Have the MSID VARIO Radar Speed Signs had an impact to the parishes in Dorset?
The Vario is having a very positive impact of the road network in Dorset. We have locations where the SID has done a great job of reducing the 85%ile, but also reduced the number of vehicles travelling above ACPO.
How many radar speed signs do you have on the network?
We currently have 30 local Parish and Community groups deploying 37 SIDs over 91 Sites, we also deploy 6 SIDs ourselves over 12 sites. We have several other communities in varying stages of setting up their community owned SID programme.
What are your thoughts on the MSID VARIO?
I think it has been an excellent tool in driver education and we have received positive feedback from both the communities and travelling public.
The physical unit is robust, however we had to secure the battery compartment w
ith a tamtorque band as the lock is very flimsy. It is easy to use and setup using the bluetooth software.
How easy do you find it to download data and use it in a positive way?
We don’t use this function at DCC, although I know some of the communities do look at the trends in the data. Having compared the data to our own traffic surveys we have found it to inaccurate for survey purposes, however we appreciate its a sign, not a traffic counter.
How useful and well-presented is the data?
N/a – See Above
What has been the community’s reaction to the speed signs?
Fantastic! Communities love their SIDs. They are an effective tool and have made areas feel a nicer and safer place for pedestrians. We also find it to be a positive thing among motorists too, as it is giving them a chance to slow down, without receiving points or a fine.
What comments have you received?
Charminster Parish Council said:
“Back in July 2018 Charminster parish Council voted to upgrade our SID from the Basic D to the Vario with Solar panels.
We have a team of 3 volunteers and fully recognised the effect the SID devices have on drivers, but sometimes the old SID would be in place not working as batteries were running out of power fairly quickly with the volume of traffic, particularly on the A352.
The new Vario with solar power has performed way beyond any of our expectations and although slightly heavier it is very easy to move which we do on a 6 weekly basis, nothing else needs doing to it apart from visually checking its working when we drive past.
The residents of Charminster and Charlton Down have been very vocal about the new machine, all in a positive way; they seem to particularly like being ‘ Thanked ‘ when driving below 30mph. As always Rob Camp and Joe Allen have been very supportive. Definitely a good decision to upgrade.”
Melbury Abbas Parish Council Said:
“Our first SID was purchased through a successful grant application to the National Lottery in the 2016, and we deployed it in October of that year. At our initial location, the 85th percentile speed (VR85) dropped from 38 mph to 34mph, and the number of speeders going 20mph over the limit was halved. Due to this success, the Parish Council has funded posts and solar panels for three additional locations in the parish. We now have a second SID which enables us to rotate the two units between our four locations. We hope to add another location in the near future, and our residents greatly appreciate the calming effect the SIDs have on traffic when they are deployed.”
How easy do you find it to move the sign to different locations?
It’s a simple process, but we do recommend 2 people as the sign is quite heavy.
Do you think the speed signs are excellent value for money?
Yes, they are a very effective tool for the cost.
How do you rate Morelock Signs and the service you receive?
Jill is very good and helpful, she is always quick to respond and sort any issues, however when she is not there the service is slightly lacking.
Any other comments?
Marshwood School:
“Over the last few months we have been monitoring the traffic near a rural school in Dorset. Marshwood School is in quite an isolated are on the outskirts of the village centre. The main road past the school had a national speed limit restriction that was dropped to 40mph and then to 30mph. Drivers regularly drove through at higher speeds. The County Council installed advance signing to try and reduce the speeds around the school, but we were still getting average 85%ile speeds around the school of 38.5mph (Westbound) and 36mph (Eastbound). It was decided to trial a SID with the long-term view of moving 1 SID between 2 posts on a 6 week rotation (shown to be most effective during our long term trials across the county).”
The table below shows the before and after SID placements, I think results speak for themselves!
Vehicle and pedestrian traffic management is of critical importance when completing road works or civil engineering projects on or alongside the public road. Effective traffic management not only protects members of the public, but also construction workers by providing them with a safe working area.
The Quick-Fit system was originally designed and manufactured by Morelock Signs in the 1990’s and is a great concept in signing which allows one frame to accommodate any combination of sign plates from 750mm series to 1500mm series.
