Standards

[Buckman]

I am beginning to think that essential standards have dropped considerable in the past several years especially driving. Yesterday on our way back home there is one of those painted roundabouts on a small intersection. As there have been several collisions there previously I always approach the intersection with caution. As I got to the intersection to cross over, there was a car stationary on my left and they were looking at out vehicle. I accelerated gently and as I did the young lady pulled out directly in front of me, I jammed on the brakes to avoid a collision and stopped inches from her driver's door. OH said that she gave us a twos up to us and she entered the intersection turning right. She was driving a very small car and if we had hit her with the Jeep we would have done considerable damage to her car. Over the past years we have had some really close calls due to poor driving standards by other motorists.

Now to customer service standards. Yesterday before the incident detailed above we were in the Costa and the Tesco in town enjoying a nice cup of coffee when we see Mr White Van arrive. He goes to the Amazon lockers with a trolley and loads it up with parcels to be delivered. He gets back to the van, opens the side large sliding door and then commences chucking the parcels and boxes over another large box into the van without a care in the world. I wonder how many people received goods that were not damaged, but at least now we know why Amazon use big boxes with lots of packing for small items! No consideration for the goods belonging to other people.

 

[Dustydog]

OH said that she gave us a twos up to us

It takes years to learn ✌️🤘🖕language. She must have been very bright🤣

 

[Buckman]

It takes years to learn ✌️🤘🖕language. She must have been very bright🤣

If she was really bright she would not have pulled out in front of a vehicle that was a lot larger than her vehicle and also approaching from the driver's side. LOL!

 

[Mel]

I have noticed a massive increase in drivers who have failed to keep the car’s indicator fluid topped up and in the functional range.
Mel

 

[borderbilly]

I have noticed a massive increase in drivers who have failed to keep the car’s indicator fluid topped up and in the functional range.
Mel

So have i, and these modern cars nowadays have a gizmo fitted that when it approaches, manoeuvres a roundabout it makes the indicators inoperative.

 

[Hutch]

Come to Milton Keynes for a days Roundabout awareness course.
Besides over 130 major roundabouts there are over 100 mini roundabouts. And now there are going to be two of these Cross Roundabouts,

 

[otherclive]

Come to Milton Keynes for a days Roundabout awareness course.
Besides over 130 major roundabouts there are over 100 mini roundabouts. And now there are going to be two of these Cross Roundabouts,
View attachment 7698

That could displace Swindon’s magic roundabout in the league table

 

[borderbilly]

Come to Milton Keynes for a days Roundabout awareness course.
Besides over 130 major roundabouts there are over 100 mini roundabouts. And now there are going to be two of these Cross Roundabouts,
View attachment 7698

Whats with the 2 big light areas in the middle? Is it for recovery vehicles to sit and wait for business?

 

[Jcloughie]

Come to Milton Keynes for a days Roundabout awareness course.
Besides over 130 major roundabouts there are over 100 mini roundabouts. And now there are going to be two of these Cross Roundabouts,
View attachment 7698

We have one, though is only works in one direction. But it has improved traffic flow and relieved congestion. But I think the main consideration is, it is much cheaper than a fly over, or under.




John

 

[Dustydog]

Swindon Magic Roundabout.
Not for the faint hearted!

 

[otherclive]

Swindon Magic Roundabout.
Not for the faint hearted!
View attachment 7703View attachment 7704

I seem to recall when we were travelling Plymouth to Leicester regularly the roundabout had white painted tyres to mark the lanes as it was being developed. Think the French have got it right at tge top of the Champs Elysee where we found ourselves once in pre satnav days. Every homme and femme for themselves. 😂

 

[Buckman]

I detest roundabouts especially if there are no traffic lights as they always have snarl ups and no free flowing traffic, but in the view of the got they are cheaper than effective fly overs.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Come to Milton Keynes for a days Roundabout awareness course.
Besides over 130 major roundabouts there are over 100 mini roundabouts. And now there are going to be two of these Cross Roundabouts,
View attachment 7698

We have one of these at Canford Bottom just outside Winborne in Dorset.
It works surprisingly well and since it's introduction there has been a vast reduction in the queues that were a nightmare at times. "Ours" has 72 traffic signal heads.
It takes while to accept that if, on the approach you want to turn right you have to turn left first ! But as I said it has reduced queues by an incredible amount when it was a simple, none signal controlled roundabout.

 

[Dustydog]

I detest roundabouts especially if there are no traffic lights as they always have snarl ups and no free flowing traffic, but in the view of the got they are cheaper than effective fly overs.

The Swindon Magic roundabout was opened in 1972. 54 years ago! Believe it or not you rarely experience a traffic jam at the roundabout. It’s always somewhere else further up.
Traffic using the centre roundabout travels anti-clockwise whilst those on the five minis go clockwise. It actually works very well and accidents are minimal. Rear Enders mainly😉

 

[otherclive]

I detest roundabouts especially if there are no traffic lights as they always have snarl ups and no free flowing traffic, but in the view of the got they are cheaper than effective fly overs.

