[Travel] Motorway driving

[Hovegull]

For the last two evenings there has been a closure on the M23 S on the final junction. I see this frequently but it was more obvious the last two evenings - the sign on the gantry says 60, the next says 50 and the next is 40. After that there are red crosses for all closed lanes, meaning the cars can only go onto the slip road to come off at Crawley.
I still saw many cars zooming down the outside lane with red above it at double 40 then at the front, queue jumping at the last possible moment they could join the slip road queue.

My understanding is that the signs on the gantries require immediate attention - not to start slowing down to merge when you come face to face with the workforce in the road?
But the amount of people seeming to ignore this makes me wonder if I’ve got it wrong? So many cars were swerving around me, to overtake or undertake, even when I was driving at 59, 49, 39 as per overhead instruction, I felt like I was doing the wrong thing?

Additionally, I kept on at the same speed until I saw an “End” sign. So many others sped up to at least 70/80 as soon as they passed the final cone in the road?

 

[BNthree]

The standard of driving generally is atrocious. So many people believe they can do whatever they like and everyone else be damned. What you're doing wrong is following the rules and trying to make the experience best for everyone rather than doing whatever is best for you with no inconvenience whatsoever.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

For the last two evenings there has been a closure on the M23 S on the final junction. I see this frequently but it was more obvious the last two evenings - the sign on the gantry says 60, the next says 50 and the next is 40. After that there are red crosses for all closed lanes, meaning the cars can only go onto the slip road to come off at Crawley.
I still saw many cars zooming down the outside lane with red above it at double 40 then at the front, queue jumping at the last possible moment they could join the slip road queue.

My understanding is that the signs on the gantries require immediate attention - not to start slowing down to merge when you come face to face with the workforce in the road?
But the amount of people seeming to ignore this makes me wonder if I’ve got it wrong? So many cars were swerving around me, to overtake or undertake, even when I was driving at 59, 49, 39 as per overhead instruction, I felt like I was doing the wrong thing?

Additionally, I kept on at the same speed until I saw an “End” sign. So many others sped up to at least 70/80 as soon as they passed the final cone in the road?

Driving under the red cross is (if the gantry has a camera) a £100 fine and 3 penalty points.

Should be more.

Big changes to motorway driving as red X fines come in | RAC Drive

www.rac.co.uk

 

[GT49er]

Not a great fan of speed cameras as a whole - often seem to ne placed for revenue earning rather than safety - but in situations like this they should really be all over it - and if some selfish twats/bad drivers get caught by two or three cameras, one after the other, so much the better. Serve 'em right.

 

[Easy 10]

I hate those queue-jumping DINLOWS who fly down the outside and expect to cut in at the last second. I make it my mission in life to have no more than the width of a credit card between me and the car in front as we trundle towards the junction. You're not cutting in right in front of me. Yes they often just cut in front of someone else further down the line, but I am a small-minded and petty individual who takes some small satisfaction in not letting these pisstakers own the road.

Earlier this year I had some boss-eyed middle aged FRUMP cocooned inside her husbands Chelsea tractor (she looked far too stupid to have been able to buy it herself), who decided to whiz down the hill of the eastbound A27 inside lane, past all the queuing traffic on the A23 sliproad, and stop dead at the bottom, indicating left to cut in. As I crawled past her with a Rizzlers width between me and the car in front I could see her gesturing to all and sundry, me included, with her Richmond fingers. The stupid impatient BINT.

 

[Sirnormangall]

And the reason why there’s a queue of traffic is due to all the impatient tossers who overtake right to the end and then have to cut over which slows the rest of us down. Whenever the traffic for roadworks goes into 2 lanes I love moving into the outside lane and crawl along at the same speed as the inside lane to slow the b*stards down. I’m such a petty small minded pr*tt at times.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Not a great fan of speed cameras as a whole - often seem to ne placed for revenue earning rather than safety

Possibly. But a useful piece of advice from Ian Brown is “just leave a bit earlier”. It does work as well.

 

[BrightonCottager]

When I was going up and down to NW London a lot more frequently, I would often see warnings of M23 closures and frantically phone MrsBC for traffic updates and diversionary routes (much to her chagrin). However, when I'd reach the supposed closure there would frequently be nothing or the cones hadn't been put out yet. I'm wondering if these idiots knew that the closures hadn't taken place yet (with sat nav maybe). I'm not excusing their chupidness or bad driving in general

 

[jessiejames]

And the reason why there’s a queue of traffic is due to all the impatient tossers who overtake right to the end and then have to cut over which slows the rest of us down. Whenever the traffic for roadworks goes into 2 lanes I love moving into the outside lane and crawl along at the same speed as the inside lane to slow the b*stards down. I’m such a petty small minded pr*tt at times.

