What's the point of these "Keep Clear" markings?

[Desiderata]

I visited an area I haven't visited for a while today and came across this situation several times:- Approach to a traffic light controlled junction and there is a "keep clear" marking on the road opposite a minor junction just before the lights.
I understand why you would do this if the minor junction could be accessed by crossing through the queuing traffic but in this case and several others like this, there is nowhere for the crossing traffic to go.


Is this just an overenthusiastic roadmarker in this area? Or am I missing something?

[Hrimfaxi]

I'd hazard a guess and go for turning longer vehicles - is that road on a bus route?

I'm keen to know myself.

[Dan_The_Man]

I would have thought it's for the occasional car to turn right from the minor junction when the lights are red.

[Desiderata]

Dan_The_Man said:

I would have thought it's for the occasional car to turn right from the minor junction when the lights are red.

But then they'd just be blocking the space too. If the lights are red, there's nowhere for them to go.

And no, the minor route isn't on a bus route, it's just a turning into a small housing estate.

[MadCaptainJack]

Maybe the roadmarker lives down that road?

[Desiderata]

MadCaptainJack said:

Maybe the roadmarker lives down that road?

I saw another three junctions marked the same way in the space of about 10 miles whilst passing through. I'd imagine there are more. Maybe the roadmarker has a big family ?

[Fastdruid]

Looking at it on street view it's immediately after a bus stop. A google on the subject throws this up as a possibility.


https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/protect-children-f...

[speedking31]

Desiderata said:

Dan_The_Man said:

I would have thought it's for the occasional car to turn right from the minor junction when the lights are red.

But then they'd just be blocking the space too. If the lights are red, there's nowhere for them to go.

The KEEP CLEAR markings for the major route have done their job by allowing a car out of the minor road. It's not really KEEP CLEAR for all traffic, but DON'T QUEUE HERE IF YOU'RE TRAVELLING ALONG THE MAIN ROAD. The objective is to keep that space clear temporarily to let a car out of the side turning.

[and or]

The Keep Clear is a vestigial road marking from where the access to the plot which is now Aldi used to be.

[Fastdruid]

and or said:

The Keep Clear is a vestigial road marking from where the access to the plot which is now Aldi used to be.

Nah, the road is too "clean", it doesn't look like it's been tampered with recently (ie if there *was* an entrance there they re-laid the road when they did the curb etc) and the markings themselves look too clean and new. Can't tell from the overheads but it's got to be a good 15 or so years since they removed whatever was there next to Aldi.

https://www.google.com/maps/@55.9751742,-3.6206565...

[ElectricSoup]

speedking31 said:

Desiderata said:

Dan_The_Man said:

I would have thought it's for the occasional car to turn right from the minor junction when the lights are red.

But then they'd just be blocking the space too. If the lights are red, there's nowhere for them to go.

The KEEP CLEAR markings for the major route have done their job by allowing a car out of the minor road. It's not really KEEP CLEAR for all traffic, but DON'T QUEUE HERE IF YOU'RE TRAVELLING ALONG THE MAIN ROAD. The objective is to keep that space clear temporarily to let a car out of the side turning.

This will be it. Like here, where there is often queueing traffic going downhill on the main road. It allows the odd vehicle to turn right out of the side road when there's a jam on the main road (i.e. every week day during rush hour and usually Saturdays too).

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4691868,-0.98115...

[Glenn63]

These markings are also helpful so that some one turning right out the side road can move into the gap meaning people who want to turn left out the side road aren’t blocked by people waiting to turn right.

[stogbandard]

Looks like a odd crossing rather than a light controlled junction so by the time any traffic moves down the queuing traffic will have also started moving, including the vehicle that would have emerged from the side road into the gap left by the Keep Clear box.