Irish Motorways Qs

Seth Brundle

Can someone please explain to me what the wire fencing is for on Irish Motorways.
I heard that it is used to help the truck-stopper hedges grow but surely they could manage to grow without it (and many places dont have the hedge). Anyone care to shed some light?

Actually while I am on, what dumb f*ck came up with the idea of placing bright flashing safety warnings on the side of the M50? Driving past the other night I noticed myself spending more time reading the feckin thing than concentrating on the road - not the safest if you are driving at 70mph.

mike65

The chicken wire is to give the illusion of the NRA protecting the motoring public!

There is no such thing as a truck stopper hedge!

Armco barriers is what is needed on both external sides and down the centre on every last metre of motorway.

Mike.

Chimaera

My guess is that the wire fencing is to stop people/animals wandering on to the motorway from the surrounding countryside. It'd be rather nasty to hit a wandering cow at 70mph :eek:

seamus

Originally posted by Chimaera
My guess is that the wire fencing is to stop people/animals wandering on to the motorway from the surrounding countryside. It'd be rather nasty to hit a wandering cow at 70mph :eek:

It's not exactly effective. I constantly see braindead fools trying to cross the M50 on foot. It's a tad harder to judge how much time you have to cross 2 lanes when there's constant traffic travelling > 50mph :rolleyes:

I agree with mike. There should be barriers all the way up either side of the motorway. I'd shudder to think what would happen if a 40-footer blasted through the hedges at 65mph into oncoming traffic. They should also be bike-safe barriers too. I'd prefer to keep some limbs, thanks

Victor

Originally posted by kbannon
Can someone please explain to me what the wire fencing is for on Irish Motorways.

The fence in the middle of the road is to help the hedge grow. The hedge is an anti-glare effort.

It has a secondary effect of stopping people doing u-turns (this is Ireland after all) and thrashing the hedge (or the daffodils).

On the M-1, part of the toll operators contract will be to fit crash barriers for the entire length.

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by Victor
The fence in the middle of the road is to help the hedge grow. The hedge is an anti-glare effort.

It has a secondary effect of stopping people doing u-turns (this is Ireland after all) and thrashing the hedge (or the daffodils).

I am aware from continental driving what a motorway should look like including the anti-glare aspects. The hedges along Irish motorways & dual carriageways falls far short of this reasonable feature. They simply do not prevent glare adequatley

On the M-1, part of the toll operators contract will be to fit crash barriers for the entire length.

source?

Victor

Originally posted by kbannon
I am aware from continental driving what a motorway should look like including the anti-glare aspects. The hedges along Irish motorways & dual carriageways falls far short of this reasonable feature. They simply do not prevent glare adequatley

They need to grow, I know.

Originally posted by kbannon
source?

Media somewhere.

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by Victor
They need to grow, I know.

I am aware of several stretches of the M50 where the lack of hedge is more visible than their presence.
The NRA / NTR / Govt / etc. have a policy of not using armco in places where the central strip is greater than 15m (IIRC) as they seem to believe [feckin eejits!] that a driver would suddenly manage to pull off an amazing recovery when their car goes out of control @ 70mph+. However, I would swear that certain stretches of the meridian of the M50 are not this width (certainly on the southern end from toll bridge) [I have driven quite slowly during rush hour and managed to notice this] - anyone care to comment?

Victor

The typical median on existing motorways is 9 metres (obviously variations in some places). The style of median was borrowed from the USA. Eventually they will be replaced with a 2 metre barriered mediana nd 2 x 3.5m lanes on the M50. Other motorways (M1, M4, M7) won't need upgrading quite so quickly.

Some very rural sections (e.g. Michelstown - Cahir) will start with a narrow median.

