What's Llandudno Like Right Now?

[Hugo]

I've just been reading about the new traffic offences coming into force today and one is "Being in the wrong lane and pushing into a queue on a roundabout" (per the BBC News website).  Hopefully North Wales' Finest will now be patrolling the Links roundabout on Conwy Road every Saturday as it should be a decent money spinner at £100 a pop.  And maybe then people might start to realise that just because you drive an Audi or a Land Rover it doesn't mean you're exempt from sitting in the queue with the rest of us  .

What about coming from Colwyn Bay and leaving  the A55 at the Black Cat roundabout  intending to go to Llandudno Junction?    There are two lanes to go into and if you take the right hand lane,  when you decide to go and indicate  going to Llandudno Junction you then have to cross the left hand lane which can be dangerous and now possibly illegal.
This happens quite a lot at present but there are no sign posts advising drivers which lane to go in.

[Ian]

A55 from CB to Llandudno Junction at Black Cat is almost a 270 right turn, so you indicate Right, and take the RH lane until just past the slip road onto the A55, when you indicate Left and move across, often in the gap left by traffic joining the A55 at that point.  That's still perfectly legal and appropriate, according to the Highway Code. .

[Mikethewatch]

My favourite.
Drivers who drive down A55 slip roads at 40MPH then expect cars on inside lane to take avoiding action as they join!

[Ian]

Yes, there seems to be a marked inability to match speeds when joining motorways or expressways. 

[Merddin Emrys]

My favourite.
Drivers who drive down A55 slip roads at 40MPH then expect cars on inside lane to take avoiding action as they join!

Agreed! Happened to me the other week! Horns work well on my cars!   

[cygnusx-1]

I think people driving to the tune of sat navs and not observing the signs at the side of the road does not help. Penrhyn Hill downwards has a sign to indicate which lane to be in but many cut across the roundabout to enter Llandudno Road......it happened to me again yesterday but lucky I know what to expect and managed to avoid.

Having driven in Germany......drivers approaching a junction on the Autobahn move to the outside lane to allow cars on without having to think about moving out, it is just part of their natural driving pattern at some fairly high speeds......but they did come 2nd in 1945! 

[SDQ]

A55 from CB to Llandudno Junction at Black Cat is almost a 270 right turn, so you indicate Right, and take the RH lane until just past the slip road onto the A55, when you indicate Left and move across, often in the gap left by traffic joining the A55 at that point.  That's still perfectly legal and appropriate, according to the Highway Code. .

Whilst I agree with you in principle, when they originally built the road there was a solid white line between the left and right hand lanes at that junction signifying you should be in the left hand lane earlier than at normal roundabouts, possibly to ensure you were in the left lane early enough for cars entering from the A55 slip road from Conwy to be aware of your intentions. As 99% of cars leaving the A55 from CB are going to Llandudno I tend to use the left hand lane if I'm going to Junction but obviously remain alert to the possibility a car may actually be heading for Junction.

[Ian]

The roundabout that flummoxes  everyone without exception IME is the one between Staples and the Mostyn Champneys park.

[Nemesis]

The road area isn't big enough for large vehicles or duff drivers!!--- So everyone drives over it !!

[Blongb]

We have the useless roundabout at the junction of North Parade and Church Walks. It was put in as part of the abortive plan to reintroduce the Street Trams along with the blocking of Mostyn Street at Bog Island, where Conway Road joins.

The trouble is we have a completely incompetent highways department who have totally lost the ability to organise any sort of cohesive traffic flow.

Add to that the appalling lack of adequate road signage, 2 quick examples.

The way up to the top of the Orme from Upper Mostyn Street, resulting in over a hundred cars a day turning off Ty Gwyn Road and getting stuck at the top of Hill Terrace with nowhere to go. 

At the junction of North Parade and Church Walks, no signage to inform visitors of the one way Toll Road around the Orme, resulting in thousands of cars a day during peak times, turning around at the Toll Gate and causing chaos as they try and get back into town.     

