British Roads: Difference between revisions

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British Roads are considered some of the best in the world, although, unless you specifically looked, they share a lot of similarities with the roads of any other industrial nation.
'''British Roads''' are considered some of the best in the world, although, unless you specifically looked, they share a lot of similarities with the roads of any other industrial nation.


Probably the biggest difference between British Roads and those in the rest of the world (except for Japan, Indonesia, Ireland and a few Commonwealth nations, such as India, Australia and South Africa) is that we drive on the left almost everywhere - the only exception is the short road outside the Savoy Hotel. This is <s> probably</s> said to be a hangover from the days of highwaymen, as riding on the left makes it easier for a right-handed person to draw a sword or fire a pistol if some ruffian in the middle of the road tries to waylay them. Interestingly as most people are right-eye dominant it lets modern motorcar uses see oncoming traffic better, resulting in very very slightly lower head on collisions than right-hand drive nations.
Probably the biggest difference between British Roads and those in the rest of the world (except for Japan, Indonesia, Ireland and a few Commonwealth nations, such as India, Australia and South Africa) is that we drive on the left almost everywhere - the only exception is the short road outside the Savoy Hotel. This is <s> probably</s> said to be a hangover from the days of highwaymen, as riding on the left makes it easier for a right-handed person to draw a sword or fire a pistol if some ruffian in the middle of the road tries to waylay them. Interestingly as most people are right-eye dominant it lets modern motorcar uses see oncoming traffic better, resulting in very very slightly lower head on collisions than right-hand drive nations.
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Motorways in Britain are similar to freeways or autobahns - other, less busy, roads that Americans would describe as "highways" are generally called A-roads - less major roads are then B-roads. C and D roads technically exist as well, but nobody labels them (they are usually just referred to as "unclassified". Particularly major A roads are referred to as "Trunk Roads", and are under national control rather than local. Many of the Trunk Roads follow the routes of former Roman Roads (see below). Other than Motorways which have their own sets of rules, there is very little standardisation between the types of roads, for example in terms of width, lighting, kerbing etc, other than that outside of urban areas, most dual carriageways are A roads (although not all A roads or even trunk roads are dual carriageway).
Motorways in Britain are similar to freeways or autobahns - other, less busy, roads that Americans would describe as "highways" are generally called A-roads - less major roads are then B-roads. C and D roads technically exist as well, but nobody labels them (they are usually just referred to as "unclassified". Particularly major A roads are referred to as "Trunk Roads", and are under national control rather than local. Many of the Trunk Roads follow the routes of former Roman Roads (see below). Other than Motorways which have their own sets of rules, there is very little standardisation between the types of roads, for example in terms of width, lighting, kerbing etc, other than that outside of urban areas, most dual carriageways are A roads (although not all A roads or even trunk roads are dual carriageway).


Speed limits in the UK are generally 30 mph in built up areas, 60 mph on single carriageways and 70 mph on dual carriageways (roads with a central reservation) and motorways, but lorries and buses have lower limits than this, and driving slower is often wise on tight country lanes. British roads are some of the safest in the world, this having been achieved by means of policing, road engineering and driver education. These measures resulted in a steady fall in the accident rate year on year, until the desire to save money led to the replacement of traffic police with automated enforcement of very restrictive speeding regulations; a great many country and city roads will have speed cameras, which can issue both a fine and add penalty points to a license. Associated propaganda led to a belief that you were a safe driver as long as you kept below the limit, no matter how incompetent you were at other aspects of driving, while the reduction in actual policing led to incompetent and dangerous driving going largely unchecked, and the accident rate ceased to fall. Recently the backlash among motorists against automated speeding enforcement has led to the removal of speed cameras in some areas, and these areas are now again seeing a reduction in accident rates. Light up signs telling you to slow down if you approach them at more than the speed limit are becoming <s> popular</s> commonplace as well, and Average Speed Monitoring coupled with CCTV and license plate-recognition technology is being rolled out across the major motorways. Likewise, expect no sympathy if a [[Traffic Warden]] catches you parked on yellow lines, or stopped on red ones, which in central London may as well be a [[Serious Business|hanging offence]] as far as some are concerned.
Speed limits in the UK are generally 30&nbsp;mph in built up areas, 60&nbsp;mph on single carriageways and 70&nbsp;mph on dual carriageways (roads with a central reservation) and motorways, but lorries and buses have lower limits than this, and driving slower is often wise on tight country lanes. British roads are some of the safest in the world, this having been achieved by means of policing, road engineering and driver education. These measures resulted in a steady fall in the accident rate year on year, until the desire to save money led to the replacement of traffic police with automated enforcement of very restrictive speeding regulations; a great many country and city roads will have speed cameras, which can issue both a fine and add penalty points to a license. Associated propaganda led to a belief that you were a safe driver as long as you kept below the limit, no matter how incompetent you were at other aspects of driving, while the reduction in actual policing led to incompetent and dangerous driving going largely unchecked, and the accident rate ceased to fall. Recently the backlash among motorists against automated speeding enforcement has led to the removal of speed cameras in some areas, and these areas are now again seeing a reduction in accident rates. Light up signs telling you to slow down if you approach them at more than the speed limit are becoming <s> popular</s> commonplace as well, and Average Speed Monitoring coupled with CCTV and license plate-recognition technology is being rolled out across the major motorways. Likewise, expect no sympathy if a [[Traffic Warden]] catches you parked on yellow lines, or stopped on red ones, which in central London may as well be a [[Serious Business|hanging offence]] as far as some are concerned.