Seth Brundle

http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2003/01/03/story640509735.asp

BrianD3

the lack of barriers is a disgrace. Not only are there no barriers on most of our motorways/dual carriageways but barriers are installed in places where they make no sense whatsoever. Eg outside Enfield on the N4 (50 mph zone single carriageway) there is armco along the side of the road for a few hundred metres - then it just ends. Why? All its going to do is stop cars driving into a field/ditch at that particular point. Of course it's preferable to hit a barrier than go off into a ditch but why put barrier there when a further up the road there's the M4 motorway which has no barriers along the median (except where there's bridge supports)

I remember a horrible crash on the naas dual carriageway about ten years ago, its still one of the worst crashes i've seen. Some young guy in his parents' Merc lost control and went across the median in front of a fully laden artic carrying butter. Most of the Merc ended up flattened under the back wheels of the trailer and the whole lot burst into flames. Needless to say the car driver hadn't a chance. I always wondered if a barrier would have saved that guys life.

BrianD3

BrianD3

Actually there have been loads of crashes with people crossing over the median. These stick in my mind because a crash like that would be my worst nightmare when driving. Just off hand I can think of
-the guy in his parents' Merc on the Naas dual carriageway
-the crash on the M 50 where some young lads in Corolla crossed the median and collided with another car killing themselves and a priest
-The MG ZR which crossed the M1 and collided with a van several people dead
-the van that crossed the M1 and collided with a truck, one person dead

Those f**king hedges make it even more dangerous. At least with an open median you have good visibility to the other carriageway and *might* get early warning if a car looses control and starts crossing the median and giving you time to react But if its a big hedge you've got no visibility you're doing 70 mph in the outside lane then suddenly a car comes through the hedge doing 70 right in front of you and it happens so quickly you don't even get time to lift off the accelerator. Result: instant death for both of you.

BrianD3

ando

Originally posted by kbannon
what dumb f*ck came up with the idea of placing bright flashing safety warnings on the side of the M50?

yeah I know they are dangerous, whoever did it must be shot. Adverts are'nt allowed on motorways, but this thing is worse, flashing away at cars going by trying to get their attention ??? I mean, wtf

and the stupid thing is, I cant remember what the bloody thing says !

Seth Brundle

Arrive Alive! (if this stupid fúkin sign doesn't be the death of ya!)

unkel

Couldn't agree more with you all about the "Arrive Alive" sign. And as for the lacking of the median barriers on motorways, I seriously think the people responsible for this should be charged with criminal neglect for the accidents mentioned above and others where a vehicle passes through the median.

There are two raisons d'etre for motorways:

- speed
- safety because traffic is one-way

DMC

One thing that bugs me about Irish motorways is, why do we not have any dynamic motorway information signals and lane control displays, either on the side or above the carriageways. You know the ones shown here half way down the page.

sceptre

Originally posted by DMC
One thing that bugs me about Irish motorways is, why do we not have any dynamic motorway information signals and lane control displays, either on the side or above the carriageways.

It's be kind of useful. The closest thing we seem to have are those hour delay ahead at Kildare ones - and they seem to be updated so irregularly as to be useless

(sort of like the "Oil Spill" sign on the narrow part of the road near Croom - I started ignoring it after a week, it lived there for another two months. Signs are useless if you can't trust them as being up to date and relevant)

Seth Brundle

I remember driving on the autoroutes in France and they warned you of road works 30km ahead, 15 kn ahead, 10, 5, 2 & 1 (IIRC).
When you got to them they were similar to some of the side of the raod stuff you see here where they have a warning sige 20 feet away!

spuddy

Originally posted by kbannon
I am aware of several stretches of the M50 where the lack of hedge is more visible than their presence.
The NRA / NTR / Govt / etc. have a policy of not using armco in places where the central strip is greater than 15m (IIRC) as they seem to believe [feckin eejits!] that a driver would suddenly manage to pull off an amazing recovery when their car goes out of control @ 70mph+. However, I would swear that certain stretches of the meridian of the M50 are not this width (certainly on the southern end from toll bridge) [I have driven quite slowly during rush hour and managed to notice this] - anyone care to comment?

is that why there is the lower 60mph limit on the newest southern stretches of the M50?

Victor

Originally posted by spuddy
is that why there is the lower 60mph limit on the newest southern stretches of the M50?

Probably to get people to slow down and make an attitude adjustment after up to 100km of motorway driving.

