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I have a choice of two routes to work, a busy dual carriageway (usually gridlocked at various points, lots of minor accidents, very stressful drive) or a quieter country road through the villages and fields (quite relaxing, light traffic).
Owing to the county council placing badly timed traffic lights on the roundabout junction which leads onto the dual carriageway, most people choose to take the country route rather than sit in long queues of traffic waiting for the lights to change. Fine, there are a few more cars trundling along the country roads but nothing heavy and still no gridlocked stretches. However, the residents of the villages are not happy with people using 'their roads' as so called 'rat runs' and we drivers have been subjected to protests in the local papers, speed traps and 'this is your speed' warning devices.
But now the villagers have persuaded the council to put in "traffic calming measures". So picture this, the road into the village goes over a small hump backed bridge, barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass as it is. The traffic calming measure is an island of bricks which protrudes into the road so that people travelling into the village have to wait and give way to people coming out of the village.
Now, there are two major problems with this. The "protrusion" is at the start of the hump, so whilst you wait behind it you can't see any cars coming over the hump and have to edge out to see if you actually have right of way, if you haven't you are so far out you either have to risk the wrath of the driver approaching and pullout anyway or reverse back, so annoying the people in the queue behind you who have followed you out assuming you can see over the hump.
Problem number two is that in the morning far more traffic is coming through and out of the village and the traffic trying to get into and through the village (to the dual carriageway) queues up. Thus, rather than "traffic calming" they are creating yet more queues and yet more infuriated drivers. OK, people decide to live in the country for peace and quiet and to avoid traffic but in this day and age cars are a way of life and the people will choose the quickest way to work whatever.
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most placid person, I doubt it very much. I am also convinced that a lot of people behind the wheel do not have driving licences as they do not follow the highway code and their lack of knowledge and experience pose a threat to themselves as well as everybody else. In the interests of legal motorists and for everyone's safety is it not time to clamp down hard on the rogue vehicle users!?
'Join the 'hoot at humps' campaign, residents will soon get sick and prefer normal traffic.'
Try that and pretty soon the locals will pester the council to block the road with bollards and stop through traffic and idiots like you.
I gotta admit though it looks like a lot of fun, maybe I join them!
I know this is now going to be a bit of a long winded letter but Sleeping Policemen nor fixed camera's are the answer,on the one you only slow down and then accelerate back up to speed causing pollution,as to the other once you know where the camera's are they are no longer a deterrent.
However,with the technology that is already available speed camera's (laser guns) can already be fitted easily onto a Police Motor Cycle,and you'd never know where it would be at any given time,I think this would be a much better idea and we could do away with all the road humps.
Oh yes,before someone writes in to moan,should you by caught by the Camera (police bike) that's your own fault,just live with the outcome of being a speeder that got caught
This means we have buy more fuel, which generates more tax.
One of our local roads was recently relaid :) then there were some rumble strips laid :( then they got ground off : wot a waste, now the new surface is messed up.
However!, I do not condone or try to defend the people speeding through built up areas as my brother was recently hit and left with 2 broken legs and a fractured pelvis, by someone caught doing 52 in a 30 zone, and proceeded to speed off.
All of this stupid, obsessive behaviour about roads BELONGING to a certain place or people is nonsense. The public has every right to use them, but use them responsibly, if the problem worsens, then calming measures should be introduced.
If you don't like it, use the dual carriageway like you're supposed to :-)
Jon
If you watch these things in action, people now actually speed up to beat an oncoming flow of traffic and get past the restriction,making them more dangerous.
Also now drivers are concerned with negotiating this obstacle gather than watching for children on bicycles or any other dangers they should be keeping an eye out for.
I've invented what I call "Stop Lights", traffic lights which measure the speed of oncoming vehicles and turn red if they are speeding. Thus making it slower to speed, cameras would record people who jump the red light as well. Only downside is if the car in front of you is speeding, but eventually these dumb people would learn.
This idea could be taken further, average speed cameras on motorways which would identify speeders and direct the to carparks off the motorway for 1/2 hour of contemplation, or maybe 1 hour, 2 hours on repeat offences.