Blog Archives

Decoding (lots of) signs quickly

23/9/2020

The two grey posts hold up A LOT of info for traffic. What to read first?

My advice: don't read anything. Use "SCIW" instead. SHAPES first: circles are the most important: there's a weight limit ("7.5t") on the road ahead. Any other red COLOUR is the next most important aspect: there's a height warning (triangle sign) that way, too. Both are "2½ miles" off (~5 min). Yellow is a temporary sign, promoting new housing ahead. Blue means motorway ("M40") to the right, but indirectly: hence the brackets.

BLACK LINES tell you how many roads meet at this junction, and where they point. Thicker lines carry more traffic. The WHITE BACKGROUND means you're not on a "primary route". The BLACK BACKGROUND (and the lorry icon) means an advised route for deliveries. Ref numbers may augment place names: "B4030" is a minor road because it starts with B, not A.The green recycling icon isn't a traffic sign ... but I guess there's a Recycling Centre that way!

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

21/9/2020

What could I do during lockdown? Some research or study? Another formal qualification? I was verging toward a doctorate at Nottingham Trent University, where I spent an interesting hour with their psychology professor involved in redesigning the DVSA theory test.

Topics of mutual interest were:

At what point in traffic density does a signal become important, then distracting?
Should mall and supermarket car parks always "force" reverse-parking?
Does a stranger in the car affect your driving test performance?
Do aids to driving just make us more lazy, and so risky?

The uncertainties of a post-Covid world mean I doubt serious study will make financial sense in the foreseeable future. But never say never.

Should the police car have driven on ?

19/9/2020

So, just what traffic is the red repeater traffic light controlling?

In low sun, it's not clear if a white stop line stretches across all 3 lanes, or just lanes 2 and 3.

So, "If in doubt, don't pull out".

Is it worth reporting road (or lighting) defects ?

1/9/2020

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It seems to be. I used an online tool to highlight a particularly nasty dip in a residential road which would be fine for cars but disastrous for motorcyclists ...like me. The Council did a patch-repair within 24 hours, and a proper job within 72. I thanked them. They said:

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