Samson

Originally posted by spuddy
is that why there is the lower 60mph limit on the newest southern stretches of the M50?

Apparently because it's quite a twisty piece of motorway, 70MPH is deemed to be an unsafe speed.

Seth Brundle

FFS, who makes up the speed limits? The road would be good enough for much higher speeds (I have 'safely' achieved these).
I guess they are worried that someone may spin off and damage their new hedge!

jmm

I would of guessed it maybe also because that section of motorway is extremely exposed and experiences very strong cross winds (left to right as you head north) and I have seen cars blown half way into the next lane as a result.

Seth Brundle

I have never seen that on my many journeys along the hell that is our M50. If that is the case and the speed limits were kept low for that reason then would it not have made sense to have inserted some warning signs like on the M1 (@ dunleer)?

jmm

I've only noticed it on the northbound side, late evening times, of course it has to be a fairly windy day, but that section is extremely exposed. Just a thought on a possible thinking someone had when sticking a 60mph limit on that section.

Victor

Originally posted by kbannon
FFS, who makes up the speed limits? The road would be good enough for much higher speeds (I have 'safely' achieved these).
I guess they are worried that someone may spin off and damage their new hedge!

Remember laws have to be put in place to protect the general population from the stupidest 10% of the population.

spuddy

Originally posted by Victor
Probably to get people to slow down and make an attitude adjustment after up to 100km of motorway driving.

the 60 limit is unnessary, 70 can easily be achieved safely. motorways are the safest roads to drive on & given a 70mph limit because of that (infact 74.5mph/130kph when the new limits come into force)

i don't know if anyone has noticed but on one of the slip roads (can't remember where its coming from) on to the new section of the M50, it has 70mph signs to let drivers joining the motorway know what the limit is, even though its in the lower 60 zone, madness!

Ba$tard

Chimera said

My guess is that the wire fencing is to stop people/animals wandering on to the motorway from the surrounding countryside. It'd be rather nasty to hit a wandering cow at 70mph

I have never seen a wandering cow get up to 70mph ! He must have been super-fit


Well, in fairness, the M50... It is classed as a motorway, but it is so busy most of the time, that allowing 70mph on the latter stretches could cause havoc when reaching built-up traffic queues.
The domino-type or what I prefer to call the eslastic-band effect would be much more pronounced if traffic had to slow down from 70 to 30 instead of 60 to 30.
I used to cycle alot as an amateur and know this problem . It just takes a second for some rider in front to slow up a few mile/per hour to cause havoc at the back of the bunch, as each person reacts

J

mike65

Originally posted by Ba$tard
Chimera said

Well, in fairness, the M50... It is classed as a motorway, but it is so busy most of the time, that allowing 70mph on the latter stretches could cause havoc when reaching built-up traffic queues.
The domino-type or what I prefer to call the eslastic-band effect would be much more pronounced if traffic had to slow down from 70 to 30 instead of 60 to 30.
I used to cycle alot as an amateur and know this problem . It just takes a second for some rider in front to slow up a few mile/per hour to cause havoc at the back of the bunch, as each person reacts

J

The authorites on England thought likewise with the M25 and so lowered the speed limits by 10 mph on certain sections, apparently it speeded up progress quite well as traffic braked less.

Mike.

Silent Bob

Originally posted by jmm
I've only noticed it on the northbound side, late evening times, of course it has to be a fairly windy day, but that section is extremely exposed. Just a thought on a possible thinking someone had when sticking a 60mph limit on that section.

Well in that case they're probably bad drivers.

Generally the only reason I use the M50 is to get to the Broadmeadows from Ballinteer to go windsurfing.

This happens on the days when it is windiest and I have a load of gear on the roof.

I have noticed the effect of the crosswinds but they've never been able to move the car more than a foot or two at either the legal speed or 70mph (before points).

Big trucks on the other hand would be effected quite a bit, but of course they wouldn't be driving that fast as their speed limit is 50 :rolleyes:

rcunning03

(infact 74.5mph/130kph when the new limits come into force)

130kmh is that official now ?