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Slough Experiment
The Slough experiment was a two-year road safety trial carried out in Slough, Berkshire, England, from 2 April 1955 to 31 March 1957. Different road safety innovations were tested to determine if they would reduce the number of road accidents. Amongst other innovations the experiment trialled the first linked traffic signals in the country, single yellow no-waiting lines, a keep left system for pedestrians and yield signs at junctions (the latter developed into the modern give way sign). The experiment also saw the first use of 20 mph and 40 mph speed limits in the UK. The experiment cost at least £133,100 and resulted in a 10% reduction in serious injuries and fatalities. Background The British Government's Road Research Laboratory's (RRL) Traffic and Safety Division was established at Langley, near Slough in 1946. The division was soon tasked with developing a new type of pedestrian crossing that would be visible in all weather conditions. These had previously b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Slough
Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4, M40 and M25 motorways. It is part of the historic county of Buckinghamshire. In 2020, the built-up area subdivision had an estimated population of 164,793. In 2011, the district had a population of 140,713. Slough's population is one of the most ethnically diverse in the United Kingdom, attracting people from across the country and the world for labour since the 1920s, which has helped shape it into a major trading centre. In 2017, unemployment stood at 1.4%, one-third the UK average of 4.5%. Slough has the highest concentration of UK HQs of global companies outside London. Slough Trading Estate is the largest industrial estate in single private ownership in Europe, with over 17,000 jobs in 400 businesses. Blackberry, McAfee, Bur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central Office Of Information
The Central Office of Information (COI) was the UK government's marketing and communications agency. Its Chief Executive reported to the Minister for the Cabinet Office. It was a non-ministerial department, and became an executive agency and a trading fund, recovering its costs from the other departments, executive agencies and publicly funded bodies which used its services. It was established in 1946 as the successor to the wartime Ministry of Information, when individual government departments resumed responsibility for information policy. It worked with Whitehall departments and public bodies to produce information campaigns on issues that affected the lives of British citizens, from health and education to benefits, rights and welfare. COI celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2006 with several events including a film season at the National Film Theatre and a poll to find Britain's favourite public information film on the BBC website. From 2010, governmental spending on marke ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pelican Crossing
A pelican crossing, or archaically pelicon crossing (PEdestrian LIght CONtrolled), is a type of pedestrian crossing with traffic signals for both pedestrians and vehicular traffic, activated by call buttons for pedestrians, with the walk signal being directly across the road from the pedestrian. The design is also found in the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the island of Ireland, Indonesia and Australia. The crossings began to be phased out in Great Britain in 2016, being replaced with puffin crossings which have pedestrian signals above the call button rather than across the road. The crossing is usually formed of two poles on either side of the road, each containing three signal heads (one in each direction for drivers and one facing pedestrians) and a call button unit for pedestrians to operate the crossing. The crossing type is distinctive for fixed signal timings (as opposed to the variable timings of puffin crossings and the flashing amber/green man phase, which allows t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Panda Crossing
The panda crossing was a type of signal-controlled pedestrian crossing used in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1967. Background In the early-1960s, the British Ministry of Transport, headed by Ernest Marples, was looking for a way to make pedestrian crossings safer under increasingly heavy traffic conditions. The successful zebra crossing design was not considered safe enough for busy roads and could create traffic delays as pedestrians crossed whenever they wanted. Off-the-shelf light-controlled systems were available but were too expensive for widespread use. Some cities had innovated with their own one-off crossings but the lack of standardisation was considered a safety issue. Furthermore, all existing signalled crossings tended to have two major drawbacks: stopping traffic for long periods of time and appearing to violate contemporary right-of-way law by signalling "Don't cross" to pedestrians (in reality: the 'Don't Cross' indication was not a legally enforceable instruction ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Green Man Panel
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combination of yellow and cyan; in the RGB color model, used on television and computer screens, it is one of the additive primary colors, along with red and blue, which are mixed in different combinations to create all other colors. By far the largest contributor to green in nature is chlorophyll, the chemical by which plants photosynthesize and convert sunlight into chemical energy. Many creatures have adapted to their green environments by taking on a green hue themselves as camouflage. Several minerals have a green color, including the emerald, which is colored green by its chromium content. During post-classical and early modern Europe, green was the color commonly associated with wealth, merchants, bankers, and the gentry, while red w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Direction, Position, Or Indication Sign
