"Side Road Active" A new kind of stupid.

roKWiz · 20-03-2021, 02:50 PM

Well over the last week a couple of new signs have appeared on the Hume Fwy.
"Side Road Active" Link below to explain how it works.
https://www.arrb.com.au/news/side-ro...ed-speed-signs

At Baddaginnie along the Hume I regularly turn right onto the freeway, there are no slip lanes to merge but with plenty of sight distance, its easy to come out onto the superslab, get straight into the left lane and bring the truck/car upto freeway speed.
Anyone already on the Hwy and catching upto someone who has just turned out there obvisiously overtakes as normal maintaining their speed. Whats the problem, no this is a new kind of stupid.

Seems some brain decided whenever a vehicle approaching towards the freeway from this back road has the ability to slow the hwy traffic to 80km/h from 110lm/h within maybe 100mtrs by infrared technology.
Dumb thing is as you cross the centre divider, the traffic is rapidly slowing and bunching up, creating a dangrous situation for anyone not aware with the vehicle waiting to cross or join the hwy forcing them to wait longer as the traffic slows.

This particular site has been in operation for maybe 5 days now and I've already seen 2 major nose to tail accidents.
Seems to me, if you don't know how to merge or join a freeway from a country side road its time to hand in the licence.
I reckon its a great place to hang around with your tow truck, simply keep triggering the IR beam to set off a chain reaction accident and your first on the scene. Brilliant.

Sprintey · 20-03-2021, 03:09 PM

Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.

- Henry David Thoreau

AlanD · 20-03-2021, 03:19 PM

Yes, there has been one of these installed in the region of Garfield/Bunyip intersection on the Monash (Princes) highway. It is a 100 kph limit there. Rather than put in a proper interchange, the authorities are resorting to this kind of "traffic managemant" system. And I agree they are a hazard, especially with the Victorian Drivers' tendency to tailgate. As I approach them I take a long look in the RVM to check on vehicles behind me before I decide to wash off speed. I wonder if the next move will be a fixed radar on the back of the sign, looking in the direction of travel, that becomes active when the speed limit is active. Does a 30kph over the limit result in license loss?

Cheers

**GasoLane** · 20-03-2021, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Well over the last week a couple of new signs have appeared on the Hume Fwy.
"Side Road Active" Link below to explain how it works.
https://www.arrb.com.au/news/side-ro...ed-speed-signs

At Baddaginnie along the Hume I regularly turn right onto the freeway, there are no slip lanes to merge but with plenty of sight distance, its easy to come out onto the superslab, get straight into the left lane and bring the truck/car upto freeway speed.
Anyone already on the Hwy and catching upto someone who has just turned out there obvisiously overtakes as normal maintaining their speed. Whats the problem, no this is a new kind of stupid.

Seems some brain decided whenever a vehicle approaching towards the freeway from this back road has the ability to slow the hwy traffic to 80km/h from 110lm/h within maybe 100mtrs by infrared technology.
Dumb thing is as you cross the centre divider, the traffic is rapidly slowing and bunching up, creating a dangrous situation for anyone not aware with the vehicle waiting to cross or join the hwy forcing them to wait longer as the traffic slows.

This particular site has been in operation for maybe 5 days now and I've already seen 2 major nose to tail accidents.
Seems to me, if you don't know how to merge or join a freeway from a country side road its time to hand in the licence.
I reckon its a great place to hang around with your tow truck, simply keep triggering the IR beam to set off a chain reaction accident and your first on the scene. Brilliant.

And Dr Blair Turner mentioned in that report is a Doctor of Philosophy !

Itsme · 20-03-2021, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Well over the last week a couple of new signs have appeared on the Hume Fwy.
"Side Road Active" Link below to explain how it works.
https://www.arrb.com.au/news/side-ro...ed-speed-signs

At Baddaginnie along the Hume I regularly turn right onto the freeway, there are no slip lanes to merge but with plenty of sight distance, its easy to come out onto the superslab, get straight into the left lane and bring the truck/car upto freeway speed.
Anyone already on the Hwy and catching upto someone who has just turned out there obvisiously overtakes as normal maintaining their speed. Whats the problem, no this is a new kind of stupid.