There's an ongoing argument about whether the motorway speed limit should be raised to 80 or 90 mph. Argument for: some people drive that fast anyway, and the 70 mph limit was introduced when ordinary cars couldn't manoeuvre safely above that speed. Argument against: it might encourage speeding. A significant number of senior police officers favour an increase to 80mph on motorways.
There's an ongoing argument about whether the motorway speed limit should be raised to 80 or 90&nbsp;mph. Argument for: some people drive that fast anyway, and the 70&nbsp;mph limit was introduced when ordinary cars couldn't manoeuvre safely above that speed. Argument against: it might encourage speeding. A significant number of senior police officers favour an increase to 80&nbsp;mph on motorways.


With the rise in eco-friendly transport, many roads now have divided areas for other traffic - most large towns have bus lanes, taxi lanes or tram lanes, and cycle lanes are common in suburban and semi-rural areas. These are marked with heavy lines and usually filled with red tarmac. There are also lots of speed bumps and chicanes in the suburbs. Modern traffic calmers generally consist of a small beveled square in the road - positioning your car over the middle usually reduces the bump, especially if you have a wide car. The idea behind this is that ambulances and fire engines pass over the bump without noticing it; they're also reckoned to be safer for cyclists, who can skirt round them.
With the rise in eco-friendly transport, many roads now have divided areas for other traffic - most large towns have bus lanes, taxi lanes or tram lanes, and cycle lanes are common in suburban and semi-rural areas. These are marked with heavy lines and usually filled with red tarmac. There are also lots of speed bumps and chicanes in the suburbs. Modern traffic calmers generally consist of a small beveled square in the road - positioning your car over the middle usually reduces the bump, especially if you have a wide car. The idea behind this is that ambulances and fire engines pass over the bump without noticing it; they're also reckoned to be safer for cyclists, who can skirt round them.
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Like other European roads, British roads tend to be narrower and smaller than American ones.
Like other European roads, British roads tend to be narrower and smaller than American ones.


=== Car Registrations ===
== Car Registrations ==


The UK has undergone a number of different registration systems in the automobile history. If you know this system, you can understand a lot about a character.
The UK has undergone a number of different registration systems in the automobile history. If you know this system, you can understand a lot about a character.
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The dashes below are for ease of reading and do not appear on license plates.
The dashes below are for ease of reading and do not appear on license plates.


=== 1904-1932 ===
== 1904-1932 ==


One or two letter region code- a number from 1 to 9999
One or two letter region code- a number from 1 to 9999


=== 1932-1953 ===
== 1932-1953 ==


Three letter region code - number from 1 to 9999
Three letter region code - number from 1 to 9999
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* [[Stroke Country]] still uses this system
* [[Stroke Country]] still uses this system


=== 1953-1963 ===
== 1953-1963 ==


Number from 1 to 9999 - Three letter region code.
Number from 1 to 9999 - Three letter region code.


=== 1963 to 1983 ===
== 1963 to 1983 ==


Three letter region code - Number from 1 to 999 - Year code (A= 1963, B= 1964, etc, skipping a few letters)
Three letter region code - Number from 1 to 999 - Year code (A= 1963, B= 1964, etc, skipping a few letters)


=== 1983-2001 ===
== 1983-2001 ==


Year code - Number from 1 to 999 - Region code
Year code - Number from 1 to 999 - Region code
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From 1998, the year code changed twice a year.
From 1998, the year code changed twice a year.


=== 2001-present ===
== 2001-present ==


The current system goes something like this.
The current system goes something like this.
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I, J, Q, T, U and Z are not included in the region codes. A car beginning with Q does not have an easily determinable age.
I, J, Q, T, U and Z are not included in the region codes. A car beginning with Q does not have an easily determinable age.


=== Private registrations and personalised plates ===
== Private registrations and personalised plates ==


<s>Don't be such a twat.</s> Considered a sign of possessing extreme vanity and too much money, but available for a fee if you really insist. However, the registration numbers of any car that appeared regularly on television are ''not'' for sale, lest someone try to pass another car of similar make off as the (presumably now non-existent) genuine prop. Your mileage may vary on the acceptability of these. Some may simply be a normal looking plate that happens to have the owners initials, which are normally accepted as being a personal thing (after all, only people who know your name will tell anyway). The more obvious and flashy the personalised plate is, the less acceptable it tends to be. Many will even make changes to the font or spacing to make the plate read differently to what it says. This can make figuring out what the actual registration of the car is very difficult, and hence is not only widely looked down on, but also illegal. Buses and coaches may also carry these numbers, usually to hide the age of the vehicle but sometimes for the same reasons above. These plates can also be Northern Irish plates, which don't carry a year identifier and can be transferred without regard for vehicle age.
<s>Don't be such a twat.</s> Considered a sign of possessing extreme vanity and too much money, but available for a fee if you really insist. However, the registration numbers of any car that appeared regularly on television are ''not'' for sale, lest someone try to pass another car of similar make off as the (presumably now non-existent) genuine prop. Your mileage may vary on the acceptability of these. Some may simply be a normal looking plate that happens to have the owners initials, which are normally accepted as being a personal thing (after all, only people who know your name will tell anyway). The more obvious and flashy the personalised plate is, the less acceptable it tends to be. Many will even make changes to the font or spacing to make the plate read differently to what it says. This can make figuring out what the actual registration of the car is very difficult, and hence is not only widely looked down on, but also illegal. Buses and coaches may also carry these numbers, usually to hide the age of the vehicle but sometimes for the same reasons above. These plates can also be Northern Irish plates, which don't carry a year identifier and can be transferred without regard for vehicle age.
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