I know what you mean but then why not just have traffic light junctions without the expense of the roundabout. There are quite a number in our town from minor one to ones on main trunk intersections. The main ones only get tailbacks at peak times when traffic lights would be useful. Main problem that I find is the failure to use indicators properly or even at all. Plus the speed some drivers shoot on to the island and road holding of modern cars can make it difficult for other traffic to enter safely. Even worse with EVs that have 0-62 mph times akin to a Ferrari. Perhaps with cars now having so much tech, islands could be geo fenced to 30 mph max speed within the fence.

 

[Dustydog]

I know what you mean but then why not just have traffic light junctions without the expense of the roundabout.

Yet we have seen traffic lights replaced by roundabouts ! The mind boggles.

Even worse the ones on the A419 under roundabout to GW Hospital are part time TL controlled. Stuck on red even though no traffic coming from right!

Do the Highway Authority give prizes for best ideas🤪

 

[Buckman]

We have a large round about near us that is not traffic light contolled. It is at the intersection of the main road from Malvern into Worcester centre and also East Worcester and also the M5. In the mornings, lunch time and evenings the queue can back up on our side for a considerable distance as coming from our side we are out of town

More than once we have been waiting for more than 20 minutes to be able to cross over as cars coming from Malvern and Worcester/M5 have priority. We now use a back road which although longer gets us to the caravan storage a lot quicker. If it floods around the round about expect to be stuck for 2 - 3 hours and it regularly floods there.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Do the Highway Authority give prizes for best ideas🤪

Most of the traffic islands of this sort of complexity are installed by local authorities not the the Highway Authority

 

[izzy]

oop north we sometimes have to treat potholes as roundabouts

 

[Sam Vimes]

I was working in Hemel Hempstead in the 70s when they altered the layout of one of the big roundabouts. At each of the roads joining the roundabout they placed a small mini-roundabout which gave you the option to go either way around the large roundabout. Complete chaos and after the first day they stationed a police officer on each of the small mini-roundabouts.

Wasn't it Slough where on one of the through roads all the lights were timed so that you could get all off them on green if you drove at 30mph....or something like that.

 

[Buckman]

I was working in Hemel Hempstead in the 70s when they altered the layout of one of the big roundabouts. At each of the roads joining the roundabout they placed a small mini-roundabout which gave you the option to go either way around the large roundabout. Complete chaos and after the first day they stationed a police officer on each of the small mini-roundabouts.

Wasn't it Slough where on one of the through roads all the lights were timed so that you could get all off them on green if you drove at 30mph....or something like that.

When I lived in SA it was possible to drive from one end of the town or city to the other without having to stop at traffic lights. They were apparently timed to that if you travelled at 30mph there was no issue. Now a red light means go as fast as you can. LOL!

 

[Dustydog]

Most of the traffic islands of this sort of complexity are installed by local authorities not the the Highway Authority

I’m sure you are right Prof. But the one I referred to is 800 mtrs from the M4 junction 15 .
According to a quick google
The A419 road is a primary route between Chiseldon near Swindon at junction 15 of the M4 with the A346 road, and Whitminster in Gloucestershire, England near the M5 motorway. The A419 is managed and maintained by a private company, Road Management Group, on behalf of the UK Department for Transport and National Highways .

However it is correct the Swindon Magic Roundabout was designed and installed by the Highway Authority department within the then Thamesdown Borough Council.

I’m no expert but it does seem major roads and motorways may be outside the remit of the Local Authority. Perhaps someone else knows more?

 

[otherclive]

I’m sure you are right Prof. But the one I referred to is 800 mtrs from the M4 junction 15 .
According to a quick google
The A419 road is a primary route between Chiseldon near Swindon at junction 15 of the M4 with the A346 road, and Whitminster in Gloucestershire, England near the M5 motorway. The A419 is managed and maintained by a private company, Road Management Group, on behalf of the UK Department for Transport and National Highways .

However it is correct the Swindon Magic Roundabout was designed and installed by the Highway Authority department within the then Thamesdown Borough Council.

I’m no expert but it does seem major roads and motorways may be outside the remit of the Local Authority. Perhaps someone else knows more?

Yes there is a demarcation on roads between the local authority and National Highways, the latter are responsible for motorways and major A roads. The link shows roads in each region tgat come under NH control.

Our roads - National Highways

Find out more about our road projects and community work across England.

nationalhighways.co.uk

 

[Sam Vimes]

Here in the Highlands drivers seem to forget that cars have a reverse gear.

On single track roads many will go past a Passing Place and try and squeeze past rather than reverse up. I stand my ground in the middle and force them to go off road.

 

[Hutch]

Whats with the 2 big light areas in the middle? Is it for recovery vehicles to sit and wait for business?

Cl site one side, CS site the other side.