Morelocks new and improved Quick Fit Frame systems are coated using the best autophoretic resin-based coating (details overleaf) which provide significant productivity and environmental benefits:
The battle against speeding in a West Oxfordshire town has been bolstered by a high-tech piece of kit.
Charlbury Community Speedwatch has unveiled its own radar-controlled device which it hopes will deter illegal motorists by showing their speed of travel.
The group is aiming to continue its crackdown on dangerous drivers, with the percentage of speeding vehicles clocked by the team falling from 32 per cent to 25 per cent over the past year.
But residents continue to raise concerns about motorists exceeding the town’s 30mph limit and speedwatch team leader, Jim Holah, said the £2,900 device, called an M-SID VARIO, was evidence that residents were serious about the issue.
He said: “Our joint activities, where the speedwatch team and police officers operate together in one location, have a direct impact on drivers and we hope to do more of these.
“Our message is simple: respect our town and the people who live here by driving slowly, with care, through Charlbury.”
Charlbury Town Council chairman, Peter Kenrick, said: “This is another example of willing volunteers having a real impact on our community and making Charlbury a great place to live.”
The town council funded the community group’s new kit, which as well as showing drivers’ speed, shows messages of ‘thank you’, ‘slow down’ and ‘school zone’. It also shows happy and sad faces and can record the time and date vehicles were caught speeding.
Community Speedwatch groups have been set up in communities across the UK, with residents monitoring vehicles’ speeds with the help of police.
The Charlbury team was founded in 2017 and speed-checked about 4,000 vehicles last year, with another 3,000 already monitored this year.
Pc Rob Webb, from Chipping Norton Police Station, attended the launch of the SID late last month and encouraged more communities to sign up.
He said: “As one of the Thames Valley Police officers providing training for the Community Speedwatch programme, I am very pleased to support and encourage parish and town councils to get involved.
“The aim of the scheme is to reduce the number of speeding motorists travelling through our towns and villages. Charlbury is a good example of how it works.”
With the SID now fully mobile in Charlbury, police also met the speedwatch team in Stonesfield, near Witney, at the end of last month.
Officers trained members of the group to use a traffic speed measuring device, which will be trialled in the village this month, while a traffic survey will take place in June.
Why did you purchase a Morelock Speed Sign?
A survey of all our village residents a few years ago identified speeding as a cause of concern. An action group was set up reporting to the Parish Council (PC) to try to address the issues raised by the survey and this group identified that a better device than the existing MVAS unit was required. Budget costs were obtained and subsequently approved by the PC.
How difficult was it to find the right solution?
The Action Group reviewed other devices in the local area felt obliged to follow the guidance given by the County’s road safety team which e.g. precluded ‘smiley faces’. Some six alternative proposals were sought from various suppliers and these were evaluated and rated.
Why did you choose Morelock over the competition?
The flexibility of the Morelock units and the ease of user reprogramming seemed to the group to offer real advantages. The ability to e.g. have smiley faces easily available was an attractive one as was the option to use a USB stick for data downloads. The service and painstaking help which the Action Group received from the Morelock representative was a major factor in its decision.
What impact has the radar speed sign made in Downley?
The data is being reviewed on a regular basis now which was not the case with the MVAS unit. Some of the speeds recorded are giving rise for concern and it is our intention to raise these with the Police with a view to obtaining support for enforcement measures.
How easy do you find it to download data from your sign and use it in a positive way?
Data downloads are being done by the Parish Clerk and are understood to be straightforward although it’s not clear if she is obtaining the information by hard wiring in or via Bluetooth.
How useful and well-presented is the data?
The data seems to be clear although there have been queries raised within the PC about the number of vehicle movements which seem astonishingly high.
What has been the community’s reaction the speed signs?
Very positive. Residents outside whose houses the devices have been used are being spoken to and they have all been appreciative that the PC is doing something trying to alleviate their concerns around speeding.
What comments have you received?
Residents see the units and recognise what is being done, so a very visual impact. The group has received comments on the actual locations which have been selected – some positive, some negative.
How easy do you find it to move the sign to different locations?
