AA Zone

An observation I would make about road-planning is that the situation which requires the driver to make a sudden, unannounced change of direction -and without time for proper safety checks- is probably one of the most hazardous.

I'm thinking mainly of the left-turn filter lanes which require the driver intending to carry straight-on to change to the outside lane, with the only indication being a road-surface arrow. The driver travelling at a safe braking distance and following highway-code rules for approaching a junction has typically only three to five seconds in which to react to the arrow as it appears from below the vehicle in front, and this leaves no time for a proper mirror-check or signal. Add to this that a wildcat change to the outside lane is the most hazardous lane-change possible, in view of the likely conflict with speedsters.

Even when you know in advance of the existence of the hazard, it may dictate driving at an excessive or illegal speed in order to ensure your right to take the outside lane.

The planners who put these road-surface arrows in place don't seem to have realised yet that the average human eye cannot see through steel.

These things had their heyday in the 90's, and damn dangerous they were then. Unfortunately it seems that lessons learned are soon forgotten, and we're now seeing a resurgence of this arrangement.