Going down the M6 south today back home, got too junction 15 and the overhead said “congestion at junct 10-9” and then a bit further
down the motorway, the toll road clear…so i was not i a rush to get back 
so i carried on down the M6, got to junct 10 and
no traffic 
i don’t know just to make a few more ££££’s 
no need really…
The Toll Road is owned by another company. I’m not sure but I would say the Toll Road Matrix sign is controlled by them, not the HA. Just a guess so I don’t see how the owners of the Toll could set that up to lure people into using it. More like idiot HA not updating their signs quick enough.
On another note, not once in a year have I seen the Toll sign say anything other than Toll Clear
I have seen the toll sign saying toll closed on christmas day
Never believe what you read on a Motorway sign, I thought we all knew that… 
I’ve got as much faith in the overhead matrix signs as I have in my tomtom 530T’S traffic updates 
Went over the Severn Bridge Tuesday at 10.00, signs on, no-one there. Came back at 16.00, same thing.One lane suposed to be closed so everyone moving over, and nothing happening!!Perhaps someone should tell the people responsible the story of Peter and the wolf
Smee:
Never believe what you read on a Motorway sign, I thought we all knew that…
I know how much of a pain the signs can be, especially when I’m waiting for them to be set, but sods law dictates, the day you ignore them is the day you plough into one of us retrieving debris from the carriageway
The Highway Man:
Smee:
Never believe what you read on a Motorway sign, I thought we all knew that…I know how much of a pain the signs can be, especially when I’m waiting for them to be set, but sods law dictates, the day you ignore them is the day you plough into one of us retrieving debris from the carriageway
Sorry to tell you this highway man, But it’s got to a point that i usually ignore the signs unless i can see a problem for myself.
The gantry signs are a modern twist on the story about the boy who cried wolf.
Last week when the accident closed the A64 near Staxton when a car hit a lorry. I was intrigued to see a warning on the motorway.
A64 closed. Use Diversion.
Brilliant. I just wondered what use that wonderful piece of information could be, especially when I was on the M6 near Skelmersdale
limeyphil:
Sorry to tell you this highway man, But it’s got to a point that i usually ignore the signs unless i can see a problem for myself. The gantry signs are a modern twist on the story about the boy who cried wolf.
Biffo will be in a better position to tell you about the signs as he sets them. The ones that are set to warn of wider problems are set by the National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC) the ones that advise of debris in the road are set by the Regional Control Centres (RCC) These are the ones that are requested by the guys on the ground and are usually cancelled by the TO once the problem has been resolved. So as you can see, not all signs are crying wolf and I’d like to think that you are professional enough to be able to spot the difference. 
ahh debris in the road warnings like the ones i saw last week from j18 to j15!!! saying go 50mph…
great lost milage all round… the irish could have lost over miles had they slowed down
what was it i wondered… then they was about 10 little hinge looking plastic things on the hard shoulder near j15… but to slow down at j18 area was a bloody joke…
and before the tolls prioces went up the matrix were warning of a preise increase with new prices… i hope the toll company paid for these adverts
The problem is when a member of the public phones up saying that they saw some debris but weren’t too sure of the location. All they know that it’s between j15 and j18. So signals between those 2 locations have to be set. They can only be reset once a HATO or a police officer has been through and checked the area.
The Highway Man:
The problem is when a member of the public phones up saying that they saw some debris but weren’t too sure of the location. All they know that it’s between j15 and j18. So signals between those 2 locations have to be set. They can only be reset once a HATO or a police officer has been through and checked the area.
I know this isn’t your patch, but why would they be set to say "oncoming vehicle (20) " as they were yesterday on the M5 south at Bristle ? - the 20 restriction went from just after J19 to J20 - there was no oncoming vehicle !
Not too sure about that one. Maybe it was reported and the offending vehicle realised their mistake and turned round. By the time police/HATO turn up, it’s long gone. I don’t know the geography of the area so is it possible the vehicle left at a junction or through services.
The Highway Man:
I don’t know the geography of the area so is it possible the vehicle left at a junction or through services.
no, there was no exit or services between the matrix sign at the start and the sign saying end
Denis F:
The Highway Man:
I don’t know the geography of the area so is it possible the vehicle left at a junction or through services.no, there was no exit or services between the matrix sign at the start and the sign saying end
Can’t help you then i’m afraid, maybe any TO’s from that area that post on here might be able to help.
So if someone reports a vehicle travelling the wrong way down the motorway, what signs would you have us set?
They could be travelling at 70 mph plus, that’s over a mile a minute, how far shall we set signs? the closing speed with you in an HGV is over 120mph, surely you’d like to be told about it?
Because you didn’t see anything doesn’t mean there was nothing, most of these calls are mistakes by either old drivers, or foreign drivers, who soon realise what they’ve done, and pull up on the H/S and await the BiB. (HATO’s are not supposed to attend these calls, but actually get off the c/way in case it’s some nutter with a death wish and wants to take out a batternburg’d vehicle as well)
As I’ve said many times, we set to the information passed to us, any signals can only be cleared by either a BiB or HATO confirming the danger is no longer there.
I for one would hope that I don’t see any sign of any incident after seeing a matrix sign saying “ONCOMING VEHICLE”
I’ve been involved in clearing the aftermath of a couple of head on RTC’s following cars joining wrong carriageway and heading into oncoming traffic:(
I’m not saying it was wrong to restrict the traffic and make the sign read that but maybe the signs could have been cleared sooner ? after about half way through the section most of the traffic seemed to get bored of going slow and decided to ignore the signs to be honest seeing restriction signs and finding nothing is a fairly regular occurrence and a lot of drivers just ignore them If they were more reliable then drivers would respect them !!!
I’ve seen lots of signs saying fog when there isn’t any for example