The PC has now bought several additional mounting brackets and fitted these at locations agreed with our local PCSO. Moving the units from one to another is therefore much quicker and easier.
Do you think the speed sign was good value for money?
The purchase price was obviously a factor in the Group’s decision and Morelock’s quotation was a competitive one. Although some additional funding had to be obtained, this allowed the village to buy two units rather than the single unit originally proposed.
How do you rate Morelock Signs and the service you have received?
See previous comments. We found Jill Taylor to be an excellent ambassador for Morelock because she was extremely attentive and was prepared to visit and demonstrate the unit on more than one occasion. This really helped Morelock to win the order.
Any other comments
I think I’m right in saying that the programming of the SID can be done with an Android device. It would remove a potential barrier to purchase if an iPhone app could be available as I suspect many parish councils rely on volunteers to manage their devices and the majority of our volunteers have iPhones not Android ones.
Improving Traffic Management Visibility – Illuminated Signage
Gade Valley Multi Element Joint Replacement Works M25 Junctions 20 and 21
Kelly Coupland
Assurance and Compliance Manager (Highways) OSBORNE
Our team at Gade Valley are currently trialling illuminated road signs as an initiative to improve the visibility of traffic management and in particular at works access points. One of the actions from the Connect Plus minimum standards is to improve the visibility to works access points, it is also a topic that is discussed regularly in the Traffic Management Working Group. Hence when representatives from Osborne attended “Traffex” this year, they were very interested to see that Morelock Signs had on display an illuminated “Road Closed” sign.
Through contacting Morelock Signs we have been able to acquire two sets of back-lit illuminated signs displaying works access, they are currently being trialled on our Gade Valley Joint Replacement Scheme. With the assistance of Chevron, we installed various permutations of access signs within one closure of the works: –
• A standard works access, with Nissan barrier installed at the back of the works access.
• A diamond grade works access.
• The illuminated works access.
• Signs were also installed in lit and unlit areas.
Video Footage taken from the trial was shared at the Traffic Management Working Group, it clearly demonstrated that the illuminated signage is more visible from a greater distance on the approach. When driving through both the lit and unlit sections, it was clear from a long way out where the works access was situated, leaving no question as to where it was in the closure.
– Increased visibility of access signage could have enormous safety benefits for contractors, delivery drivers, and all other people required to enter the closure, thus reducing the risk of the works access being missed and people pulling in through the cones.
– Increased visibility for the driving public could also reduce Traffic Management incursions and reduce the risk of incidents from confusion and late braking.
Feedback from the site team and our suppliers so far is very positive in terms of improved visibility, however we are looking at manoeuvrability and durability of the illuminated signs.
Many thanks to the Osborne team under the leadership of Kelly Coupland for carrying out this great trial. If successful, they will be looking into using the signs on further schemes and also investing in other signs such as the “Work Force in Road” and “Road Ahead Closed”.
The A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme covers a long and congested section of the A14 dual carriageway and is currently going through major works as part of Highways England’s proposals to relieve traffic congestion, connect communities and enhance national economic growth.
With the route at capacity, almost 85,000 vehicles use this stretch of the A14 every day with up to 21,000 being heavy goods vehicles. Since the start of the project and the installation of narrow lanes a temporary posted speed limit of 40mph was imposed. It became apparent that not all drivers were adhering to the speed limit especially during the evenings. Unfortunately, drivers felt they could exceed the 40mph limit through the enforcement cameras which evidently caused a rise in the amount of speeding offences issued and safety of road workers was being compromised.
Working together with the Traffic Management team supported by Highways England, Morelock delivered a new solution with radar speed sign technology implemented in traffic management for the first time. The introduction of the new LED speed indicating devices in construction work zones will protect the lives of road workers and encourage drivers travelling through to slow down.
Radar speed sign technology is a successful technique being used for traffic calming efforts. These signs are proven to help reduce drivers’ speeds in both the short and long term. Morelock’s radar speed signs equipped with software that capture driver speed and relevant traffic data have been deployed in a host of applications from small communities to larger industrial sites and in partnership with the police force to tackle speeding by educating and changing driver behaviour.
