SatNav Blamed for Car Getting Trapped

RobBrady

Despite a clear "Car Trap" sign indicating that it probably wouldn't be a great idea to proceed down a guided busway, a female motorist decided that her satnav was in charge.

This, as you have probably worked out, resulted in her car, a Mini Cooper, getting trapped - it was left perched on the raised middle section of the route.

Consequently, buses had to be diverted for almost two hours around the village of Histon in Cambridgeshire.

For those that don't know, a "guided busway" is a route for buses only (a step up from the humble bus lane) - this sidesteps some of the normal rush hour problems associated with bus travel. The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway connects Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives and is the world's longest. It was built over a disused railway line.

The managing director of the bus company, Stagecoach East, commented: "All I would say about satnavs is that they are good as guidance, but it does not mean you can ignore all the road signs.”

Dozens have already driven onto the route since its opening in 2011 with over 20 vehicles getting stuck.

Source

_________________
Robert Brady

Privateer · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 1:45 pm Post subject:

This is the first time that I've seen a car trap. Who decided that it was a good idea to create a car trap that would do as it says on the tin and trap cars whose drivers decide to use that bus-only route which in turn would then disrupt buses from their journeys and thus delaying 100s of people, when the car trap performs as designed and a car gets trapped?

Would it be best to have automatic rising bollards at each entrance and exit that only lower for buses and other authorised vehicles?

The signs could be improved, instead of "Car Trap" how about "Buses Only"

How about having a "normal" road just for buses and say emergency vehicles with a bus lane camera to do the trapping and then the local authority would have a nice little revenue too!
_________________
Robert.
iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 14.0.1: iOS CamerAlert v2.0.7
TomTom GO Mobile iOS 2.3.1; TomTom (UK & ROI and Europe) iOS apps v1.29
Garmin Camper 770 LMT-D

DennisN · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 8:16 am Post subject:

It took them 2 hours to get a rope attached to drag the stupid thing out?
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

M8TJT · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 10:11 am Post subject:

JockTamsonsBairn · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:38 pm Post subject:

plusmore · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 8:53 am Post subject:

Why don't people just look at the road ahead, it isn't even as if it looks like a road!

M8TJT · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 9:02 am Post subject:

How on earth can it take 'almost two' hours to clear that for busses? I suppose it was cordoned off by the police as a crime scene.

Froggy · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 2:21 pm Post subject:

Looking at the photo in the original source article, she must have been travelling at quite a speed to clear the deep groove in the road which is the actual 'car trap'

Perhaps an eyesight test might be in order Twisted Evil

_________________
GO 750 Live HD Traffic, Map Europe 930, Navcore 9.510

worried · Lifetime Member Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 74

Great big round red signs with a white line across them, doesnt that mean no entry?

but my Garmin sat nav with new maps show it like a definite road, with the name - The Busway

JockTamsonsBairn · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 7:52 pm Post subject:

Given that both these incidents involve minis, is it possible that the signage is at the wrong height/angle for lower vehicles?
_________________
Jock

TomTom Go 940 LIVE (9.510, Europe v915.5074 on SD & 8.371, WCE v875.3613 on board)

aj2052 · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 11:47 pm Post subject:

Seems to be rather an excess in signage and imagine confusing for a inexperienced driver, i.e no left turn for buses after they have crossed the junction, straight ahead arrow signs for buses, cant read the other two.
_________________
Moto G5s Plus, Sygic 17.4.8

Guivre46 · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 12:07 pm Post subject:

Murphy's Law: If a something can go wrong, it will go wrong.

Sod's law: If something can go wrong, it will do so at the worst possible moment.

You cannot stop people from messing up, therefore be prepared for the clearing up afterwards.
_________________
Mike R [aka Wyvern46]
Go 530T - unsupported
Go550 Live [not renewed]
Kia In-dash Tomtom

marksfish · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 5:38 pm Post subject:

GerryC · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 9:23 pm Post subject:

Looking along the route on streetview, most no entry signs can't be seen until you are next to them or pointing in the wrong direction. Also, I would have thought having 'ahead only' green lights and road arrows / lane lines would keep people on the right path if this is a common occurrence.

But yes, how she managed to get over the car trap is astonishing.

Gerry

tenchy · Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 12:14 pm Post subject:

just found this. Interesting. That photo is of the "car trap" yes?
Is the trapping falling between the raised 'tracks' for the bus? I take it the tracks are too wide for a standard car and they fall into the grassy ditch part?

Bit scary the satnav thinking it's a genuine road.
Mine stitched me up on the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. By the time I realised it was avoiding the toll booths in favour of the bus lane (even though I'd prepared the change ready-doh!) I was trapped by a concrete barrier.

Luckily it only cost me the toll, charged by hire car company a couple weeks after I got back.

	PocketGPS
	Web