Roundabout fences reducing visibility

taximike

taximike

taximike

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25 Dec 2009
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In Hampshire I have seen fences installed on the approaches to many roundabouts that deliberately obstruct the visibility of the traffic on the roundabout, forcing everyone to stop. What on earth is the point in these? Surely the better the visibility the safer it is??
 
You made the point yourself it forces people to stop/slow down, they then (should) look at on coming traffic and enter the junction appropriately. Simples
 
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As you said, they're specifically there to force people to slow down on the approach or alternatively go so quick that they can cover the distance blocked by the fence so quickly it doesn't make any difference :D
 
I live in weston-super-mare and there are a few blocked roundabouts like this. I have seen so many near misses and crashes on these and I dont want to be the unlucky sod who gets hit when I have turning off. Its not like I disagree with them, but no one drives perfectly and so accidents will happen.
 
I agree that they are pointless. More visibility is always a good thing and a good driver will always approach at a safe speed and see any oncoming traffic well in advance.
 
The trouble is, in my experience they are counter-productive as many people just charge into the roundabout regardless, assuming that if they can't see anything then there's nothing there. They make it particularly difficult when turning right across them as you often can't look down the entry for potential hazards before committing to driving across it - and when you take it slowly to get a good look then you get rammed from behind by the aforementioned morons. Yet another 'safety feature' driven by statistics rather than good driving standards.
 
Fusion said:
I agree that they are pointless. More visibility is always a good thing and a good driver will always approach at a safe speed and see any oncoming traffic well in advance.
Click to expand...

If you're a good driver, yes. If you're a poor driver, like most of the population, no. They'll assume visibility 50 yards from the roundabout means a clear roundabout when they get there
 
Like very type of traffic management system currently employed, it slows people down. They are always making journey times longer, traffic jams heavier, and trying to force people out of cars. You can see it everywhere. New traffic lights which are timed, instead of 'intelligent'. Adding double sets of lights with poorer traffic management.

This is just another one of them.
 
Thankfully there are few of these up here, but when I do come across them, I find them hugely annoying. Yes, they do make you slow down, but the "good" driver can observe entrances to the roundabout as you approach and make a decision to slow down or to enter the roundabout. With proper observation you can slow down enough to mean you dont have to stop and slot in to traffic on the roundabout (without causing anyone to change speed or direction) as well.
 
I keep meaning to post about this as well. One I use all the time is the M50 junction with the M5.

This is a 70mph Motorway meeting a large, open Motorway roundabout junction subject to Motorway conditions. Traffic flow around the roundabout from the M5 heading North is virtually non existent because the only real exit you want is onto the M50.

This means even though 95% of the time coming from the M50 it's totally clear, you have to come to almost a complete halt, from 70mph, because they've deliberately obscured the view with a stupid fence?!

What!?

I thought it was all about reducing CO2 emissions? It always annoys me so much I end up accelerating off the roundabout onto the M5 with my foot nailed to the floor.
 
I've started to notice these more around here - utterly ridiculous contraptions. Roundabouts that previously had great visibility on approach are now completely blind :/
 
Never seen them myself, Sound pointless to me, The drivers who have been entering the roundabout too quickly in the past are still going to enter it too fast but with less visibility.

Not a clue how someone could think "hhmm I know we will make it safer by making them blind to the actual danger"
 
That's not like the ones here, on that streetview - where it finally opens up, around here they are sticking 6 foot high solid fences with massive reflective arrows so literally no one other than the very front car can seeing anything at all on the roundabout.

I'd say i'd go get a photo but i'm not up for trying to approach a roundabout camera in hand that now has no visibility :p

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...d=s6V4fnJ518HV5H5iQ3WZKw&cbp=12,68.66,,0,5.13

There is one there now, you can see where the lamppost is - the fence starts about there and extends a few meters back along the island.
 
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it's all part of an effort to cause more congestion and bring in road pricing. Has anyone noticed the gentle rephasing of traffic lights that's been going on to make getting through complex junctions less smooth?
 
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