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New SPECS install on notorious stretch but why no barriers
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Darren
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 10:19 am    Post subject: New SPECS install on notorious stretch but why no barriers Reply with quote

pocketgpsworld.comPeterborough Today report that work on a new SPECS installation has begun along a stretch of the notorious Forty Foot Bank Road between Ramsey and Chetteris in Cambridgeshire where six lives have been lost in the past three years.

A perfectly sensible use of the technology you would be forgiven for thinking until you discover that this road runs directly alongside a river and there is no barrier between the carriageway and the river itself. And the lives lost have been a result of vehicles entering the river, often in the dark or as a result of heavy fog.

So instead of installing crash barriers that would prevent vehicles from leaving the road they instead choose to install a SPECS system that will be less effective but will of course raise revenue.

Other sections of this road are protected by barriers so why has SPECS been chosen to protect this section?
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gingercat
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The reason would be because this is a popular boy-racer stretch... People drive like complete nutters along it.
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MikeB
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 11:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is actually a common theme, and if you think about it makes perfect sense from a pen-pusher accountant's point of view.

When you look at a lot of places that speed cameras have been installed, you will see obvious defects in road planning or maintenance. It is far cheaper to install a £300,000 speed camera system and reduce the speed limit than to tackle the real issues of poor planning, design and bad maintenance.
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Darren
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 11:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

And it still won't prevent cars ending up in the river.
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MaFt
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Darren wrote:
And it still won't prevent cars ending up in the river.


no, but at least they will have a lower average speed as they hit the water... Evil or Very Mad
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pcaouolte
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Barriers are not likely to be effective on this stretch of road unless they are installed on very deep concrete piles at enormous expense. The road runs very close to the edge of the river, normal barrier support posts would just be pushed into the river when struck by a vehicle.

The safest solution would be to move the road away from the river but this would also be prohibitively expensive.

If the cameras cause drivers to lower vehicle speeds then small driving mistakes will be less likely to result in vehicles entering the water.

I am not a fan of cameras but I can see that they may provide the cheapest solution in this case.
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GerryC
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also, the LACK of barriers puts more responsibility on the driver to be careful driving. If there are barriers, the driver can think "it's OK the barrier will stop me" when it won't necessarily.

Are there any of those "x accidents here" signs up saying how many have driven into the river?

Is there an extra road on any satnavs there - you know "my satnav told me to turn there"? Out of here
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M8TJT
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

GerryC wrote:
Also, the LACK of barriers puts more responsibility on the driver to be careful driving.

But they aparantly don't do this. It appears that they seem to throw caution to the wind and themselves into the river. Confused
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kensaunders
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 7:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I for one absolutely hate unnecessary cameras; HOWEVER as up to last year I had to travel on this stretch of road daily to work for 4 years.

I am not a slowcoach, however people who travel on this stretch would appreciate, that the only safe speed in good conditions is aprox 60mph.

The usual thing that happens is that some nutters fly past at 80-90, not 70 but 80-90 and they seem to relish the challenge of beating you to the next corner.

This is in my honest view the only way ahead, being average speed cameras is better and more efficient then static ones.

It will not stop the accidents in thick fog, but what would?
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Darren
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've said previously that I am generally in favour of average speed cams whereas I'm wholly against the other types.

But whilst in this case I accept it may help, there is no substitute for a decent barrier to keep cars on the carriageway should the inevitable occur.
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MikeB
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 9:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Darren wrote:
... there is no substitute for a decent barrier to keep cars on the carriageway should the inevitable occur.

I would rather say there is no substitute for common sense a quality that appears to be sadly lacking in a lot of drivers today.
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Darren
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 10:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MikeB wrote:
I would rather say there is no substitute for common sense a quality that appears to be sadly lacking in a lot of drivers today.

If that were the case we wouldn't need safety belts, crash helmets or airbags. Time to join the real world methinks.
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PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 10:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Darren wrote:
MikeB wrote:
I would rather say there is no substitute for common sense a quality that appears to be sadly lacking in a lot of drivers today.

If that were the case we wouldn't need safety belts, crash helmets or airbags. Time to join the real world methinks.


I AM a perfect river, full of consideration, it's all the other idiots that make me need to wear a seatbelt and have airbag etc!

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W90BHP
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PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 9:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Barriers are meant to protect other surrounding things (property or vehicles on the opposite side in the case of a dual carriageway) rather than to keep a vehicle on the road. Keeping a vehicle on a carriageway inevitably involves barrier bounceback resulting in striking other traffic. Better to let a single vehicle leave the carriageway than "take out" a number of other vehicles too. That may be harsh when a river is next to the road but it's a risk that every driver using the road should assess and therefore manage their driving behaviour accordingly.

There are even sections of motorway where this is true, eg the M62 where the carriageways part around Stott Hall Farm on top of the Pennines. There is no barrier between lane 3 and the fields between the carriageways, except where there would be a risk of third party property damage (eg above the access underpass). Vehicles leaving the carriageway skate to a gentle stop down a grass banking rather than striking a barrier and potentially causing greater injury.

Martin
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PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 9:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I travel on the relevant section of the 40ft almost every day.
Barriers wont help because there is no foundation available to fix them securely in place.
The bank is so weak that part of it collapsed into the river.
http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Forty-Foot-closed-and-flood.3676142.jp
Excess speed has been the cause of fatalities (according to the Police report 80mph in thick fog allegedly). It's one of the few roads where SLOW DOWN really does apply.
You don't have to use the 40ft, there is an alternative route via Benwick if you want to speed.
The message is quite simple, use the Forty Foot SLOWLY.
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