time for a rant - variable motorway speed limits

[bluespit]

OK, I'm a country boy and more used to driving twisty A roads round North Wales than overloaded motorways round Birmingham. But this week thats exactly what I'm doing. One week a year I travel about 1000 miles as part of my job, this year I'm doing Cardiff, Birmingham and Hereford areas, mostly on motorways.

These variable speedliits are positively dangerous. Heres the scenario, I'm bumbling along at around 75 in the 5 series when the overhead gantry thing sudden says 50, speed camera sign showing so what does everyone do, me included? Yep, slam on the brakes do drop 25mph in maybe 200m, chaos left right and centre, folks too busy checking the speed to watch the road and cars swerving within and across lanes. Utter madness.

next gantry is down to 40, same again, then 50.

theres speed camera signs everywhere, paranoid drivers (including me) spending as much time watching the speedo as the road and folk changing lanes all over the place.

And then theres the extra lane thing on the hard shoulder thats available, no it isn't, oh yes it is thing going on.

BONKERS!

get me back home where I know how it all works..................

[Buckz]

OK, I'm a country boy and more used to driving twisty A roads round North Wales than overloaded motorways round Birmingham. But this week thats exactly what I'm doing. One week a year I travel about 1000 miles as part of my job, this year I'm doing Cardiff, Birmingham and Hereford areas, mostly on motorways.

These variable speedliits are positively dangerous. Heres the scenario, I'm bumbling along at around 75 in the 5 series when the overhead gantry thing sudden says 50, speed camera sign showing so what does everyone do, me included? Yep, slam on the brakes do drop 25mph in maybe 200m, chaos left right and centre, folks too busy checking the speed to watch the road and cars swerving within and across lanes. Utter madness.

next gantry is down to 40, same again, then 50.

theres speed camera signs everywhere, paranoid drivers (including me) spending as much time watching the speedo as the road and folk changing lanes all over the place.

And then theres the extra lane thing on the hard shoulder thats available, no it isn't, oh yes it is thing going on.

BONKERS!

get me back home where I know how it all works..................

yup literally CANNOT stand avg speed zones.. people are all over the place in them. Dangerous.

[buzyg]

OK, I'm a country boy and more used to driving twisty A roads round North Wales than overloaded motorways round Birmingham. But this week thats exactly what I'm doing. One week a year I travel about 1000 miles as part of my job, this year I'm doing Cardiff, Birmingham and Hereford areas, mostly on motorways.

These variable speedliits are positively dangerous. Heres the scenario, I'm bumbling along at around 75 in the 5 series when the overhead gantry thing sudden says 50, speed camera sign showing so what does everyone do, me included? Yep, slam on the brakes do drop 25mph in maybe 200m, chaos left right and centre, folks too busy checking the speed to watch the road and cars swerving within and across lanes. Utter madness.

next gantry is down to 40, same again, then 50.

theres speed camera signs everywhere, paranoid drivers (including me) spending as much time watching the speedo as the road and folk changing lanes all over the place.

And then theres the extra lane thing on the hard shoulder thats available, no it isn't, oh yes it is thing going on.

BONKERS!

get me back home where I know how it all works..................

Well, much as I love an argument . I'm going to agree with every word of that.

[Tcochrane92]

I'd be interested in seeing the statistics for crash heat zones. I bet they're concentrated in those exact areas. I.e. they're actually CAUSING accidents and creating traffic

[Nictrix]

I have always thought this with all speed cameras.
They are supposed to be there as the road might have been an accident blackspot so the camera is there to lower the speed of drivers.
What then happens is people stop looking at the road and focus on their speedo to make sure they dont get done.
If something was to run out in front of you while looking at your speedo you could possibly not see it until too late.
Speed cameras dont really work as people speed before them and then after them to make up time therefor they are just a cash generating machine.

[Nanu]

It's always the same when you are going along nicely at 70ish then a variable speed limit kicks in and the inevitable traffic jam occurs.

To think they are trying to cut air polution and jams just create more

[Silverzedtom]

Agreed. Half the time the stupid effing things have clearly been left on HOURS after peak times / an accident and the motorway is deserted.
Ridiculous