So, has anybody got any idea why this always comes to a stop?
I mean, you get all the cutting in at the last second and all that, but even when you get into the coned section, which is then a single lane with no joining or exiting, which then joins the M5 in a dedicated lane at a national speed limit sign and opens to 3 lanes.
I just can’t fathom it, it makes no sense to me, you’ll be driving along in this bit at around 40-45mph, and all of a sudden you’ll see brake lights ahead??
Everything comes to a complete stop, then everything buggers off and you don’t see anything again after that.
I now go through a lot slower than the vehicle(s) in front and still end up right behind them as we exit the single lane bit
It’s that ripple effect ain’t it. One car has to slow down for something, next car slows a bit quicker, etc, etc until it all comes to a stand. Been there, done that more times than I can remember. Still a bit annoying though. If I’m in traffic that’s stop start, I try and leave a good gap, then when it starts slowing I can keep going at more or less the same speed until they get away from me again. Mind you, there’s always plenty of bird brains behind steering wheels that can’t see it.
This ^. Drivers speed up once they get in the one lane section as they think it should all be running good then there’s always someone who gets too close and has to put the anchors on thus having the ripple effect.
This happens at most stretches of motorway where it goes down to 1 lane, even in the dead of night when I’m on the roads. All it takes is one over-cautious (in my opinion) driver to slow it right down to 40 then before you know it, everyone behind has to do the same. Coming up the M6 at the moment during the night there’s about 3 different points where it’s down to 1 lane (just north of where the toll joins, plus bits from 16-19 where they’re starting the God-forsaken ‘smart’ (dumb) motorway upgrades, and at each point you’ll be lucky to do more than 40. Ended up behind a tipper last night at one of these points, he had been doing 56 but slowed it down to 40 for some reason. Admittedly it was down to 1 lane but there was no one in front of him, weather fine, no workers in the road (as per), before you know it there’s a long line of traffic behind us. The same goes for the M5 slip you are talking about, car drivers particularly love to cut in last second as if they have got a woman in the car about to go into labour, then infuriatingly slow down to 43 mph (in case the cones on either side of them will somehow mysteriously cause their vehicles to spontaneously combust), before flooring it again when they’re through the roadworks.
its people slowing down to see if they see someone doing some work?
Surprised there not a sign saying “you may not always see us”, or something like that which they had on the m1 It would explain why its taking so long!
peterm:
It’s that ripple effect ain’t it. One car has to slow down for something, next car slows a bit quicker, etc, etc until it all comes to a stand. Been there, done that more times than I can remember. Still a bit annoying though. If I’m in traffic that’s stop start, I try and leave a good gap, then when it starts slowing I can keep going at more or less the same speed until they get away from me again. Mind you, there’s always plenty of bird brains behind steering wheels that can’t see it.
There’s nothing to slow down for, you’re in a coned off single lane with a 50 limit, the next thing to happen is the road goes wider and is national speed limit.
xichrisxi:
It’s the tossers pushing/jumping/cutting in at the last minute that causes the problem.
No, after that bit, in the actual coned section itself, nobody can push in there
on the run:
its people slowing down to see if they see someone doing some work?
Surprised there not a sign saying “you may not always see us”, or something like that which they had on the m1 It would explain why its taking so long!
This could be it, not that they’re likely to see anyone working in roadworks, we all know they wear camouflage
What ■■■■■■ me off is all the ’ Christians ’ we seem to have on the roads. We all have plenty of opportunity to get ourselves in the correct lane. Yet all the usual suspects in german cars with mobiles fixed to their ear, get let in with 50 yards to go, after a Kimi Raikonnen style late brake session.
On approach to the junction everyone bunches up to stake their claim on their perceived bit of territory ensuring that no one can push in and delay them by a nanosecond. Once clear of the junction and the “danger” of being overtaken has passed they ease off the gas to give themselves a safe distance to the vehicle in front.
This is why, to answer the op that the traffic seems to slow down once past the junction.
3/4,s of the work has been completed they should open it up then a mile down the slip road start the 50. they still have the room for works vehicles to get in. i love queing at 6.30 in the ■■■■■■■ morning off the M54 to join the M6, makes my day!
the maoster:
On approach to the junction everyone bunches up to stake their claim on their perceived bit of territory ensuring that no one can push in and delay them by a nanosecond. Once clear of the junction and the “danger” of being overtaken has passed they ease off the gas to give themselves a safe distance to the vehicle in front.
This is why, to answer the op that the traffic seems to slow down once past the junction.
I would agree with that, if the vehicles were moving when entering the section, but they’re usually stationary at that point due to someone diving in at last second, and the original mention of people coming to a standstill in that section.
Honestly, I can’t see any possible reason for it, I do the run everyday at around the same time, I’ll leave a gap - so what if someone dives in, they’re going to do it anyway, just saves me having to dive on the brakes when they do - and I’ll trundle up to around 40 once in the section, and still have to brake, even though the vehicles in front by then are quite a distance away, and should be doing upto 50mph in the section and then national speed limit at the end, but by time we get to the little chicane bit, I know I’m going to have to come off the throttle and sometimes I’ll even have to brake.
As soon as I do, you know then that the vehicles in front just bugger off into the distance, leaving me to look like a prize ■■■■■
