A bit lighthearted but....

Paradigm

When you see signs on a motorway saying "No Hard Shoulder for 500 yds) what are they for?
Do all cars recognise these signs & refuse to breakdown/get a puncture until they are past?

Richard53

I would guess it's not directed at the cars (otherwise the 'no cats' sign I put up in my garden would work) or even their drivers, but at all drivers - translating as "there is no hard shoulder for the next 500 yards, so expect broken-down vehicles to be in the roadway".

EdGasket

I thought it meant 'stick your foot down' so if anything happens, you can coast to where there is some hard shoulder.

Strider590

Richard53 wrote: »

I would guess it's not directed at the cars (otherwise the 'no cats' sign I put up in my garden would work) or even their drivers, but at all drivers - translating as "there is no hard shoulder for the next 500 yards, so expect broken-down vehicles to be in the roadway".

This, but most drivers are too stupid to even consider the idea.

EdGasket

Strider590 wrote: »

This, but most drivers are too stupid to even consider the idea.

Yep, that's me. So tell me this, if the message to be conveyed is 'Might be broken down vehicles in road' then why not say that instead?

jase1

EdGasket wrote: »

Yep, that's me. So tell me this, if the message to be conveyed is 'Might be broken down vehicles in road' then why not say that instead?

How would you do that? Show a picture of a Renault Laguna in a triangle?

EssexExile

It's like the falling/fallen rocks sign - I need to know which it is. If the rocks are falling I'll go faster to get through before they reach the road, if they've already fallen I'll go slower to weave around the debris.

Someone once told me that the highway authorities should always think "what is the driver supposed to do with this information" before they put up yet another sign. If the answer is nothing, then don't put it up.

DominicH

The road authorities do an admirable job, but I'm not sure even they are fast enough to put up a "falling rocks" sign before the rocks have landed. That would take quite some rapid response unit.

dacouch

Strider590 wrote: »

This, but most drivers are too stupid to even consider the idea.

I had a customer who hit a broken down vehicle which had suffered a flat tyre that was in lane one of a national speed limit dual carriage way in the very early hours.

There were no light displayed on the vehicle and it was occupying the whole of lane one.

My customer asked the lady why she had not pulled onto the verge which was designed to be a lay by to which she answered she did not want to damage her high heels. It had not occurred to her to display any lights either

EdGasket

jase1 wrote: »

How would you do that? Show a picture of a Renault Laguna in a triangle?

Instead of saying "No hard shoulder for 500yds" say "Possible obstruction for 500yds" The existing signs are worded so could the alternative sign assuming that is the intended meaning as per post number 2; no need for obscure pictures.

DGE199

EdGasket wrote: »

Yep, that's me. So tell me this, if the message to be conveyed is 'Might be broken down vehicles in road' then why not say that instead?

Don't forget that the emergency services use the hard shoulder when the motorway is congested.

"Might be broken down vehicles in the road" does not warn the drivers of these emergency vehicles that the hard shoulder is soon to run out.

I think it's supposed to raise awareness to all sorts of drivers - Emergency services drivers that they don't have the hard shoulder to use; "normal" drivers that any breakdowns will be in one of the main lanes; and it tells drivers who need to use it for emergencies such as a puncture that there isn't one for them to use.