Why you shouldn't just blindly follow the Sat-Nav...

[Andy in Germany]

This happens fairly frequently here, at the Königs-Klaus-Brücke on the edge of Stuttgart:

It's not unknown for drivers faced with several well signposted exits to creatively follow the tram lines to the right or in the middle of the road, causing much disruption.

This is one reason I'm highly sceptical about the merits of hi-viz: if drivers can fail to see something as subtle as a tram line (and they frequently crash into the trams too, which are canary yellow) I don't see what me wearing an orange vest will do to help matters.

 

[Drago]

This happens fairly frequently here, at the Königs-Klaus-Brücke on the edge of Stuttgart:

View attachment 718608

It's not unknown for drivers faced with several well signposted exits to creatively follow the tram lines to the right or in the middle of the road, causing much disruption.

This is one reason I'm highly sceptical about the merits of hi-viz: if drivers can fail to see something as subtle as a tram line (and they frequently crash into the trams too, which are canary yellow) I don't see what me wearing an orange vest will do to help matters.

And you'd be right. Drivers largely crash into things because they're not paying attention, and not because they can't see them.

 

[slowmotion]

Car transporter stuck in tree on Somerset lane.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-61179935

 

[Drago]

If only the tre3 had been wearing hi viz.

 

[cougie uk]

This happens fairly frequently here, at the Königs-Klaus-Brücke on the edge of Stuttgart:

View attachment 718608

It's not unknown for drivers faced with several well signposted exits to creatively follow the tram lines to the right or in the middle of the road, causing much disruption.

This is one reason I'm highly sceptical about the merits of hi-viz: if drivers can fail to see something as subtle as a tram line (and they frequently crash into the trams too, which are canary yellow) I don't see what me wearing an orange vest will do to help matters.

That could be tricky because there's a few cities where we have trams and cars on the same bit of road. I'd not go down there in daylight but I can easily imagine people going down there in the dark.

 

[Mike_P]

There's a road tram divergence on the Nottingham tram network that is often mistook by drivers is
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/delays-trams-car-gets-stuck-7824020

 

[Beebo]

I hate driving through croydon for this very reason.
the trams are very confusing. And it’s very easy to find yourself in the wrong place.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I will own up to a similar folly, about 20 years ago, but, not Sat-Nav related.

Driving a motorhome in rural Spain, I noticed what appeared to be a shortcut to my wife's carefully planned route, using a paper map.

I turned off the major road, following the "short cut".

The road was a bit narrow, but, passable with care.

My wife, predictably, expressed concern that we were not following her planned route.

We soon encountered a large HGV, ahead, travelling in the same direction as us.

This boosted my confidence that I had made a "good" choice, and, I ploughed on

Eventually, we came to the end of the tarmac, the large HGV was delivering construction materials for the, as yet unfinished, road

The Construction workers were good humoured about it and moved a few barriers so that we were able to drive on the as yet unfinished hardcore surface for about 10kilometers, until we encountered tarmac again

My "shortcut" was shorter, but, not quicker than my wife's planned route

My wife seldom reminds me of this incident, not more frequently than once per week approximately

Driving through Sweden once, I found myself (following satnav, but having planned the route on a map beforehand) on what should have been a decent sized road but which was now completely unsurfaced and incredibly rough and had people working on it. What was even more puzzling was that there were a number of other cars bumping their way down it, weaving around the JCBs. We just pressed on and it lasted for about 20 km, with a tiny section of brand new tarmac in the middle, to lull you into a false sense of security.

It turned out that in that part of Sweden, when they need to resurface a road, they don't mess around with contraflows or stuff like that. They just strip all the surface off, then replace it, but keep the road open at the same time. I think it's in order to get the work done quickly outside of the frozen season.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I hate driving through croydon for this very reason.
the trams are very confusing. And it’s very easy to find yourself in the wrong place.

To be honest, you're spoiled for choice if you're looking for reasons not to go to Croydon.

 

[matticus]

That could be tricky because there's a few cities where we have trams and cars on the same bit of road. I'd not go down there in daylight but I can easily imagine people going down there in the dark.

Yeah, I think driver error is inevitable there. Could use MUCH better signage. For example:
- there are dashed lines between the road lanes and the tram-only "turning" - why not solid? (This may be a UK thing!)
- some junctions round that interchange have No_Entry signes to help car drivers; but not all of them!!!

 

[Ian H]

There is a lane near here which is steep, with an abrupt crest. In a larger car all you see is sky until you're over the top.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Yeah, I think driver error is inevitable there. Could use MUCH better signage. For example:
- there are dashed lines between the road lanes and the tram-only "turning" - why not solid? (This may be a UK thing!)
- some junctions round that interchange have No_Entry signes to help car drivers; but not all of them!!!

Unfortunately the picture was taken during some heavy construction. It's probabel not obvious in the picture but the lines are supposed to be yellow, which in Germany denotes a changed layout because of roadworks, and drivers are expected to be more careful in these circumstances. They are technically solid; they look broken because some tram lines in Stuttgart are dual metre gauge and 1485mm (standard gauge) which breaks them up, but it's like British drivers can decode cats eyes: a German driver will 'see' solid lines there, or at least the vast majority seem to manage.

As far as I know the bigger issue is the ramp in the distance, roadworks or no, which raises the question of why, when presented with a road known to go into a tunnel, ie down, drivers think driving up an unsurfaced ramp with big metal girders along it is perfectly normal.

 

[Bazzer]

To be honest, you're spoiled for choice if you're looking for reasons not to go to Croydon.

I went there once for work related meeting. Admittedly it was a room in a government building, which was available for meeting members of the public, but both my colleague and I were shocked by the meeting table being bolted to the floor and the chairs on either side of the table being chained to the floor.
So for me, once was enough.

 

[HLaB]

 

[BoldonLad]

View attachment 719213

View attachment 719212

full marks to that driver, two in one, blocking footpath AND cycle route!