The boy who cried wolf

Dot-matix signs over motorway carriageways are an excellent invention. They can warn you of accidents ahead, future events that might cause traffic problems and a host of other stuff. But their effectiveness – and drivers taking them seriously – relies on accuracy. How many times have all of us seen them giving duff information? On the M25 last Sunday night near Heathrow they repeatedly warned of fog. There was none and little chance of any. It was laughable. Then two days later, on the same stretch but in the opposite direction, they were doing the exact same thing. Again, no chance of fog. Not fives miles later they suggested there was a queue ahead and changed the limit to 40mph. We all dutifully slowed down expecting to find a problem. Yet again there was nothing. They’re the classic example of the boy who cried wolf. It’s no wonder drivers ignore them and don’t stick to the variable speed limits.