British Village Requests Removal From GPS Maps 539
longacre writes "The tiny village of Barrow Gurney, England, has asked GPS map publisher Tele Atlas to remove them from the company's maps. The reason: truck drivers using GPS navigation devices are being directed to drive through the town despite the roads being too narrow for sidewalks, which has led to numerous accidents. At the root of the problem lies the fact that the navigation maps used by trucks are the same as those used by passenger cars, and they don't contain data on road width or no-truck zones. Tele Atlas says they will release truck-appropriate databases at some point, but until then they advise local governments to make use of a technology dating back to the Romans: road signs."
Re:Road Signs? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Road Signs? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:The problem with signs (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Road Signs? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Road Signs? (Score:2, Interesting)
Local councils have very close ties with the local constabulary so it's easy for them to request a clampdown.
Re:Road Signs? (Score:5, Interesting)
To me, it sounds like a rare instance of authorities caring more about safety than money. Unfortunately, your attitude seems to be more common - to the point that some communities (*cough*Union City, CA [thenewspaper.com]*cough) have been caught deliberately and illegally causing unsafe situations in order to increase revenue from traffic violations.
Re:Superlorry (Score:1, Interesting)
These trucks are restricted to certain roads/highways and its the drivers responsibility to know where they are. Cant follow a map and roadsigns? Say goodbye to your special license and its back to driving medium sized trucks.
They have to keep a logbook of every road they drive on so its not too difficult for them to know which way to go.
Theres heaps of roads even medium trucks aren't allowed on, lots of old wooden bridges and low height tunnels.
They all seem to manage fine here and we don't need a cop hiding to catch them. The fines for trucks are big, but even worse they loose their license (= job) which is a pretty big deterrent, more than any fine.
Re:there are no trucks in the UK (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Road Signs? (Score:5, Interesting)
Hmm, not always... reminds me of a story. A truck driver underestimated the height of his trailer and promptly got stuck under a bridge. As a huge traffic jam swelled up behind, the truck driver and sheriff walked around the truck, rubbing their chins. The driver tried reversing, but got only tyre spin and fould smelling smoke. It was really stuck.
A motorist walked up and introduced himself as; "John Cooper, I helped design this bridge, maybe I can help".
Much walking around, chin rubbing and head scratching ensued, amidst the spiraling honking and abuse.
"I think we're going to have to bring in hydraulic lifts and raise the bridge slightly" Said John Cooper.
"Ungh, my boss ain't gonna like that" Said the truck driver.
Just then, a kid, riding by on his bike stopped, dismounted, took of his cap (this was before compulsory bicycle helmets), looked up and down and said...
"Why don't you let some air out of the tyres?"
I worked for this company... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Easier solution (Score:5, Interesting)
a pint is a *pound* the world around is the mnemonic that a liquid pint is ounce equivalent to weight pounds. 16 fl oz = pint, 16 oz = pound, so you know that 2oz is a quarter cup, 4oz is a half cup, 8oz is a cup, 16oz is a pint, and 32 oz is a quart, and 64 oz is a half and 128 oz is a gallon. Some people just have a hard time remembering where a pint fits into the system.
I think powers of two are quite a natural system of measurement. Unfortunately, the French (and now the rest of the world) think a counting system based off the count of the digits on their hands and feet using Greek prefixes is somehow better.
How anthropocentric.
Re:Road Signs? (Score:3, Interesting)
I would say about half of the lights the class examined had a "no win zone" where it was impossible to either make it through the intersection (w/o speeding) or brake in time if the light turned yellow. This was in 1994.
I'm not sure if it's greed on the part of governments or just simple incompetence. Probably a bit of both.
Re:Road Signs? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Road Signs? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Road Signs? (Score:3, Interesting)
Indeed.
My commute home takes me over a bridge which is 1.8 metres wide [streetmap.co.uk]. Last night the traffic was queueing back half a mile from the bridge. I cycled past the queue to find a bunch of polis [police.uk] trying to deal with a truck and trailer that were too wide for the bridge and too big to turn in the road.
I thought as I watched them, 'ah, another victory for Tom Tom [tomtom.com]!'
Re:Road Signs? (Score:3, Interesting)
You've obviously never been to an English village before. You cannot 'upgrade the highway' in a village which has grade 2 listed buildings which are 9 feet apart. These buildings were built 200-300 years before the invention of the car. They are important historical buildings and are hardly going to be demolished just to put in a bigger road.
The Japanese way is more effective (Score:3, Interesting)
No one reads road signs... well some people do, but the risk and frequency of that happening is too high.
The barrier method is both obvious and effective. The only reason it never occurred to me naturally is that we don't have those here in the US. The nearest thing similar in effect in my area are those pipe-grated things that are often found along country roads. Don't know what they are called, but they are used to keep live stock from walking out into the street. We also have various barrier devices similar to those of the Japanese, but they are used to protect buildings or obvious devices and structures, not block access to roads or weak bridges.
Upcoming R&D (Score:3, Interesting)
A project has been looked at and is undergoing further discussion (into whether it's DfT's, SatNav companies' or Haulage companies' responsibility) on a separate SatNav system specifically for haulage. I.e. a system that only uses roads with sufficient capacity for lorries. Should this come about it would solve this issue and many of other villages' issues.
Re:Four Wheelers (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:If only that was the case. (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't know about speeding camera's, but when you get caught by a red light camera in the US, they don't take points off your license, they just fine you. Also some jurisdictions will let you plea down to an offense with less points and more money, which is usually cheap to "prosecute, because you make the deal with the prosecutor, and the judge rubber stamps it. In Nassau County, New York when you first report to court to fight a ticket, the cop won't be there and if you actually want a trial you get a second date.
Quite frankly, I don't see how you can take points away from someone caught with a camera. You can't prove who was driving the car.
Re:Road Signs? (Score:3, Interesting)
I live on a street that as a clearly posted sign that says trucks may not drive down it after 10PM. However, it's the primary city street connecting central Cambridge, MA (USA) to downtown Somerville, MA. These two cities have a lot of trucking between them, and many truckers simply ignore the signs, knowing that police don't patrol the street.
I'd really like it if GPS maps were more up-to-date with this info so that they could select the right path for a truck, but frankly until they do, it's the truckers' fault (they should not simply rely on the GPS to think for them).
Re:If only that was the case. (Score:3, Interesting)
Possibly even more of an issue is vehicles using false license plates. The criminals look around car parks and find the registration number of a car the same model and colour as theirs, and get a bent license plate maker to make them the false plates: http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/extra/series2/car_cloning.shtml [bbc.co.uk].