Car drivers frustrated and insulted

[neil_merseyside]

" The Welsh Conservatives feared the 50mph speed limit - rather than the 70mph limit normally adopted on dual carriageways - could increase congestion. "

I wonder if they could explain the mechanism by which this increase in congestion would happen.

I suppose they haven't said it would increased congestion, just that they fear it. And fear is irrational so needs no explanation.

Congestion because a surge to 70 and panic 'I can see brakelights' stop to zero can easily be a simple average of 35? All the busy roads like M25, M62 and M42 with variable limits flow much faster when restricted and traffic flow is smooth.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Congestion because a surge to 70 and panic 'I can see brakelights' stop to zero can easily be a simple average of 35? All the busy roads like M25, M62 and M42 with variable limits flow much faster when restricted and traffic flow is smooth.

That makes sense, but it's not what they are saying.

They are saying that a 70 limit will reduce congestion, and a 50 limit will increase it. Or at least they are saying that they fear that.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It was very clear driving from my mother’s yesterday. Increases in the number of vehicles in a space I.e. level of congestion was directly down to drivers not sticking to the speed limits. Drivers forced to stick to 50 with average speed cameras will flow so much better.

 

[DCBassman]

Maybe it's time to actually reduce all the main limits by 10mph. Certainly wouldn't worry me.
In any case, I stick to the limits by the simple expedient of using cruise control or a limiter. Even without, it's not exactly difficult...

 

[Andy in Germany]

Why do some car drivers feel so self entitled, and why do the media persistently allow their views on safety - and their views on cyclists - to prevail?

Advertising.

Also: clickbait.

 

[Oldhippy]

Wonder if anyone has ever approached Trading standards due to not being suddenly attractive/having cool mates who like beach parties/no roads opening up to empty vistas as they leave the showroom?

 

[jowwy]

the amount of idiotic comments on the bbc website about this road is unbelievable.

 

[Drago]

Wonder if anyone has ever approached Trading standards due to not being suddenly attractive/having cool mates who like beach parties/no roads opening up to empty vistas as they leave the showroom?

Indeed. I drive a Volvo for its legendary safety, and notmonce has a strange woman asked to have safe sex with me.

 

[icowden]

A road is being upgraded in Walesland and it seems some drivers are jolly upset because it will have a 50MPH speed limit for safety and air quality reasons.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57615167
It's just unbelievable. I mean, how fast do they need to go? If they didn't keep crashing and dying then the speed limit might be a bit higher, so motorists led their own destiny with that one.

Honestly @Drago,

WIll you not think of Liv?

Motorists, like 21-year-old trainee pharmacy technician Liv Hoskins, have had to put up with traffic congestion and 40mph speed limits as the road between Brynmawr in Blaenau Gwent and Abergavenny in Monmouthshire is upgraded.
"Where I live in Ebbw Vale, you used to be able to get from Ebbw Vale down to Abergavenny in about 10 minutes," said Ms Hoskins, who uses the route on her way to work in the Somerset resort of Weston-super-Mare.
"Now, you've got to allow at least 25 minutes. It's frustrating. The speed limit and flow of traffic on a single carriageway road has been a complete nightmare from start to finish.

She used to be able to drive those 11 miles in 10 minutes at an average speed of 65 miles an hour. It's now going to take her 12 minutes*.
Obviously the additional congestion is (in her mind) permanent...
Oh the humanity...

*or she doesn't know what she is talking about and cannot differentiate normal congestion from construction congestion. You choose.

 

[T4tomo]

you are correct......you could overtake going up, but not coming down.....but that's what drivers did and that's what caused a huge amount of crashes and deaths. also at the gilwern end, there was a junction that you needed to use that meant you had to cross all 3 lanes to be able to drive upto brynmawr, that's been removed now and you have to go left onto a slip road ad down to the roundabout and back up. it will be safer now its duelled, but its still a steep bendy road, with blind bends

A similar thing (removal of 3rd suicide lane) was done on the A64 between York and Malton for same reason. The A64 is a mix of single and dual carriage way and gets notoriously congested, especially in summer with general tourists and touring caravans in the summer. all the dual carriage way bit do is allow you to get past the caravans a bit quicker and then sit for longer in the next queue on the next single carriageway section, and provide a chance for those who don't understand "zip-merging" at the end of dual carriage ways to get irate.

A road only has a much capacity as it lowest capacity section!

 

[jowwy]

Honestly @Drago,

WIll you not think of Liv?



She used to be able to drive those 11 miles in 10 minutes at an average speed of 65 miles an hour. It's now going to take her 12 minutes*.
Obviously the additional congestion is (in her mind) permanent...
Oh the humanity...

*or she doesn't know what she is talking about and cannot differentiate normal congestion from construction congestion. You choose.

just an FYI....this girl has never driven this road without the roadworks....she is only 21, the roadworks started in 2014 when she was 14. therefore has only driven it with a 40mph current roadworks speed limit. Even the AA roadmap states it would take 23mins to get from ebbw vale to abergavenny in ideal road conditions.....

 

[icowden]

just an FYI....this girl has never driven this road without the roadworks....she is only 21, the roadworks started in 2014 when she was 14. therefore has only driven it with a 40mph current roadworks speed limit. Even the AA roadmap states it would take 23mins to get from ebbw vale to abergavenny in ideal road conditions.....

And yet she used to be able to do it in 10 minutes? Was she joyriding?

 

[Arrowfoot]

The more I read it, it sounds like poor journalism who found the usual whiners. As @jowwy and others have mentioned that road needed an upgrade.

 

[jowwy]

And yet she used to be able to do it in 10 minutes? Was she joyriding?

i posted earlier that i live not 30 seconds from said road...and no way at any stage of my driving life would you ever be able to get from ebbw vale to abergavenny in 10 mins....and ive been drving for over 20yrs

 

[Andy in Germany]

A road only has a much capacity as it lowest capacity section!

Also let us remember the phenomenon of induced demand which dictates that this dual carriageway will be as bunged up as before within a very short period of time, leading to further congestion as drivers rely on sat navs to try and find an alternative through the local villages.