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3GGG Frequent Visitor

Joined: 26/09/2002 13:55:07 Posts: 269 Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 2:08 pm Post subject: Small square markings on roads at Roundabouts - what are the |
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Does anyone know the purpose of the small square paint markings in groups of 1, 2 or 3 that I can see at roundabouts, and before some road junctions? I think in the past some of them were metal, like studs at zebra crossings, but now they seem to be painted on.
Are they used by some automatic sensors on vehicles to track position?, or are they used to indicate distances for other road signs and markings?, I have been puzzled by them for many years!
An example - see the 3 square on the left carriageway in the middle of the road at the roundabout?
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Border_Collie Pocket GPS Verifier


Joined: Feb 01, 2006 Posts: 2543 Location: Rainham, Kent. England.
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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Googles and found...
Quote: | Those white squares and circles that are painted on the road are used for VASCAR systems. They are set distances apart, and quite often are quite visible to the police from a great distance, they could be parked up to half a mile away and still get a speed reading of an offending vehicle. But remember any fixed point can be used, such as a lamppost. |
_________________ Formerly known as Lost_Property
And NO that's NOT me in the Avatar. |
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Andy_P Pocket GPS Moderator


Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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I think the Vascar ones are different - much bigger rectangular patches.
I'm sure these are used by road survey vans, with some sore of automatic sensor as they pass over them.
I'm also sure they got discussed here once before, but I've failed miserably to find ANYTHING about them either on a search of the forum or Googling the web generally.
They used to be pairs of raised metal studs, and as such were a real danger to bikers as they got slippery when wet and also tended to be placed at junctions or bends JUST where a bike's tyres would go over them. |
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3GGG Frequent Visitor

Joined: 26/09/2002 13:55:07 Posts: 269 Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Andy. I also googled on quite a few terms and found nothing, I was sure if anyone knew it would be on this board.
Once you notice these things, you keep seeing more of them. |
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Andy_P Pocket GPS Moderator


Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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More Googling....
Quote: | Almost certainly 'node points'. They are used by the local council/highways agency to identify sections of road for maintenance. Although these sound a bit larger than usual (though I have seen them that big), they are normally a pair of squares or circles about 4" across, or sometimes road studs are used. Some will say they are also used by the cops to set their speed cameras, but after working on highways in one way or another for over 20 years, I have never had anyone (police or public) confirm this. |
Quote: | I always thought that the metal 4" squares were for Ordinance survey information, when driven over by their vehicles a distance was measured. I could by wrong as usual. You seem to know what you are talking about |
But then those two statements were poo-pooed by someone who said they were used by police helicopters to gauge speeding cars, although maintain those would need to be much bigger patches.
EDIT:
Another quote....
Quote: | Some years back the Highways Agency, or whatever it was then, implemented a scheme to mark each section of road by "Nodal Points". Each node was marked by a pair of "Raised Metal Studs". By the nature of the scheme, nodes were located at junctions. Of course there was not a peep from the CTC at such a brainless scheme. It was the motorcycling organisations that pointed out that a pair of RMS placed at a junction was likely to cause death and injury to motorcyclists. Orders were then given to remove these RMS where they were thought to pose a high risk. Most remain to this day. What is needed is an agressive joint approach from two-wheeled bodies; not just to deal with problems after the event, but to raise with politicians the question of why the decision-making process can operate in ignorance of the needs of cyclists and motorcyclists - viz pinch-points, humps etc etc! |
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