Motorway idiots of the M5?

Question

Looks as if the idiots have taken over the asylum. Avon and Somerset Police appear to have in place traffic control measures on the M5 from Exeter to Bristol that slows traffic, by keeping he 50mph traffic lights on. This causes the traffic to slow to a crawl every few miles, a one hr journey now takes 2 hrs..Make no mistake this policy will be coming to you very soon, the back door to a 50 mph across the motorway network. The Cornwall police already have what appears to be a permanent 50mph on the A30 that creates 20 mile tailbacks..If your lucky enough to go faster than the 50mph through these illegal restrictions, can you be done for speeding. I think not.

Answer 1

Get used to it.  ESSENTIAL Road Maintenance starts today (2nd September 2008) and finishes sometime in January 2009.  If you had been paying attention, and NOT speeding, you would have seen the advance warning notices WEEKS ago.

The Speed Restrictions are there for a reason - SAFETY, not only the Motorists but also for the people who have to carry out the work.

Answer 2

Do you have any idea how long a 20 mile tailback is? Your 1 hour would be more like 4 instead of 2.

Answer 3

you're not the only one who's fed up with the 50mph restriction,I usually travel on the southbound M5 which has notices for 50mph and no evidence of roadworks anywhere (except for a couple of notices about bridge strengthening) on the stretch between junction 13 and 15 of the M5. I manage to get to 70mph at some places but then down to a crawl of 50mph every few miles. It seems just as bad as some stretches of the M4 eastbound!

Answer 4

they do the same on the London orbital M25 between Heathrow and Gatwick.

The traffic is merrily whizzing along with no bother - then up come the 40 or 50 signs - everybody brakes and a tailback is created.

They call it "lane control" or "congestion action" or some similar nonsense, but it just an excuse to make the traffic go so slow that there are no crashes.

What they don't realise is - that there usually are crashes, because of folk changing lanes or reducing their concentration at the lower speeds.

The objective of government bodies seems to be to make us blindly obedient to even the most ridiculous rules. Before you know it, they will stop you taking your own bottled water onto flights so that you have to buy overpriced stuff in the departure lounge - ooops, silly me !

Answer 5

During peak rush hour, parts of the M25 have a variable speed limit where the speed limit is typically 50mph but can drop to 40mph. It slows the traffic down but it works. I have never seen an accident in the section where the variable speed limit is applied. It works. I'd rather be moving slow traffic than sitting in a traffic jam for goodness how long because some idiot couldn't control his speed.

Answer 6

Too many people on an Island, too many cars, too much ignorance, fragmentation, Police have 'lost the plot', too much political correctness, too many revenue-gathering cameras, too many morons, too many cretins, too many five knuckle shufflers, too many rules and regulations, too many terms and conditions, no common sense, no law and order, no discipline, no pride in the past or faith in the future, a 'myriad' of asylum seekers, far too many idiot politicians - with the exception of the Chancellor, who (yesterday) opened his mouth and spoke sense......do I go on?

Answer 7

the police do not set the 50mph signs the highways agency does. Due to the time of year esp on this stretch of motorway it gets very busy, if making the traffic slow to 50mph means that everyone gets to their destination safely and in one peice then its doing what it is meant to. sad if you have to complain about sitting in a traffic jam for a while, but its a longer tailback when people are killed due to out of control driving and dangerous speeders.

And if you are caught doing the above advisory speed you will be fined and given 3 points.  

Answer 8

Get a grip mate!!! seriously.