Seems some brain decided whenever a vehicle approaching towards the freeway from this back road has the ability to slow the hwy traffic to 80km/h from 110lm/h within maybe 100mtrs by infrared technology.
Dumb thing is as you cross the centre divider, the traffic is rapidly slowing and bunching up, creating a dangrous situation for anyone not aware with the vehicle waiting to cross or join the hwy forcing them to wait longer as the traffic slows.

This particular site has been in operation for maybe 5 days now and I've already seen 2 major nose to tail accidents.
Seems to me, if you don't know how to merge or join a freeway from a country side road its time to hand in the licence.
I reckon its a great place to hang around with your tow truck, simply keep triggering the IR beam to set off a chain reaction accident and your first on the scene. Brilliant.

Nose to tail accidents with vehicles having to slow down, in my opinion motorists fault not paying attention to speed signs. No different to approaching fixed speed signs.
Time to hand in your licence if you think this is stupid and causing accidents.

Lets face facts; most people hate slowing down on highways and freeways for any reason.

T3rminator · 20-03-2021, 07:58 PM

I've saw one of these signs on one of the hwys (can't remember which one), but didn't know what it meant. I didn't notice any variable speed signs either? Rather odd I thought.

roKWiz · 21-03-2021, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Officemanager

Nose to tail accidents with vehicles having to slow down, in my opinion motorists fault not paying attention to speed signs. No different to approaching fixed speed signs.
Time to hand in your licence if you think this is stupid and causing accidents.

Lets face facts; most people hate slowing down on highways and freeways for any reason.

That s the point..........Because they are a highway or freeway !! FFS

I think I'll hand in my licence because this is "STUPID AND CAUSING ACCIDENTS."
Sorry I forgot about all the safety police who frequent here.

Fed · 21-03-2021, 09:16 AM

Anyone who brakes from 100 to 70 for no reason should hand their license in and a car approaching the highway is not a reason.
The absolute most I would do is hover over the brake pedal until their intentions became clear.

T3rminator · 21-03-2021, 09:34 AM

Not a big fan of dropping speed limits from 110 to 80 in a short space, but if we all keep our distance then we should all be alright.

Do have some concerns for truckies, especially those B doubles.

**GasoLane** · 21-03-2021, 09:56 AM

You can imaging some academic saying.............

"Here's an idea. Lets got some some of those variable speed signs to suddenly flash up 70kmh to see who's awake on the freeway"

Citroënbender · 21-03-2021, 09:59 AM

It’s creating a workplace hazard IMO.

Franco Cozzo · 21-03-2021, 10:40 AM

Good to see it's not just locally where you get morons pull out in front of you on the highway at snails pace.

wodahs · 21-03-2021, 10:52 AM

yep cheaper option install slip lanes
no lets use the extra money to slow people down and make it harder for others to get out after the traffics been bunched up
and increase the chance of rear enders from them that arnt paying attention of cant suddenly slow down
Driver uninjured after car collides with parked truck on Leach Highway Perth 19 march

yes its sad that as much as this idea has merit
but you know the out come usually isnt an improved situation

jpd80 · 21-03-2021, 02:00 PM

These dynamic speed signs are a recipe for disaster and won't achieve what govco thinks it will, eliminating the hazard. Slip lanes entering on the left and refuge lanes entering on the right is the only sensible answer, all drivers understand how they work and what to do, a dynamic speed sign will surprise most drivers and just make things worse.

Franco Cozzo · 21-03-2021, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpd80

These dynamic speed signs are a recipe for disaster and won't achieve what govco thinks it will, eliminating the hazard. Slip lanes entering on the left and refuge lanes entering on the right is the only sensible answer, all drivers understand how they work and what to do, a dynamic speed sign will surprise most drivers and just make things worse.

The people who come up with this **** probably take the tram to work and live in Kensington.

Ben73 · 21-03-2021, 02:08 PM

I bet some drivers will now pull out in front of people because they will assume they are going to slow down.

Not to mention the traffic wave affect.
People will come flying up at 100+ then slow to 70 making it longer until they clear the intersection, by the time they clear the next vehicle coming at 100 will be too close to pull out then they will slow to 70 and take a long time to clear the intersection. Before you know it if it’s busy enough traffic will be driving slow and close through the intersection even though it’s spread out and free flowing either side of the intersection

**Silver Ghia** · 21-03-2021, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben73

I bet some drivers will now pull out in front of people because they will assume they are going to slow down.

