings to slow to 60, then 50, then 40 then End....when there appears to be nothing there. No doubt there was and that's good. But if an 'incident' has been cleared then say so.

2. We were heading for the Tunnel a month or so ago and were on A14 or M11 or thereabouts and there were warnings of 'congestion' at Dartford crossing. We decided to push on as we were going down and over from S Yorks in one day for the first time...when we got to Dartford - flew straight over! Frustrating. Could have stopped for a cuppa!

SteveL  You are correct in presuming that my earlier post was referring only to the type of "Smart System" that can identify congestion, such as the rush hour and can, as a temporary measure, permit 4 lane usage by converting the hard shoulder into a running lane for vehicles intending to take the next exit.

I do not support any system that uses a previously dedicated hard shoulder as a permanent running lane 24/7.  To introduce such a system completely disregards the safety provision incorporated in the motorway concept world wide.  As has already been said it can only create a very dangerous environment surrounding any break down or  following a minor accident.

I have used the smart system many times on 3 lane carriageways in very heavy traffic. The freeing up of traffic hold ups, by permitting hard shoulder use to clear the congestion is very effective then, and if matched by a corresponding and legally enforceable lower speed limits, is unlikely to lead to accidents due to the increased safety margins and visibility.

TF

I really hate it when the sign pops up "Incident - please slow" or words to that effect.  How many of you have ever seen an "incident", and don't tell me its more than likely moved.  I personally think that the motorway monitors don't like to see traffic moving at normal capacity and speed, and so will move heaven and earth to create an "incident" to slow everything down and create queues.  Powers that be!

"My issue with Overhead Gantry messages is how current are they?

1. Too often they seem to offer warnings to slow to 60, then 50, then 40 then End....when there appears to be nothing there."

The flow of traffic on a motorway is extremely complex and involves many factors not immediately visible to a single vehicle's occupants. One of the most dangerous in the Wave Effect.

When something occurs that causes the traffic to slow a bit a wave of slowing traffic works its way back upstream, often slowing to a lesser speed than traffic at the incident, sometimes even to a halt. This "slow wave" can then create a second wave upstream of it.

Drives encounter one of these waves and then once past it speed up thinking the cause has been aleviated. They then arrive at high speed into the slow wave in front, or the traffic delayed by the original incident.  This is a major cause of the nose-to-tail crashes but is difficult to monitor as the wave can dissipate just as quickly as it forms.

Navigateur;

Your above post is a difficult thing to try and explain, I think under the circumstances, you have explained it rather well.

There would be less need for "smart" motorways if we had "smart" drivers who drove on the left when able to do so. Most three lane motorways effectively operate as two lane ones as so many seem reluctant to occupy the nearside lane.