Why do we have so much traffic in Newbury?? Because it is caught up in the rush to get out ....... the main reason is because the called this ring road the A339 when it should be a B road ensuring that through traffic avoids the town this must lay with Highways and our Goverment lucky they do not drive to Newbury or come shopping here.

I don't think it's "through traffic" who in their right mind would drive through Newbury rather than around it if they weren't stopping?

because they see it as an A road if it were a B road they might avoid it

Don't think anyone much takes any notice of A or B. Most of us use what we consider to be the best route. Seems to me biggest issue is lack of alternative north / south routes; even for suberb to suburb traffic.

Sat Navs don't generally care what classification the road is.

wow just popped out what is all that traffic doing from Robin Hood going South cannot be shopping??

The amount of traffic is directly proportionate to the population and the affluence of that figure .
Newbury is well off in the general demographic so expect a high percentage of car ownership. I appreciate that is scant consolation to Mr and Mrs Joe Soap who needs to get to the supermarket and finds the road clogged with 4x4s as far as the eye can see but if you think Newbury is bad try Oxford or Reading .
Personally I tend to shop at " odd hours" but I know that is not an option for all.

Yesterday, saturday, the traffic coming out of Parkway to the Robin Hood seemed to have to wait ages for a green light to enter the roundabout.
Not a good way to encourage shoppers.

That problem has been there since the opening of Parkway.

More than the above I have noticed, mainly around lunch time that Hambridge Road is packed. The traffic lights at the new construction are causing mayhem at all hours of the day, some cotton onto this and carry on down the A4 by BP which gets equally packed.

These days I go around the back up past Greenham, saves a lot of trouble and time.

But the fact of the matter is that people have free will to travel where they want, when they want, in whatever vehicle they choose. Now I will get irate when sat behind someone doing 28 in a 40 but at the end of the day they have as much right to be there as me.

What amazes me is the number of vehicles on the road with defective lights.

Just about every large town and city has its traffic problems, not just Newbury.
We are in no way unique and better off than many others from my experience.

Manufacturers have also stopped fitting indicators on some of their vehicles.

I really do wonder what our traffic authorities ACTUALLY do sometimes. Surely, if they can put a mobile speed camera in a layby, they can record all those with defective lights, plus number plate. A simple warning in the post to get it sorted or take it off the road would go a long way.

If it's defective it probably doesn't have a MOT, or tax or insurance, but do 35 in a 30 limit and suddenly you're a child killing Nazi.

I think while some people don't notice their lights are out (these are the same people to drive with their sidelights on) but many cars EG most VW's since 2004, Audis, Mercs, etc, all have bulb out warning errors on the dash board. So many of them do know.
It's just that sometimes (and I can understand this up to a point) they don't have the time. Not everyone is as savvy as some of us and struggle to change a lightbulb in their house let alone in their car where it's mostly fiddly. Not everyone can get the time to go to Halfords for example and some people are daft and take it to the main dealer which needs booking in, in most cases.




They ACTUALLY pull people over for driving dangerously and also for no insurance, etc. A car with a failed headlight does not need to be taken "off the road".

And don't get me started on people who drive in rain without headlights!

LOL,

speeding is far worse than having a bulb blow.

Well in the rain in clear conditions is fine.
Luckily I have auto headlights which turn on if the wipers are going fast enough or if I go over 95. (not that I do).

Really?

Any examples as I don't think I've received the ESP receiver yet.

I think they meant cars now have integrated light clusters, rather than a separate indicator. I must say I don't like this trend as it is not always that easy to see them in daylight.