Not to mention the traffic wave affect.
People will come flying up at 100+ then slow to 70 making it longer until they clear the intersection, by the time they clear the next vehicle coming at 100 will be too close to pull out then they will slow to 70 and take a long time to clear the intersection. Before you know it if it’s busy enough traffic will be driving slow and close through the intersection even though it’s spread out and free flowing either side of the intersection

Concertina effect. Reason why freeways come to a standstill because of one driver slowing down.

T3rminator · 21-03-2021, 06:35 PM

Well I came across one this afternoon whilst driving out towards Moe. Just before Gumbuya park. And this time it activated with quite a few cars on the road.

The thing is, no one hit 70kmh as they crossed the variable speed sign, and the stretch is so short that by the time cars did slow to 70kmh, they have pretty much reached or passed the intersection. From what I could gather, most did slow down, but to about 90 only.

As always there are unintended consequences with these sorts of things. It will make it very difficult for cars pulling out of the intersections to judge the different speeds that other cars are travelling at towards them.

prktkljokr · 21-03-2021, 07:51 PM

Next they will have speed camera's just past them to catch out the people who dont or cant slow down in time, then they can afford to buy more variable speed signs to put up in other areas

.

I suppose that's one good thing about living in W.A., no toll roads and no stupid variable speed signs, but we do have a new stupid smart freeway that is getting more stupider by the day

roKWiz · 22-03-2021, 07:49 AM

I'm waiting for the roadside trees to have signs placed on them next, stating "this tree could fall over at anytime."
They could stick up some variable speed signs which activate at the first sign of a breeze.

But seriously this new one here will be a dangerous one over Easter.

tweeked · 22-03-2021, 08:39 AM

This is a perfect example of “the needs of the one outweighs the needs of the many” agendas infiltrating all levels of public service and pitchfork carrying, cancel culture social judges. All it takes is for the one at a crossroads to wait for a gap and accelerate at a reasonable rate to join with society. Or let’s just change all society, hold them up, change what they can watch, so that the one special petal feels comfortable. There are roadworks at the bottom of Springvale road for the new freeway overpass at the moment. They have closed off a full lane so that the builders get their own slip lane into the site. Why???? They can use the rest of the road network without needing their own lanes, their is no construction near the entry. The result is traffic mayhem around the site , and personally I have seen 5 crashes in the last couple of months due to it.

This is the craziness of these decision makers in “safety”. Book smart, experience dumb people who in solving their own problems (i they even exist) create more dangerous situations - like unnecessary slowing vehicles down on major highways.

Bossxr8 · 22-03-2021, 01:15 PM

I love how they use ridiculous statistics to justify their use. 80% reduction is crashes after installing these?

Do they just pull these numbers from their ****?

I reckon the people who come up with these ideas are 73% more likely to be full of crap, compared to people who didn't.

roKWiz · 22-03-2021, 01:24 PM

Judging by the amount of the side roads which cross the freeway does this mean more are going to appear ?
Its going to be a long journey from Melbourne to Albury if they do, isn't that the reason why they bypassed local towns in the first place so the freeway can maintain its posted speed.

tweeked · 22-03-2021, 01:34 PM

Why did they not flip it 90degrees, sensors back up the highway, flashing stop sign on the side road if it senses fast traffic approaching the intersection?

roKWiz · 22-03-2021, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tweeked

Why did they not flip it 90degrees, sensors back up the highway, flashing stop sign on the side road if it senses fast traffic approaching the intersection?

Beats me but Its not like country drivers have never seen or crossed and merged onto a freeway before. Plenty of places like this in NSW which is a bit of a worry.

hayseed · 22-03-2021, 01:51 PM

It would be far more practicable & safer (to Me) instead of changing the Speed limit on the main road/highway. to have the sign say.

Traffic entering ahead keep right or left (as the case May be)...

roKWiz · 22-03-2021, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hayseed

It would be far more practicable & safer (to Me) instead of changing the Speed limit on the main road/highway. to have the sign say.

Traffic entering ahead keep right or left (as the case May be)...

Yep, If they can not be bothered building a merge/slip lane. Someone must be getting a backhander out of this.
Past day or two I been going the longer dirt route to avoid this section of freeway, funny its actually smoother too.