You do know that will get you a fine and points on your licence. Use the lane and merge in turn, unless it has a red cross.

 

[Springal]

Agreed, I was also on the M23S yesterday and some bellend in a BMW 6-series went flying down the outside only to slam his brakes on when the cones were narrowing.

 

[Flounce]

So many things I could rant about on the standard of driving these days. I’ll leave it there

 

[Hovegull]

It’s the ones who cut across the chevrons to cut in…

When I was going up and down to NW London a lot more frequently, I would often see warnings of M23 closures and frantically phone MrsBC for traffic updates and diversionary routes (much to her chagrin). However, when I'd reach the supposed closure there would frequently be nothing or the cones hadn't been put out yet. I'm wondering if these idiots knew that the closures hadn't taken place yet (with sat nav maybe). I'm not excusing their chupidness or bad driving in general

but if the red crosses are up…visible roadworks or not, you don’t just keep going do you? If the signs say road closed from 8pm and it’s 8:45 but the cones aren’t yet down you take notice right?

 

[Weststander]

Not the incident you describe, but seeing as it crops up in posts ... when two lanes merge, drivers are fully entitled to and should use the lane that is coming to an end. Merge in turn means staying in lane until as late as allowed at the merge point. This makes maximum possible use of road space.

For some reason 70% of drivers according to a large survey wrongly believe that it means change lanes as soon as possible.

This part of the Highway Code must've been forgotten with age.

 

[Hovegull]

Not the incident you describe, but seeing as it crops up in posts ... when two lanes merge, drivers are fully entitled to and should use the lane that is coming to an end. Merge in turn means staying in lane until as late as allowed at the merge point. This makes maximum possible use of road space.

For some reason 70% of drivers according to a large survey wrongly believe that it means change lanes as soon as possible.

This part of the Highway Code must've been forgotten with age.

I see the Xs and move…is this not right?

 

[BrightonCottager]

It’s the ones who cut across the chevrons to cut in…

but if the red crosses are up…visible roadworks or not, you don’t just keep going do you? If the signs say road closed from 8pm and it’s 8:45 but the cones aren’t yet down you take notice right?

I don't drive in red cross lanes, no. There was one time when all lanes bar one had red crosses over, there was a slow moving line of traffic and a few nutters ignoring it, then 4 miles later all lanes open. A mile further on a maintenance vehicle parked on the hard shoulder. It appeared as if they were practicing for a closure or something.

 

[AmexRuislip]

When I was going up and down to NW London a lot more frequently, I would often see warnings of M23 closures and frantically phone MrsBC for traffic updates and diversionary routes (much to her chagrin). However, when I'd reach the supposed closure there would frequently be nothing or the cones hadn't been put out yet. I'm wondering if these idiots knew that the closures hadn't taken place yet (with sat nav maybe). I'm not excusing their chupidness or bad driving in general

Was that in yr model T Ford

FYI, we're leaving at around 5am tomorrow morning

 

[Weststander]

I see the Xs and move…is this not right?

I started with “Not the incident above” …. because people had added merge lane scenarios too.

The X … clearly no one should be in that lane. Also sticking to the speed limits on the gantries. It’s interesting that vast numbers of drivers on the M23 and M25 brazenly drive above the speed limits. On gantries they have speed camera signs and graduated markings to match below on the road surface …. I suppose the regulars are 100% confident it’s a ploy.

 

[Sirnormangall]

You do know that will get you a fine and points on your licence. Use the lane and merge in turn, unless it has a red cross.

No I didn’t know that. I was rather hoping I’d get a medal. Some form of public service award.

 

[Hovegull]

I started with “Not the incident above” …. because people had added merge lane scenarios too.

The X … clearly no one should be in that lane. Also sticking to the speed limits on the gantries. It’s interesting that vast numbers of drivers on the M23 and M25 brazenly drive above the speed limits. On gantries they have speed camera signs and graduated markings to match below on the road surface …. I suppose the regulars are 100% confident it’s a ploy.

Bizarrely there’s nearly always police on the verges too - there’s barely a chance to get speed up between speed cameras and the police presence. But people still manage it?

 

[BluesRockDJ]

So many things I could rant about on the standard of driving these days. I’ll leave it there

Take it you're perfect ?