Are These Areas More Of A Danger

[malagabob]

Have been up and down the M6 a lot recently and have come upon traffic ahead braking hard an tailing back The cause, those chevron areas "keep 2 part" I think they cause more problems. Traffic moving along nicely then drivers slowing to keep the gap.

[Old_Geezer]

Yeah tell me about it. I tried to stay 2 chevrons apart from a Porsche the other day; nearly killed myself trying to keep up.

[woofgang]

It may well be moving along nicely but too close together. If anything happened would they have room to brake safely?
Loving OG's answer!

[mushroom25]

the chevrons have been there for at least 10 years, maybe longer and in my experience are largely ignored.

the tailbacks are a daily occurrence and it is possible for regular users to predict where they'll be at any given time of the day; the main cause is sheer weight of traffic, volumes of which were never predicted at the time of building, and exacerbated today by the artificially low price of fuel.

[douglas9401]

The braking hard thing is a result of a fat, obnoxious bloke in a German car trying to rescue the chips he's dropped while carrying on a conversation with another of the same. He'll look up from the footwell, if he's lucky, just in time.
The on/off slips at the Ribble offer a challenge to the hard of thinking too.
Nobody wants to slow down just a fraction or give an inch of room.

[derekpara]

These chevrons have been used on the Continent for years and seem to work well there, although the volume of traffic isn't generally the same as here in the UK. I think they are aids to safety, and anyone having to brake hard to conform is driving dangerously in my view and contribute to the many rear-end shunts we see and hear about.

The well known ' Only a fool breaks the two second rule' is also good advice. I know it can be annoying when people jump in the gap but I'd rather be ten minutes late than dead.

[Hymie]

mushroom25 – back in the late 70s I drove to Blackpool for a ‘Ugandan adventure’ with a young lady over a bank holiday weekend, and I can vouch for the fact that the chevrons have been there for more than 35 years.

[TWR]

The Chevrons are there for the safety of the car in front if used correctly accidents are reduced, tail enders are caused by lack of Concentration, Speed, Mobile Phones, one big cause of hold up's are the HGV's & the brain dead people in Brussels, there was never this problem when the HGVs were at 60mph & before some start, It is not the HGV at fault at times but an impatient private motorist that does not know how to use the Motorway, on a Mobile Issue, I think the person that rings the driver should also be fined heavily if it is found that the car has been involved in an accident by the driver either Texting / answering his / her phone.

[RATTER15]

TWR, how on earth can the person phoning the driver be responsible, how would they know if the that person is available to answer the phone? You're off your trolley.

[TWR]

They can ask can't they, "How can they be responsible? think about it.

[Old_Geezer]

So they phone in order to ask whether they can phone ?

Hope the call receiver doesn't have an accident whilst telling the caller they aren't available; and that the authorities are recording the call to prove the caller was told that the receiver wasn't available.

[TWR]

Blow this out of proportion, that's the norm.

[derekpara]

Well, TWR you did ask Ratter ( and everyone else presumably) ti think about it and they have, and then given you their thoughts.

Now perhaps you can explain how, legally, the caller can be held partly responsible for causing another person's accident ?

[malagabob]

Just another rant of mine. How long has the 50 mph area been there on the M6/M6 toll junction North of Birmingham seems like years and no apparent upgrade.
M6/M5 junction Southbound Down to one lane open and 2 workmen working I use that term loosely Idiots pulling in at last moment holding everyone up.

[TWR]

Would Distraction come into it Dereck? I'm sure it would, the driver of the car can reply "I'm Driving" the driver has enough on his /her plate with Issues on the road never mind answering the phone, a phone call cant wait, tell that to some one that's Parent / child has just been run down but some Idiot answering a mobile whilst driving, I will not answer my phone whilst driving.

[TWR]

Been there Bob.

[TWR]

Can wait

[bednobs]

you cannot possibly hold a person responsible for what happens if you ring them when they are driving. The driver has a choice not to answer the bloody thing!

[TWR]

How many Drivers do Beds?

[EcclesCake]

It is the drivers responsibility to not answer the phone, how can the caller judge whether or not it is a convenient time?

Quite how you think the caller can be fined is beyond me.

[mushroom25]

the "smart motorway" work between 10a and 13 will be completed this autumn. as soon as that's finished, work will begin between 16 and 19, with work taking to 2018 to complete that stretch.