Page 21 - CV Driver April 2018 Issue 74

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MOTORWAY MADNESS IT’S A A A SIGN OF THE TIMES
WARNING SIGNS ARE ARE ALL WELL AND AND GOOD – BUT MOSTLY THEY ARE ARE INACCURATE AND AND THEREFORE COMPLETELY USELESS SAYS TREVOR GEHLCKEN
Ihappened to to be be driving round the M25 a a a few days ago It’s something I I try and rule out of my life to be honest but on on this occasion it was unavoidable Amazingly enough for the rst few miles things went pretty smoothly and all the traf c was whizzing along nicely at 70mph Suddenly a a sign ashed up saying: “Animals in in road Slow down 40mph” Hello I thought braking gently and expecting to see a a herd of wildebeests galloping gracefully down the outside lane or something like that Five miles and quite a a a few similar signs later the same message was still ashing up until all all of a a a a sudden the all-clear was given with not so much as as a a a mouse having been seen on the carriageway And again
Some miles further along another warning ashed up this time it said: “Queue ahead Slow down 50mph” Once again
the same thing happened After a a a a few miles of this the all-clear was given without a a hint of a a problem Now during this time hardly one car van or truck bothered to to slow down to to the the correct speed unless it was to avoid being caught
by one of the the overhead GATSO cameras they have xed to the gantries every so often which of course we get a a a warning about in in advance from our sat-nav units So my rant (or should I say carefully-crafted piece of critical journalism) is is is is this: what the the hell is is is is the the point of of wasting millions of of pounds on on these highway signs if they are so inaccurate that no-one takes any notice of them?
Motorway warning signs must be accurate – otherwise they are worse than useless and could actually cause accidents
This wasn’t a a one-off on on my journey either – far from it Time and time again
I have come across similar instances and no doubt you have too It’s a bit like the little boy who cried wolf because on on the the odd occasion when there has actually been an incident most of the traf c c c ow has carried on at its usual speed and then has had to slam the the the anchors on at the the the last minute Obviously these motorway signs should be a a a a a huge safety asset which have the potential to save many lives – and maybe they actually do just that sometimes But unless the general motoring public can trust them then they are worse than useless Firstly they they need to be accurate If they they say there are animals in in the the the road then passing motorists should expect to to see some animals If the the danger is over why aren’t the the signs switched off immediately?
Too early
Secondly the warnings are given too early
These signs had come on a a good ve miles before they went off – I mean how long does it take to to stop a a modern vehicle? Surely half a a mile before the obstruction should be enough By putting these two relatively simple suggestions into effect these motorway warnings signs could actually have the chance of being fully effective It’s not much to ask is it? ●
WHAT THE THE THE THE HELL IS THE THE THE THE POINT OF OF WASTING MILLIONS OF OF OF POUNDS ON ON ON THESE HIGHWAY SIGNS IF THEY ARE SO INACCURATE THAT NO-ONE TAKES NOTICE OF OF THEM?
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