Page 1 of 1

Motorway sign messages you don't want to see.

Posted: January 15th, 2020, 5:36 pm
by redsturgeon
You know those information signs above many motorways, usually the information on them is of limited value and can be ignored.

Today on the M3 near me, the speed limit signs were set at 20mph and the message read,

"ONCOMING VEHICLE"

Fortunately, like most of the messages on these signs, it was a false alarm but it got my attention.

John

Re: Motorway sign messages you don't want to see.

Posted: January 15th, 2020, 5:52 pm
by bungeejumper
It wasn't this one, then? Several cars facing in unorthodox directions by the look of it. Not really what you want in a four lane situation with no hard shoulder. (Again, by the look of it.) Three lanes closed at one point.

https://www.eagleradio.co.uk/news/local ... ter-crash/

BJ

Re: Motorway sign messages you don't want to see.

Posted: January 15th, 2020, 6:08 pm
by redsturgeon
bungeejumper wrote:It wasn't this one, then? Several cars facing in unorthodox directions by the look of it. Not really what you want in a four lane situation with no hard shoulder. (Again, by the look of it.) Three lanes closed at one point.

https://www.eagleradio.co.uk/news/local ... ter-crash/

BJ


Nice spot but not that one, this was around 11am at Jct 9.

John

Re: Motorway sign messages you don't want to see.

Posted: January 16th, 2020, 8:04 am
by wheypat
Many years ago I was in Delhi and at the weekend I hired a car and driver to take me to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. There is an excellent motorway the whole way. I was already used to 3 lanes of cars slotting into the 2 demarked lanes. And cows. But on the way back something new happened. The road was blocked by an accident.

What would you do? I'd wait for it to be cleared.

What did my driver do? Reversed half a mile back down the motorway until we got to a gap. Drove across the gap and sped up. So we're now doing 50 mph down the fast lane on the wrong side of the motorway. Many cars coming towards us. Kept this up for 2 or 3 miles till we could cross back.

That was terrifying!

Re: Motorway sign messages you don't want to see.

Posted: January 16th, 2020, 9:11 am
by dspp
wheypat wrote:Many years ago I was in Delhi and at the weekend I hired a car and driver to take me to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. There is an excellent motorway the whole way. I was already used to 3 lanes of cars slotting into the 2 demarked lanes. And cows. But on the way back something new happened. The road was blocked by an accident.

What would you do? I'd wait for it to be cleared.

What did my driver do? Reversed half a mile back down the motorway until we got to a gap. Drove across the gap and sped up. So we're now doing 50 mph down the fast lane on the wrong side of the motorway. Many cars coming towards us. Kept this up for 2 or 3 miles till we could cross back.

That was terrifying!


That is the normal behaviour on the road from Mumbai up to Nashik, and many others. I take a driver and try to sit in the middle of the largest vehicle available !

regards, dspp

Re: Motorway sign messages you don't want to see.

Posted: January 18th, 2020, 9:04 am
by Nimrod103
wheypat wrote:Many years ago I was in Delhi and at the weekend I hired a car and driver to take me to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. There is an excellent motorway the whole way. I was already used to 3 lanes of cars slotting into the 2 demarked lanes. And cows. But on the way back something new happened. The road was blocked by an accident.

What would you do? I'd wait for it to be cleared.

What did my driver do? Reversed half a mile back down the motorway until we got to a gap. Drove across the gap and sped up. So we're now doing 50 mph down the fast lane on the wrong side of the motorway. Many cars coming towards us. Kept this up for 2 or 3 miles till we could cross back.

That was terrifying!


Yes, seen that many times. Particularly with lorries. All Indian lorry drivers think they can use the gaps in the central barriers to move onto the wrong carriageway, and drive down the wrong side of the road, if that is where their destination is located. You have to realize that on Indian roads (indeed most Asian roads), rules don't count. It is priority that matters, and lorries have the highest priority and are driven most recklessly.

Another interesting habit is when held up at railway level crossings, traffic piles up on both sides, so that when the gates are thrown open again, the two traffic formations face each other like medieval armies, who must then fight their way to the other side.