Fords
in [UK Drivers]
|
Prev: Speeding reduced.... (or at least incidences being caught oncamera) and other observations..
Next: Why is there always an accident at Clacket Lane on M25?
From: ChelseaTractorMan on 8 May 2010 08:59 On Sat, 08 May 2010 13:32:18 +0100, Douglas Payne <douggie(a)cheerful.com> wrote: > and/or do not take >the time to read a little about road signage in a country they are >driving in, I wonder how many Brits driving in Spain do not know what "Cortada" means? "carretera cortada" is not an uncommon sign. -- Mike. .. . Gone beyond the ultimate driving machine.
From: Phil Bradby on 8 May 2010 12:42 Douglas Payne wrote: > Phil Bradby wrote: >> A few questions that occur to me about fords: >> >> 1) Why is the warning sign for fords a worded warning? I'd have thought >> that >> a) it's easy enough to come up with a picture to illustrate a ford > > If you think there should be a picture instead of roadsigns, what is the > picture for 'Kidderminister' or 'Diversion' going to be? Consistency. Almost all warning signs are pictorial - we have pictures of everything from hump-back bridges to elderly people with walking sticks. >> b) non-English-speaking visitors driving in the UK would be unlikely to >> know the word "ford", but prior warning of a ford could be extremely >> useful > > If foreign drivers do not know what a red triangle means, or that a > river/stream running across a road could be hazardous and/or do not take > the time to read a little about road signage in a country they are > driving in, that is their lookout as far as I am concerned. > > It's not like it is difficult to find out what it means, and I imagine > that after the first encounter, it would be pretty obvious. > > I suspect that fords are uncommon enough for it not to be a problem. > Less of a problem than people thinking up reasons to put up even more > signs when they are not needed. In my opinion, this is one sign that is genuinely useful. If you are driving a road for the first time on a dark, wet night, you could easily fail to distinguish a ford for a puddle until it was too late. Negotiating a possibly deep and fast-flowing ford safely is much easier with prior warning. This is especially true for fords on major roads, where people often wouldn't think to expect them, and for fords that are so deep that they are only just passable in certain vehicles.
From: Brimstone on 8 May 2010 13:15 "Phil Bradby" <nospam(a)nospam.com> wrote in message news:hs4492$9il$1(a)speranza.aioe.org... > In my opinion, this is one sign that is genuinely useful. If you are > driving a road for the first time on a dark, wet night, you could easily > fail to distinguish a ford for a puddle until it was too late. > Negotiating a possibly deep and fast-flowing ford safely is much easier > with prior warning. This is especially true for fords on major roads, > where people often wouldn't think to expect them, and for fords that are > so deep that they are only just passable in certain vehicles. Which major road/s has a ford?
From: Derek Geldard on 8 May 2010 13:28 On Sat, 08 May 2010 13:32:18 +0100, Douglas Payne <douggie(a)cheerful.com> wrote: >a) it's easy enough to come up with a picture to illustrate a ford > >If you think there should be a picture instead of roadsigns, what is the >picture for 'Kidderminister' or 'Diversion' going to be? > 'Diversion' : A picture of Ken Dodd with his tickling stick. 'Kidderminister' : A picture of Ken Dodd with his tickling stick and the Archbishop of Canterbury. >> b) non-English-speaking visitors driving in the UK would be unlikely to >> know the word "ford", but prior warning of a ford could be extremely >> useful > >If foreign drivers do not know what a red triangle means, or that a >river/stream running across a road could be hazardous and/or do not take >the time to read a little about road signage in a country they are >driving in, that is their lookout as far as I am concerned. > >It's not like it is difficult to find out what it means, and I imagine >that after the first encounter, it would be pretty obvious. > >I suspect that fords are uncommon enough for it not to be a problem. >Less of a problem than people thinking up reasons to put up even more >signs when they are not needed. Derek
From: Douglas Payne on 9 May 2010 02:35
Phil Bradby wrote: > Douglas Payne wrote: >> Phil Bradby wrote: >>> A few questions that occur to me about fords: >>> >>> 1) Why is the warning sign for fords a worded warning? I'd have thought >>> that >>> a) it's easy enough to come up with a picture to illustrate a ford >> If you think there should be a picture instead of roadsigns, what is the >> picture for 'Kidderminister' or 'Diversion' going to be? > > Consistency. Almost all warning signs are pictorial - we have pictures of > everything from hump-back bridges to elderly people with walking sticks. > >>> b) non-English-speaking visitors driving in the UK would be unlikely to >>> know the word "ford", but prior warning of a ford could be extremely >>> useful >> If foreign drivers do not know what a red triangle means, or that a >> river/stream running across a road could be hazardous and/or do not take >> the time to read a little about road signage in a country they are >> driving in, that is their lookout as far as I am concerned. >> >> It's not like it is difficult to find out what it means, and I imagine >> that after the first encounter, it would be pretty obvious. >> >> I suspect that fords are uncommon enough for it not to be a problem. >> Less of a problem than people thinking up reasons to put up even more >> signs when they are not needed. > > In my opinion, this is one sign that is genuinely useful. If you are > driving a road for the first time on a dark, wet night, you could easily > fail to distinguish a ford for a puddle until it was too late. If you can't tell the difference between a ford and a puddle before it is too late you are driving too fast for the conditions. That is a different problem. Perhaps there should be a pictoral sign for 'be a bit more careful when the weather is bad'. People would probably ignore it, foreign drivers espcially. > Negotiating a possibly deep and fast-flowing ford safely is much easier > with prior warning. This is especially true for fords on major roads, > where people often wouldn't think to expect them, and for fords that are > so deep that they are only just passable in certain vehicles. I don't recall hearing about the last time hoardes of foreign drivers were swept away at a ford on a major road. Perhaps it's not actually a problem. -- Douglas |