Avon Ring Road 2+ lane.

[J500ANT]

After a recent move, I have the dubious pleasure of using the Avon Ring Road during rush hour - normally the bit from Bromley Heath through to the Frenchay intersection.

And every day I sit there, alone in my car, and watch dozens of driver only cars using the "High Occupancy Vehicle" 2+ lane. And so one day while bored I put in a FOI request to Avon & Somerset police to find out how many people have been prosecuted/ticketed for misuse.

This came back on an email earlier, and I thought i'd share it here.

Please see the table below for the number of people issued with a fixed penalty notice on the A4174 for driving alone in the 2+ lane within the last 5 financial years:

Year Fixed Penalty Notices Issued
2008/09 54
2009/10 36
2010/11 32
2011/12 40
2012/13 20

[Pet Troll]

J500ANT said:

After a recent move, I have the dubious pleasure of using the Avon Ring Road during rush hour - normally the bit from Bromley Heath through to the Frenchay intersection.

And every day I sit there, alone in my car, and watch dozens of driver only cars using the "High Occupancy Vehicle" 2+ lane. And so one day while bored I put in a FOI request to Avon & Somerset police to find out how many people have been prosecuted/ticketed for misuse.

This came back on an email earlier, and I thought i'd share it here.

Please see the table below for the number of people issued with a fixed penalty notice on the A4174 for driving alone in the 2+ lane within the last 5 financial years:

Year Fixed Penalty Notices Issued
2008/09 54
2009/10 36
2010/11 32
2011/12 40
2012/13 20

I'm surprised at how low those numbers are!
Although I am equally surprised everytime I read the 2+ lane sign and notice it is only in force for a very short period of time in the early morning. I don't drive along that road all that often but have still seen people contravening the 2+ lane rules.

[the chav]

I see this all the time .the police sometimes sit im sure the lay by just before hambrook roundabout and also just before hambrook lights. But saying that I haven't seen them there for a long time hense the low numbers. Im also surprised how many hgvs sit in the right hand lane dont they no we can use the left lane all the way from willy wicket to uwe lights. If more hgvs did this traffic would flow a little better

[scorcher]

Can't you get a mannequin http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Female-mannequin-with-st...

or dress your dog up in hat and sunglasses? It'll save a lot of queueing

[choptop]

So that is why I have seen masks applied to passenger seat headrests. Makes sense now.

[yorkieboy]

I haven't seen a sign saying HGV's can use the 2 plus lane???

the chav said:

I see this all the time .the police sometimes sit im sure the lay by just before hambrook roundabout and also just before hambrook lights. But saying that I haven't seen them there for a long time hense the low numbers. Im also surprised how many hgvs sit in the right hand lane dont they no we can use the left lane all the way from willy wicket to uwe lights. If more hgvs did this traffic would flow a little better

[BristolLee]

Pet Troll said:

Although I am equally surprised everytime I read the 2+ lane sign and notice it is only in force for a very short period of time in the early morning.

0730 - 0930 Mon-Fri. It used to be 0700 but for some reason was changed without explanation about 18 months ago. Annoying seeing as 0700 is the exact time I go through there on the odd day I drive in.

Even though I roll through around 7, I still get stick from people who 1: Don't read the signs and 2: don't notice my small statured girlfriend sitting in the passenger seat of the Celica. It's been funny to see their faces when she suddenly appears in their view.

[J500ANT]

Seems the local BBC Newsroom have spotted my FOI request on the A&S police website, and it's now been looked at....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-25447...

[garycab]

I use the stretch of road in a lorry twice a week around 8am from the traffic lights at the top of the suspension bridge down to the Gordano junction M5, I cannot believe the amount of cars with just the driver in using the new 2+ lane going down the hill, and usually just cut in front of the vehicles at the bottom to get in the other lane. Really pee's me off

[1ians]

Yep, another one who gets annoyed by the two plus lane on the A370 that I've never seen enforced.

Loads of single occupancy cars driving down the two plus lane and instead of slotting in a sensible gap, swerve in at the last possible minute whilst stamping on the brakes as they cut you up. Mind you this is Pistonheads, so I know they are not being inconsiderate dangerous s but merely using all available road space to merge in turn and I'm the stupid one not to.

[gareth_r]

J500ANT said:

Seems the local BBC Newsroom have spotted my FOI request on the A&S police website, and it's now been looked at....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-25447...

I always like to see the way that stories like that are interpreted.

The BBC and Steve Ward, a "travel planner" from the University of the West of England say "Car sharing in South Gloucestershire is not growing as fast as it could because a 2+ lane on the Avon Ring Road is not being enforced.".

The real world says "What's the point of a 2+ lane if nobody uses it? You can enforce it all you want, I'm still not sharing my personal space with a stranger.".

Edited by gareth_r on Tuesday 31st December 15:33