As a result of this collaboration, a bespoke sign was designed and manufactured. The signs are easily mounted on Quick fit frames widely used in temporary traffic management which can be deployed safely and quickly behind barriers alongside the carriageway. The set of signs are positioned before the enforcement cameras and are programmed to activate only when a driver exceeds 42mph. Once the sign is activated a red sad face is displayed using the flashing LEDs. This will raise driver’s awareness and send a clear message prompting the driver to slow down, thus reducing the number of speeding violations and enhancing safety.
Results
The data on the number of speeding violations and tickets enforced was released from Bedfordshire Constabulary. April 2017 was a staggering 3999 speeding tickets issued. The Morelock Radar Speed Signs where deployed onto the A14 roadworks on the 12th July and there has been a clear decrease in violations since they have been in operation, with a significant drop of 86%, December data found 536 enforced speeding tickets.
Deephams Sewage Treatment Works (STW), located in the London borough of Enfield near Picketts Lock in Edmonton, the venture is to develop an improved sewage treatment process, while continuing to treat the 209,000 tonnes of sewage that arrives at the works each day. This can increase to over 1.3 million tonnes during heavy rainfall – enough to fill 520 Olympic swimming pools.
Deephams has a site speed limit of 10mph. Traffic increased significantly due to ongoing construction work being carried out, with more traffic on site and vehicles exceeding the posted limit, speeding became a concern. The implementation of the GR33CL Solar Powered Speed Feedback Sign is continuing to have a very positive effect in changing driver behaviour and reducing speed.
Would you agree that your purchase of the 2 Solar powered GR33CL Speed Feedback Signs have made a positive impact on your site and are helping to reduce speeds driven?
Is the data that you have downloaded clear and concise enough? Does it give you all the results you need?
Do you find the Speed Feedback Signs easy to rotate around your site?
How have you found the solar power?
Are you happy with your purchase, do you think it was funds well spent?
How would you rate Morelock Signs Ltd along with the service you have received prior and after your purchase?
Corby Borough Council’s Neighbourhood Management Team were continually being told by residents through Community Engagement that Speeding was a major concern. As Corby Borough Council do not have responsibility for the Highways as this lies with Northamptonshire County Council they were in a bit of a quandary.
Rather than simply refer the community to the county council they decided to explore innovative solutions to this recurring problem. Following investigation and fact finding it was decided that they would invest some funds in two GR32 speed signs, these could be used to target areas highlighted by residents to monitor vehicle speeds and the resulting data could inform traffic calming decisions or show that there is not a speeding problem.
These devices provide both a visible deterrent to alter behaviour as well as enhance the local communities confidence that their concerns once aired are then followed up with visible action.
Even whilst in situ deploying the signs the impact they have on behaviour is apparent. The resulting reports then allowed them to feedback to the community to either show that there is a speeding issue or just a perception of speed. Utilising the data from the reports also enables them to further enhance the effective partnership working with the Police by identifying peak times of speeding vehicles to complete speed gun operations in a more targeted and cost effective manner.
Corby Borough Council now manage a total of six Morelock speed signs as local Parish Councils have seen the benefit these devices bring and have invested in the technology requesting that we manage the deployment and data gathering. The County Council have also purchased a unit for them to deploy in locations on their behalf as the Highways authority.
Would you agree that the GR33 speed sign has made a positive impact on combatting speeding in Weldon parish?
Would you say the data is easy to analyse? Is it clear enough? Does it give you all of the results you need?
How easy are they to erect and rotate?
Are the parishioners happy with their purchase, was it money well spent?
Would you recommend Morelock Signs Ltd?
Morelock Installations opened a new site in August 2015 as part of growth in the company’s service-driven approach. The new Depot in Stafford provides excellent access to the strategic road network.
The secure internal and external storage space and modern offices with updated IT links allows us to better service our existing contracts and improve our ability to widen our scope throughout the UK.
Working in partnership with our clients is part of our ethos and we continue to build key relationships with like-minded companies. We are pleased to have been recently awarded a contract in Telford and Wrekin, which means we will be supplying, installing and maintaining their Traffic Signs and Street Furniture assets for the next 3 years.
Recently completed schemes include: