I was heading down the M1 through to the M25 anticlockwise a couple of days ago for the first time since the widening scheme around Luton, and was only mildly surprised to see that stretch plastered in digital information signs and speed cameras. At approximately 3pm, on a clear sunny afternoon, and with only moderate amounts of (quite well behaved) traffic the speed limit reduced to 60mph.. then 50.. then 40. ‘Queues ahead’ said the signs – queues that were clearly created by the 40mph limit. Without warning and with no visible changes in the traffic the limit lifted back to 70mph.
These bizarre fluctuations continued for the next 20 miles, by which point people had started to ignore them because they were clearly ridiculous. Those who didn’t ignore them were driving less carefully than normal because of all the panic braking – especially when the limit signs suddenly dropped from 50 to 40 before our eyes with only 20 metres left to go until the associated cameras. On the return journey the limit went 70 > 60 > 40 > 50 > 40 on a single stretch on motorway between junctions, where absolutely nothing changed, and then the next few signs were blank rather than continuing the previous limit clearly or cancelling the restriction.
If anyone still has any doubts that the UK government’s traffic policies are only designed to raise money, and actually cause more congestion and dangerous driving than they solve, take that particular route for yourself and see how long it takes you to either change your mind or gnaw through your steering wheel in frustration.