m25

ok so just had to filter through 30 miles of jamed traffic on the A40 through the M25 to get home all because of the varible speed limit on the m25 I've drove to scotland in 2 hours more than it took to get home tonight. So my questions are does the vsl work and why is it when the boards say the limit is 40 people drop to 20 mph? and why do car drivers try and make it so hard for bikes to filter through the traffic?

Why was the variable speed limit there in the first place? Are they doing roadworks of any description? If so then the varying speeds are there for the workers safety.

Ive driven right round the M25 at 80-90mph (not all in one go mind) and have never come across VSL unless there has been roadworks.

As for the car drivers making it hard for bikes to filter..the simple answer is that some have no sense of lane discipline or lane positioning. And for those who know you are trying to get through, see you and still dont move? they are just ignornant basterwads.

I always ensure that I am smack bang in the middle of my lane and keep a good distance from the car in front. The distance is to (a) give a gap for bikes to pull into (b) allow me to move over more for a bike to get through if necessary and (c) a good distance should always be kept from the car in front.

HTH

Maria

I heard that on the radio as I was coming clockwise upto Heathrow T5 and the vsl were on 60, 40 then 20 for absolutely no reason, if perhaps for a bit of spray? This part of the road was supposed to have had 'no spray' tarmac fitted, which did work when new but perhaps not now it is a couple of years old.

The vsl do not work on the basis that it is controlled by a person in a room somewhere, it certainly is not using sensors etc. Coming the same way the other week, got home an hour later than usual and had to go straight out again, back the same way and the signs were still on and the traffic just a bad both ways. I left my friends house at about 11pm and what do I see on the same stretch of road....vsl with only a few cars on the road, again 60, 40 then 20 at T5....why?

Control that's why

Used to work in Uxbridge and had to travel on M24 from M40 and the VSL was in use most days down to 40. Especially on Fridays when the M25 is jammed. It's to ease pressure elsewhere and also for reasons you may not see (workers, accident, debris etc). Pain in the butt though.

I think it's also to stop all the traffic bunching together so you end up crawling at 5mph...

Originally Posted by Miss Alpinestarhero

Why was the variable speed limit there in the first place? Are they doing roadworks of any description? If so then the varying speeds are there for the workers safety.

Ive driven right round the M25 at 80-90mph (not all in one go mind) and have never come across VSL unless there has been roadworks.

As for the car drivers making it hard for bikes to filter..the simple answer is that some have no sense of lane discipline or lane positioning. And for those who know you are trying to get through, see you and still dont move? they are just ignornant basterwads.

I always ensure that I am smack bang in the middle of my lane and keep a good distance from the car in front. The distance is to (a) give a gap for bikes to pull into (b) allow me to move over more for a bike to get through if necessary and (c) a good distance should always be kept from the car in front.

HTH

Maria

Bolded post, people sometimes pull over to stop your progress, and it's a pain in the ass.

I try to stay to to the side of whatever lane I'm in so allow for possible bikes, etc. I.e if I'm in the left hand lane I try to stay over to the left and in the right hand lane I try to stay on the right. But yeah, it's different method for the same result.

Today, traffic was REALLY bad leaving work, and the smallish road (i.e not really filterable) was completely gridlocked, however about 75% of the nice people today moved over to let me through. I was too busy saying thanks to balance properly! Maybe because I'm a nice biker, or the fact my can is bloody loud!

Originally Posted by DanAbnormal

Used to work in Uxbridge and had to travel on M24 from M40 and the VSL was in use most days down to 40. Especially on Fridays when the M25 is jammed. It's to ease pressure elsewhere and also for reasons you may not see (workers, accident, debris etc). Pain in the butt though.

ok but ease the pressure so much it caused a traffic jam all the way back to the north circular. They don't work! And only cause the idiots to drive at half the available speed limit just to let some other part of the m25 a little bit less jammed than it would be without the vsl.
The system that is use on the m25 is similar to the one used on German autobanns but it wont work with our inept car drivers that are more concerned with talking on the phone, reading the news paper, having a shave, putting make up on, sending texts, fiddling with the gps, or scratching the useless ar** holes than keeping traffic flowing.

filtering is not a problem for me. but its amazing how vengeful idiots can get over bikes making progress almost to the point of killing some one at least the intent is there.
but don't get me wrong there is divers that pull over and I always give thanks with a foot up or nod but again I'm not sure they pull over to let you through or because they don't want their car damaged or even that you startled them and they panic. Whatever!

I have to say that, despite various comments about drivers hindering progress when filtering, I find that many drivers actually pull aside and let me past. Maybe I just live/work in a considerate part of the country.

The people who are wide out, I just tend to think are idiots who are very wide- rather than taking it personally.

Now that I've typed this, I'm off for a ride- and sod's law says...!

[G]

Variable speed limits are to control traffic flow and they work very well indeed the M25 car park is just a joke of a road regardless.

On the M42 and other such roads they work brilliantly.