Rogue Cones

[Silver Arrow]

Coming home last night in the rain, I came up to a section of M-way which had the inner two lanes coned off leaving only the outer 3rd lane. As I trundled along this bit I was confronted with a cone right in the centre of the lane, base on with only the square grey base underside visible. My immediate reaction was to go outside it, countered by the realisation that I wouldn’t fit between the Armco and cone. The option of a crash stop wasn’t available with a tailgater up me chuff.
As the cone was the softer option than the Armco, and leaving the pavement, I clipped it with six inches of inside bumper edge. This removed the plastic corner of the outer bumper insert and the soft padding. The bodyshop will come back with a price on Monday.
I called the constabulary to get a patrol out to shift it and to find out who was responsible. They were nice, thought that it was a highways agency cone, but considered that there was no chance of getting them to admit responsibility.
Before I start on the agency, has anyone had a go previously?

 

[turnipsock]

Chances are, the vehicle that was ahead clipped it and it ended up in the middle of the lane.

Cones do creep out due to the low pressure created by the passing vehicles. There are several designs, each behave differently.

 

[marnix]

If only one lane was open, the maximum speed limit must have been 40 or 50 MPH. The stopping distances at these speeds are 36 and 53 meters in dry weather (double in the rain). The essential driving skills book tells you that you should be able to stop in the distance you can see. If you could not see the cone you were going too fast or a trip to the optician may be recommended.
If somebody is tail gating you, it is always recommended to reduce your speed in case there is an emergency as it was the case here.
Valuable lesson but expensive one to learn

 

[Silver Arrow]

No limits were posted.

I was actually holding up the traffic as I had slowed down for that very reason.

There was no traffic ahead sufficiently near for tailights to give any indication of braking or swerving in that section.

I was on dipped headlights, the lane curved to the right and the cone was base on, flipped over with no reflective surface visible and is was raining. I initally went to avoid it to the outside but realised that I couldn't safely get between it and the armco by leaving the paved surface. Stopping was not an option.

Had someone in a small sports car hit it at a higher legal speed, such as the usual rate through such sections, the cone could have flipped through the windscreen with tragic results.

The galvanised girder bumpers of Landrovers have much to reccomend themselves, as the newer, soft absorbant designs are very expensive in such situations.

 

[Blobcat]

Completely off thread, but ‘Rogue Cones’ does sound like a good name for a band. Wonder what type of music they would play?

 

[Silver Arrow]

Hard Rock?

 

[Myros]

definitely drive-time

lead singer, Jezza Clarkson

 

[turnipsock]

A good many years ago I was approaching a set of road work and got down to the correct speed (which seemed slow for the conditions). The car behind me was content at this speed until he witnessed a car charging up in the outside lane. He cut in right behind me and was flashed at by the car that had been behind me. The 'cut in' bloke obvious felt guilty about his manouver so he stayed as close to my bumper as he could in order not to inconvienece the other driver. I saw a stack of cones that were sitting out a little. I waited to the last minute before taking avoiding action and the 'cutter in' ploughed into the stack. He then pulled over, into the road works with a flat tyre (and probably some other damage). When I got out the other side, the other car past me me and gave me a big thumbs up and was laughing as much as me. I reported the matter to the police and they laughed as well. I guess if the cone cruncher ever reported the matter, he would have just got into more trouble.

 

[Silver Arrow]

MMnn... well yes.
I have played similar tricks with cowboys on twisty roads with my Lotus, then watched them in the mirror after a few 8/10th bends leading up to a proper 100% job.

Lurking, camouflaged, industrial weight cones blocking the only M lane are definitely non-sporting and really not amusing.

I certainly wouldn’t want to stop, get out, and move one in the rain and dark.

 

[angus falconer]

MMnn... well yes.
I have played similar tricks with cowboys on twisty roads with my Lotus, then watched them in the mirror after a few 8/10th bends leading up to a proper 100% job.

Yes - that reminds me of a story from 20 years ago involving an Alfa Romeo GTV6 and chavved up Mark 2 Escort. The Escort started chasing the GTV6, the GTV6 sped up, the Escort sped up, the GTV6 went a bit faster, etc etc etc. The Escort ended up on it roof in a field. The driver was OK but covered in paint - he'd obviously been down the DIY store and the paint tins had popped open during the roll.....