Beware the A1!!!

[pamsicle]

Just back from Lincolnshire after visiting a friend. Did not take my Romini. The A1 is unrecognisable since my last trip South. The new sat nav I bought last year is now out of date with road lay outs, since it had me travelling in a field when I was passing Leeming Bar/Dishforth area. 50mph for 9 miles seemed to go on forever with the road works and for some strange reason around Wetherby service area my sat nave went mad and bleeped about speed cameras and speed restictions of 50mph when it was a perfectly normal stretch of road. (maybe it was picking up speed cameras which were on adjacent roads). Got home at midnight totally shattered.

As for travelling North on A1 (up to Edinburgh for instance) you would not believe it was the same road. Totally neglected certainly not as posh. But in some ways I prefer it that way, without all these fancy hi fallutin road systems/traffic lights etc. Oh for quieter times before the invention of the roundabout before a simple "t" junction became a mega roundabout with traffic lights(so many lanes to choose from and you can bet I'm always in the wrong lane

So come summer tin tenters and MH's. Beware the A1 and keep your sat nav updated.

Pam

[gadgetman]

Beware the A1!!!

Hi Pam, Updating the Sat Nav is fine did my TomTom two months ago, the one big problem with updating is that is clears your memory bank, so certain trips you wish to keep have gone, these new roads will take a few months for an update to be ready for download.
Your not alone trying to keep in the correct lane, I sometimes find I'm in the wrong lane with other drivers around me driving like they are in a Grand Prix, not a minute to live, that's fine if you know where your going but looking for road signs on a RO with eight lanes,
Happy motoring. that's life, just go round again

[Guest]

I frequently use the A1 from Essex to Yorkshire and have to say it is a wonderful road now they have taken out all the roundabouts. I come off at the A64 to go to Scarborough so perhaps it is further up that the trouble starts. I do agree about the the last northerly section to the Borders, no services, no 'diners' and very slow.
Colin

[Twolitre]

Pleased the A1 is fine for you Colin!
I lived in St Ives near Cambridge from 1966 to 1973 and regularly used it to visit family and friends in Chesterfield.
It was a nightmare with a few dual carriageway bits here and there and road works every where else where they were adding a second carriageway. That went on for years.
Now I know they must have been uprating it for you
Jim.

[Guest]

Different road now Jim. Almost motorway standard all the way to A64 with a couple of American Diners to give alternatives to the usual suspects. It is boring though, but then so are most motorways. For variety we sometimes come back via the Humber bridge, (expensive toll) and through Lincolnshire, but it takes half as long again.
Will we see you at the AGM?
Colin

[Twolitre]

Sorry Colin, Won't be at the AGM - date clashes!
Still, I hope we will meet somewhere else.
Jim.

[diggdeep]

A1

we have to live with it they put diverson all the time pain in back side

[jayjay]

Your not alone trying to keep in the correct lane, I sometimes find I'm in the wrong lane with other drivers around me driving like they are in a Grand Prix, not a minute to live, that's fine if you know where your going but looking for road signs on a RO with eight lanes,
Happy motoring. that's life, just go round again

No, definately not alone, count me in on that one! If they could make a sat nav which told you which lane to get in before you got to the RO, then they would be rich! Some roundabouts defy logic, I would love to call the planners and ask what they thought they were doing.

[Ian.C.S]

No, definately not alone, count me in on that one! If they could make a sat nav which told you which lane to get in before you got to the RO, then they would be rich! Some roundabouts defy logic, I would love to call the planners and ask what they thought they were doing.

Am I missing something here? I use an original TomTom ONE, that I update regularly and also update with the latest reports. when I get near a roundabout she says "roundabout ahead" and then tells me exactly what to do before I get there,and again when I am on the roundabout she reminds me of the exit number,then says "take the exit" when appropriate. She has never lead me astray,no dead ends ,unmade roads etc.
I have complete confidence in her,she is called Jane as is my Romahome.
I was told when I got her that updating is essential,I have no reason to doubt it. The latest ones will let you put campsites in the selections,Jane just gets me to the road,but thats ok.

[pendel]

I can appreciate that for lone drivers a sat nav of some description is a great help but we have never used one & dont intend to. We download a route from AA , usually without touching motorways , and we follow it along with a normal road atlas. It is clipped on the dash so Derek can see it so lone drivers could survive without a satnav. We had to use one at work and it cured me of ever wanting one. A bossy voice telling you to turn when you clearly should not. Good luck to those that are happy with them but we will keep the old fashioned way, its also more fun.

[jayjay]

Am I missing something here? I use an original TomTom ONE, that I update regularly and also update with the latest reports. when I get near a roundabout she says "roundabout ahead" and then tells me exactly what to do before I get there,and again when I am on the roundabout she reminds me of the exit number,then says "take the exit" when appropriate...

I have the same TomTom One - yes you're missing something! LOL!! Yes she tells you when a roundabout is coming up and which lane to exit from - but she doesn't say get into the inside/middle/third/fourth lane, you have to decide for yourself, (usually in around 5 seconds if it's written on the road) as you approach the roundabout. Sometimes its obvious which lane to get into, sometimes it's not, sometimes you can't even see the other side of the roundabout and haven't a clue which lane to get into!

Some examples are on the Derby ring road - several there- and an enormous one in Preston which still gives me nightmares!

So you know the roundabout is coming up and you know where to get off, but if you're in the wrong lane, you have to either hope someone will let you into the right lane (not easy towing a caravan) or get off at the wrong turning, and find somewhere to turn around, go back and try again! (also not easy with a caravan!) LOL!

Having said that, I'd rather have my Sat Nav than be without it, although if Linda is with me (an excellent map reader) I rarely switch it on until I'm nearly where we're going, just to find a campsite or address.

Before the days of Sat nav, I used to get a route from the AA, follow it on a map, then write all the major/minor roads in BIG letters/numbers and stick it to the dash so that I knew what road I was on, and which road was next to look for. If I'm going to somewhere unfamilliar, I still do that as well. And compare the sat nav directions with a map to see if it's taking any short cuts on B roads. Even when set to fastest route, it does this in WALES, where we are meeting shortly!!!

[Twolitre]

I agree that there are many horrendous roundabouts these days and it is not always easy to locate the right lane.
WHY? Because some road expert in the past decided it was a good(?) idea to paint the lane information on the road where traffic in front is BOUND to obscure it. Or is my eyes that are at fault?
Jim.

[pamsicle]

Beware the A1

You're right there Jim. Not only do today's drivers have to look ahead, behind, left and right to see what is going on. But now we literally have to read the road and just as you've tried to read said road to see if the road number is the one you want, you've driven over it. GaaaH

Pam