Driving to work this morning I faced, along with hundreds of other drivers, the nightmare of trying to drive across four lanes of traffic across the Norwich inner ring road when the traffic lights failed on the Drayton High Road near Asda. This will mean little to people who don't live in Norwich, but believe me, it is a nightmare junction when the traffic lights do work.
I wondered how long it would take for a police car to arrive, and was then shocked, as I finally made a dash across the four lanes to see a police van, sat on the side of the road with two policemen inside the van, keeping nice and warm on this cold morning whilst the rest of us struggled to cross a dangerous road.
I was not the only person to see the police failing to get out of their warm van and cannot be the only person who felt a bit let down by them.
3 comments:
Health & safety, perhaps? Are they trained to direct traffic?
Anyway, in practice I often find police make the situation worse. Here's the order in which I think traffic control works most efficiently on a busy junction:
- Big roundabout with filter lights, if filter light are used at rush hour only.
- Big roundabout, no lights.
- Big roundabout with filter lights when lights are left on outside rush hour.
- Small roundabout.
- Give Way from minor to major: fine for the major users; for minor users it's ok if the major isn't too busy and if the guy in front isn't too timid, otherwise for the minor user traffic lights are better.
- Traffic lights, with the correct balance for major and minor roads.
- Failed traffic lights - bit of a free for all, but as long as you're not stuck behind anyone too timid, not too bad.
- Traffic lights that don't discriminate, so that a busy major road is held up for an empty minor road.
- Police at a busy junction with failed lights. This might be better than the free for all on the rare occasion you get a policeman that can direct traffic well.
The position in the table may depend on local conditions and the time of day, but generally I find the above to be a good guide.
I agree - i came straight through (not literally!) at 8am when usually i'm holed up for 30 minutes. Maybe all the lights should be switched off???
Don't worry about your health and safety....AS A LIBDEM SITTING ON A FENCE, YOU'LL BE FINE LOL
I agree there were very few traffic problems, but I never find there are bad problem at theat junction. The problem was the danger, hopping across four lanes of traffic is not good for your health or nerves.
Post a Comment