Motorway signs that lie

[DRM]

Why on earth do the powers that be illuminate signs with either, slow, report of pedestrians, slow, report of debris, slow, report of obstruction when there never, ever is, one day there will be and it won’t end well

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

I saw one near Preston that said "Slow. Fog". The sun was shining and I could see the Lake District hills.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Never, ever is

sorry - wrong - I have seen a report of debris several times and seen the reported debris a bit later on

or in one case a couple of Police cars parked up dealing with it

and - if someone rings 999 to report debris or people walking on the Motorway - what to you want them to do immediately?

Yes - send someone to check - but in the meantime it is worth at least warning people of the possibility

 

[smokeysmoo]

I doubt anyone would question the validity of such signs when used efficiently and correctly, but I have to agree with the OP, more often than not when such signs are illuminated they do appear to have been switched on and then forgotten about, IME at least.

Surely with today's instant lines of communication and CCTV monitoring they could be switched off as soon as the hazard is cleared?

Living in the shadow of a couple of death traps, by which I mean 'smart' motorways, it does leave me rather cynical when speed limit signs are reduced on a clear, dry, smoothly flowing motorway, or when they are left on after fog/debris/accidents have been cleared, and then you remember that the Highways Agency is self funding nowadays

 

[gbb]

As a workday daily user of a 12 mile stretch of the A1M, you infrequently see overhead warnings, often debris in the road, I've rarely ever seen the stuff that the signs are warning me of....but cant say I'm that bothered if I'm honest. It makes maybe a few minutes extra travel time, no more in my case.

 

[ColinJ]

A guest appearance by me in this forum... (I normally Ignore it, but spotted it in Trending)

When I were a lad... a friend was driving a bunch of us down to Plymouth. We were bombing down the motorway at 100+ mph (yes, I know... we were young and stupid! ) and the overhead signs started displaying a reduced speed limit, which got lower sign by sign. I suggested that doing 100 mph when the limit was (say) 30 mph was really not a good idea?

Smart alec driver mate (who worked on motorway maintenance at the time) started to make his excuses... "I see these warning signs every day at work. There is never anything there, somebody just forgets to switc..... SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!"

He had just spotted a lorry driver standing in the outside lane ahead of us, holding a plank of wood just like in the sign above. Evidently, the lorry had shed some of its load and the brave (but foolish) driver was trying to move it before it caused an accident.

Travelling sideways at 90, 80, 70, 60 ... mph in a car whose tyres are billowing smoke, towards a man rooted to the spot in fear only becomes fun once the car has swerved around the man at the last possible moment! We slowed to 30 mph and stuck to the speed limits for the rest of our trip...

 

[Bazzer]

I have for sometime held the belief that they are used for traffic management, as well as real incidents.
There have been several times I have used the motorways, in particular long stretches of the M1 and M6 and had repeated "congestion" signs and a reduced speed limit imposed, but there has been nothing. Once or twice I can live with someone forgetting to switch the sign off, but repeated signs on the same motorway smacks of traffic management or incompetence.
I have also observed on the opposite carriageway repeated signs showing a restricted speed limit, when there was nothing obvious from my carriageway. Of course there could have been repeated "debris", but that really would be a coincidence.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Saw one today saying it was winter. Fake news.

 

[Cerdic]

There does seem to be a lot of potential for "the boy who cried wolf" type incidents.

A thing I've noticed is that they start warning you of something way too early. You get a sign saying 'workforce in road' or something, the speed limit is reduced to 60, then 50. Everyone slows down. After about five miles a sizeable number of drivers have got fed up and accelerated back up to 70. Totally counterproductive.

 

[randynewmanscat]

Day of the Greater Manchester road pricing referendum late afternoon start of rush hour. Completely random matrix signs warning including lane closures and junction closures on a drive that took in one third of the M60. It was chaos and the concertina braking effects generated some smoke from HGV tyres. No broken down vehicles, no collisions awaiting police attendance, no closed junctions, no beasts in road, nothing.
To this day I still believe it was an act of malice by someone. I read that Ken Livingstone in the run up to the vote there had the matrix signs generate warnings that caused the usual concertina effect due to peoples habit of tailgating, no I cannot dig out a source for that.

 

[Solocle]

Does this count as a motorway sign? Because it certainly caught me out during a 3am ride last January...

But, if I did get called in as a cyclist on motorway, I was off it again in a matter of minutes. So you'd likely see the sign, but I'd already be gone.

 

[DRM]

I doubt anyone would question the validity of such signs when used efficiently and correctly, but I have to agree with the OP, more often than not when such signs are illuminated they do appear to have been switched on and then forgotten about, IME at least.

Surely with today's instant lines of communication and CCTV monitoring they could be switched off as soon as the hazard is cleared?

Living in the shadow of a couple of death traps, by which I mean 'smart' motorways, it does leave me rather cynical when speed limit signs are reduced on a clear, dry, smoothly flowing motorway, or when they are left on after fog/debris/accidents have been cleared, and then you remember that the Highways Agency is self funding nowadays

This exactly, in years of using the M1, A1/M, M62, I have never, ever come across the reported hazard, these roads are, allegedly monitored, TURN THE BLOODY THINGS OFF WHEN THE PROBLEMS SORTED! I never said I ignored them, but certainly a hell of a lot of others continue flying up the outside at warp factor 9, one day they'll be caught out, as the for smart motorways, they should all be returned to 3 lanes and a hard shoulder, the most stupid, dangerous idea ever dreamed up.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

What about the temporary traffic lights ahead sign for work that was completed weeks ago,

 

[ColinJ]

It isn't just motorway signs that lie... We came across a 'Road Closed' sign on one of my forums rides in 2011. The bloody road wasn't closed, there was just a big pothole to go round!

Photos © @potsy, 2011!

 

[rockyroller]

the state of Massachusetts is changing their highway exit #s. more gps fun!

The exit numbers are being changed by MassDOT to comply with federal highway mandates, which require mile-based exit signs. Massachusetts is one of three states that have not yet begun any sort of conversion to the mileage-based system. Delaware and New Hampshire are the other two states