What Is The Purpose Of Black Strips On The Road?

[bednobs]

two black strips, about a pace apart have appeared on a road near me. I had always assumed these type of strips were to measure speed, but this morning i noticed a bus, then a smart car then a landrover go over them and it got me to thhinking it can't be about speed as these three vehicles have widely different wheelbases, so wouldnt be able to provide meaningful info

[mccfluff]

i don't know but i thought they were counting vehicles, to measure how much traffic the road is getting - i'm probably completely wrong!

[youngmafbog]

Yes, usually a count. Two strips you could tell which direction.

[dannyk13]

Explained here:-
https://ask.metafilter.com/26101/What-are-the-black-strip-on-the-road

[AuntLydia]

They are recording vehicles. The council put them down on a very narrow road near us after HGV's were using it at a shortcut to the village.

[ToraToraTora]

oh dear! they count and measure speed that is why there are 2 of them, the wheel base is irrelevant as they measure the speed from one to the next of the first axle. Tada!

[youngmafbog]

Could do TTT, but if there is a vehicle coming the other way ....

[ToraToraTora]

same front to back YMB

[SparklyKid]

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Avatar Image ToraToraTora


oh dear! they count and measure speed that is why there are 2 of them, the wheel base is irrelevant as they measure the speed from one to the next of the first axle. Tada!




That makes no sense. What about a forty foot long truck against a smart car ?
14:16 Wed 12th Sep 2018

[ToraToraTora]

As I opined earlier, the speed is taken as the time between the front axle going over the first strip and the second. The number of axles or their distance apart is irrelevant, it would work for a unicycle. Geddit?

[SparklyKid]

Avatar Image ToraToraTora


As I opined earlier, the speed is taken as the time between the front axle going over the first strip and the second. The number of axles or their distance apart is irrelevant, it would work for a unicycle. Geddit?

14:39 Wed 12th Sep 2018


No . A bike with say 3 feet between front and back wheel would be different than a big truck with 60 feet between front and back wheel.

[SparklyKid]

Doh, got it now. It would work with a unicycle. Love the use of the word "opined" One of AH's favourites

[ToraToraTora]

glad it went in eventually! I suspect you will be seeing the "O" word a lot more going forward.

[bednobs]

thanks all, but especially TTT

[ToraToraTora]

is that a BA then?