[Yorkie]

I know I'd be more than willing to testify.

You'd be prepared to testify in court just because a car was accused of changing lanes too near to a roundabout???  The world is going crazy & some people are in need of a reality check!   

It probably wouldn't go to court.  The idea is that the police can issue fixed penalty notices but the offender has the right to take it to court if they so wish.  I'd imagine they'd be less inclined to do that if they knew that there were witnesses prepared to speak out and therefore be more willing to accept the punishment.

As for would I go to court if it got that far.  Too right I would.  I've had far too many nears misses on that roundabout when some idiot has cut across me at the last second and almost forced me into the wall.  If I could I make an example of just one of them in future I'd happily crawl across broken glass to reach the courthouse!

p.s. I don't see it as "changing lanes too near to a roundabout".  I see it as deliberately jumping the queue and not giving the slightest concern about the safety of other road users.  And if you can't see those enormous arrows painted on the road as you approach the Links which quite clearly show the right hand lane is for right turns only then you shouldn't be allowed to drive until you've passed an eye test.

There is a correct proceedure for signaling and the use of roundabouts.  Details can be found in Roadcraft, which is used as the instruction manual for the Police and also most Advanced Driving Groups such as the I.A.M. and RoSPA.  I have been a Tutor for both of the latter and think that everyone should take ( and) pass the course within, say, two years of passing their driving test.   I believe it would make a great difference to the overall driving standards on our roads.

As far as defending a FPN is concerned, can any of us afford the time and cost to defend it?  It is easier to pay up.   

[DaveR]

To be fair, the Toll Road is signposted in various places, including Mostyn St and the Prom, with a repeater notice just past the Grand Hotel.

[Ian]

The way up to the top of the Orme from Upper Mostyn Street, resulting in over a hundred cars a day turning off Ty Gwyn Road and getting stuck at the top of Hill Terrace with nowhere to go.

Well, the road up to the summit is continuous, and if they choose to turn off that road, without knowing where it's leading, then I'm not sure you can blame the highways dept.

At the junction of North Parade and Church Walks, no signage to inform visitors of the one way Toll Road around the Orme, resulting in thousands of cars a day during peak times, turning around at the Toll Gate and causing chaos as they try and get back into town. 

Er...I don't think it's 'thousands';  more like 30 at most, I believe.

[Yorkie]

We have the useless roundabout at the junction of North Parade and Church Walks. It was put in as part of the abortive plan to reintroduce the Street Trams along with the blocking of Mostyn Street at Bog Island, where Conway Road joins.

The trouble is we have a completely incompetent highways department who have totally lost the ability to organise any sort of cohesive traffic flow.

Add to that the appalling lack of adequate road signage, 2 quick examples.

The way up to the top of the Orme from Upper Mostyn Street, resulting in over a hundred cars a day turning off Ty Gwyn Road and getting stuck at the top of Hill Terrace with nowhere to go. 

At the junction of North Parade and Church Walks, no signage to inform visitors of the one way Toll Road around the Orme, resulting in thousands of cars a day during peak times, turning around at the Toll Gate and causing chaos as they try and get back into town.     

What a load of tosh you are talking!  Your numbers are absolutely ridiculous.  Any of the chaps at the Toll Gate can give you reasonably accurate figures for those who choose to go round Marine Drive and those who turn round and return to town.

There are adequate signs warning of the Toll Road but some people are very good at not reading them or deciding that they may manage to get round without paying. 

It is also well to remember that Llandudno was never built to take as much traffic as we experience and we are lucky that we are able to accommodate the majority of it in a fairly reasonable fashion.  If you have better traffic management ideas, I'm sure the Council Department will be delighted to discuss them with you.  So as they say in the very best circles,
"Put up, or shut up!"
 :rage:

[Fester]

Oh I'm not so sure, ...I turned back from the Toll Road over 4,000 times myself, only yesterday.