The real Biffo:
We don’t type the message in, they are set messages that we have to choose from a list. (there is a good story as to why they aren’t free text, but I’ll save that for another day )
, Is it true the one i heard, as far as i know i thought only 2 people were allowed to “freetype” vms now, just in case
The real Biffo:
We don’t type the message in, they are set messages that we have to choose from a list. (there is a good story as to why they aren’t free text, but I’ll save that for another day )
, Is it true the one i heard, as far as i know i thought only 2 people were allowed to “freetype” vms now, just in case
The NTCC have the facility for “free type” but you have to request it, then they’ll ask their big boss to authorize it or not.
I’ve usually got what I’ve asked for.
The Highway Man:
Which is a wise thing to do, they are there to advise you and for you to react accordingly.
sorry to pull you up on this one highway man,but that is exactly the reason why i and many others ignore them,because they are usually very incorrect or way out of date.until the system is improved where people can trust them,there will always be the majority ignoring.
1)the one at the tyne tunnel 2 weeks ago read…“vote for joe”,but failed to tell you about the 30 min delay each side of the pipe
2)my mate was on the 62 last night and due to an accident it said 2 lanes closed 1 lane open when in fact the full motorway was closed with lots of trapped traffic as a result.had they been pre warned,traffic may have had time to divert.my mate had an intresting conversation with the plod,who then went and checked the signs and found them to be displaying the wrong info.
all im saying is they are a bit like the goverment…untrustworthy.
I can’t comment on other areas, but they’re normally ok on my section of the network. Sods law will state that the time the matrix is right, everyone will ignore it and there will be massive repercussions!
Matrix signs are a total and utter waste of time(installing them) effort(reading them) AND energy(powering them) All they do is slow down a perfectly good road with brain donors who think they must be right! Why would you want to know that the m54 is closed between 1 & 2 if you’re the m4 at Chippenham? Also, why do we have to do 20 MPH on the m42 while those in the know can go the A46 DOING 40? It can’t be way of gathering revenue surely. Along with the aerosols who pretend to coppers, they should be done away with. I’m sure somebody thinks there’s a good reason but, YOU’RE WRONG !
You have no idea how hard it was to write this without swearing.
Wibble, have you got out of the wrong side of the bed? I don’t pretend to be a copper, I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt, nicked the bad guy!! What do you base your bad mouthing on? Have you personally had a bad experience with a HATO or are you jumping on the Clarkson bandwagon. All that was typed without referring to derogatory comments or scoring points about other fellow professional road users.
wibble:
Matrix signs are a total and utter waste of time(installing them) effort(reading them) AND energy(powering them) All they do is slow down a perfectly good road with brain donors who think they must be right! Why would you want to know that the m54 is closed between 1 & 2 if you’re the m4 at Chippenham? Also, why do we have to do 20 MPH on the m42 while those in the know can go the A46 DOING 40? It can’t be way of gathering revenue surely. Along with the aerosols who pretend to coppers, they should be done away with. I’m sure somebody thinks there’s a good reason but, YOU’RE WRONG !
You have no idea how hard it was to write this without swearing.
E-mail I recived from Highway dated 12th Jan 2009
Thank you for your enquiry of the 5 December about the display of 20 mph speed limits on the Active Traffic Management system used on the M42 between Junctions 3a and 7.
The 20 mph limit is a safety measure to warn drivers of a lane obstruction ahead. The aim is to reduce speeds to a safer level for the volume of traffic using the motorway, as well as helping to protect vehicles at the back of any queues that may have formed. Sensors in the road surface detect slower moving traffic, which in turn triggers gantry signs to automatically display speed limits that gradually reduce over a given distance. For safety reasons, these limits cannot be overridden by operators in the Regional Control Centre.
We are currently liaising with our signalling experts to consider the appropriateness of a 20 mph limit on the length of M42 covered by Active Traffic Management. Your views will be taken into account as part of this process and I am grateful to you for contacting us.
nick2008:
E-mail I recived from Highway dated 12th Jan 2009
Thank you for your enquiry of the 5 December about the display of 20 mph speed limits on the Active Traffic Management system used on the M42 between Junctions 3a and 7.
The 20 mph limit is a safety measure to warn drivers of a lane obstruction ahead… We are currently liaising with our signalling experts to consider the appropriateness of a 20 mph limit on the length of M42 covered by Active Traffic Management. Your views will be taken into account as part of this process and I am grateful to you for contacting us.
Or, to put it another way, the people that spec’d the program were ‘numpties’. The best, or worst, example can be seen at the approach to the current roadworks on the M25 North of the M40. Albeit that I haven’t been there recently. The limit decends, 50, 40, and then, when the slip road to the non-affected M40 is reached, with NR’s in the distance clearly visible, there is a 20. Utter craziness. I ignore it. I’d much rather argue the validity of the decision to impose such a restriction than to have to justify to a grieving partner the circumstances as to why their vehicle had ‘rear ended’ mine.
The Highway Man:
Wibble, have you got out of the wrong side of the bed? I don’t pretend to be a copper, I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt, nicked the bad guy!! What do you base your bad mouthing on? Have you personally had a bad experience with a HATO or are you jumping on the Clarkson bandwagon. All that was typed without referring to derogatory comments or scoring points about other fellow professional road users.
All I ask of these wonders of modern technology is, THEY [zb] WORK! No I haven’t got out of the wrong side of the bed, I’ve been delayed AGAIN by these ornaments which serve no purpose. I haven’t had the misfortune to encounter the plastic police but they upset the running of a perfectly SAFE motorway with their flashing lights while someone changes a wheel! Obviously you don’t drive for a living as it would hack you off as well. As for CLARKSON, Some of his rants are justified.
Sod it, Where’s the prostitutes, might as well conform!
My avatar is me sticking 2 fingers up to our knockers. We don’t close lanes for the hell of it. We do it so the tyre fitter can do his job in safety. We realise you lads and lasses work to tight schedules, if we can help you get on your way as soon as possible, the better it is for you.
The Highway Man:
We don’t close lanes for the hell of it. We do it so the tyre fitter can do his job in safety. We realise you lads and lasses work to tight schedules, if we can help you get on your way as soon as possible, the better it is for you.
As we have had the discussion before then, viewtopic.php?f=2&t=36391, if it’s a front o/s cab puncture it should be lifted and shifted at driver/company expense to a safer location for changing rather than slowing down a motorway for up to an hour, lane closures are a last resort, it’s funny how a trailer blowout can’t be limped but when a lane closure won’t be implemented due to safety over hill brow/bad bend, in the dark etc, it’s amazing how it can be limped to save a recovery cost
The Highway Man:
My avatar is me sticking 2 fingers up to our knockers. We don’t close lanes for the hell of it. We do it so the tyre fitter can do his job in safety. We realise you lads and lasses work to tight schedules, if we can help you get on your way as soon as possible, the better it is for you.
Sorry to upset you. I really didn’t mean to. I still think the Matrix signs are worthless without someone monitoring them 24 hours a day. Also if you turned off the pretty flashing lights, Joe Public wouldn’t brake to look at them. Just a thought!
I hear you, but if we knock our lights off, will that be the same for the gritters, police, recovery, Highway maintenance, tyre fitters etc. It’s fine until someone gets wiped out and the H&S hand wringers will be screaming, “where were your safety warning lights?”
As some of the posts say spreading but where are they at, and the main routes are the worst i have ever seen them due to the lack of salt .
The insurance companies should be suing the gritting councils and franchises who ever they are for the accident claims they will be getting.
Also some of the gritter drivers need educating on how to grit eg, whats the use of the spinner going flat out on a single track road, and putting 90% of the salt an the grass verges, this spinner speed is for motorways, on small roads the salt should trickle on to a slow moving spinner, as we used to do 30 years ago but in those days it was CCC (■■■■■■■ County Council)
On another point when am i going to get loaded at Evesham the depart time seems to elastic for the 24th of December i,ve been here for 16 hours now so HELP
And highwayman get ■■■■■■■ running clear this afternoon cos ahs garn yam
Klunk, hissed off in Kanes Evesham
klunk/■■■■■■■■
On another point when am i going to get loaded at Evesham the depart time seems to elastic for the 24th of December i,ve been here for 16 hours now so HELP
And highwayman get ■■■■■■■ running clear this afternoon cos ahs garn yam
Klunk, hissed off in Kanes Evesham
The Highway Man:
I hear you, but if we knock our lights off, will that be the same for the gritters, police, recovery, Highway maintenance, tyre fitters etc. It’s fine until someone gets wiped out and the H&S hand wringers will be screaming, “where were your safety warning lights?”
Surely all your agency is doing is removing the responsibility from the driver to YOU! Now correct me if I’m wrong but all you’re doing is make the problem worse. When I started driving ( many years ago) all we had were the signs in the middle of the motorway. Everything worked fine,I know you’ll come out with the “traffic volumes” chestnut, but it just doesn’t work. A motorway that’s flowing as it should can be brought to a standstill by these inventions of Satan. Along with your mates just sitting on the hard shoulder with the disco lights on. As far as i’m concerned, (no disrespect) the wombles and the matrix signs have knackered the motorways in this country. Thank you for your input on this thread but if i was allowed to take you on a timed delivery that was buggered by matrix signs you may get my point.
I hope we’re still friends