A direction sign, more fully defined as a direction, position, or indication sign by the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, is any road sign used primarily to give information about the location of either the driver or possible destinations, and are considered a subset of the informative signs group. Direction signs are far more varied internationally than other classes of sign, as the Vienna Convention does not specify sizes, colours, symbols or positions of such signs. Direction signs are the oldest type of road sign; Plutarch writes about milestones being placed in the 3rd century BC, while some fingerposts in the United Kingdom date back to at least the 1690s. However, it was not until the invention of the motor car at the turn of the 20th century that modern direction signs evolved, with fewer words and clear design allowing them to be read at speed. History Pre-automobile The first direction signs were milestones on the Roman road network; finding one's locat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. World War II was a total war that directly involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries. The major participants in the war threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role in the conflict, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and deploying the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in human history; it resulted in 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation, ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A4 Road (England)
The A4 is a major road in England from Central London to Avonmouth via Heathrow Airport, Reading, Bath and Bristol. It is historically known as the Bath Road with newer sections including the Great West Road and Portway. The road was once the main route from London to Bath, Bristol and the west of England and formed, after the A40, the second main western artery from London. Although most traffic is carried by the M4 motorway today, the A4 still acts as the main route from Bristol to London for non-motorway traffic. History Turnpikes The A4 has gone through many transformations through the ages from pre-Roman routes, Roman roads (such as the one passing Silbury Hill), and basic wagon tracks. During the Middle Ages, most byways and tracks served to connect villages with their nearest market town. A survey of Savernake Forest near Hungerford in 1228 mentions "The King's Street" running between the town and Marlborough. This street corresponded roughly with the route of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cat's Eye (road)
A cat's eye or road stud is a retroreflective safety device used in road marking and was the first of a range of raised pavement markers. Description The cat's eye design originated in the UK in 1934 and is today used all over the world. The original form consisted of two pairs of retroreflectors set into a white rubber dome, mounted in a cast iron housing. This is the kind that marks the centre of the road, with one pair of cat's eyes showing in each direction. A single-ended form has become widely used in other colours at road margins and as lane dividers. Cat's eyes are particularly valuable in fog and are largely resistant to damage from snow ploughs. A key feature of the cat's eye is the flexible rubber dome which is occasionally deformed by the passage of traffic. A fixed rubber wiper cleans the surface of the reflectors as they sink below the surface of the road (the base tends to hold water after a shower of rain, making this process even more efficient). The rubber d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Single Yellow Line
Yellow lines are road markings used in various territories. Single yellow lines Parking restrictions UK & Ireland A single yellow line is a road marking that is present on the side of the carriageway across the British Isles. In the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and Ireland, It indicates that parking or waiting at that roadside is prohibited at certain times of day. The exact times vary by area and are indicated by signs at the roadside, or by Controlled Parking Zone entry signs. Stopping to load and to pick up or set down passengers is generally allowed unless additional restrictions apply. Double yellow lines along the edge of the carriageway indicate that waiting restrictions apply to the road (which includes the carriageway, footway and verge). A driver may stop for passengers to board or alight and to load or unload (unless there are also 'loading restrictions' - see below). The regulation applies to all vehicles. The restriction applies from the centre of the car ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is a British charity that aims to save lives and prevent life-changing injuries which occur as a result of accidents. In the past, it has successfully campaigned on issues of road safety, including playing an integral role in the introduction of drink-drive legislation, the compulsory wearing of seatbelts and the ban on handheld mobile phones while driving, as well as on issues of occupational health and safety. History and development The origins of RoSPA date to the First World War when, in response to the 'alarming increase in road accidents' during the blackouts, the London 'Safety First' Council was established on 1 Dec 1916. In 1917, accident data were collected, there was a call to license all drivers, three children's safety competitions were run (involving 57,000 pupils) and a railway safety committee was established. A campaign to change the pedestrian rule so that walkers face oncoming traffic was so succes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buckinghamshire Police
Buckinghamshire Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Buckinghamshire, England, until 1968. Buckinghamshire Constabulary was established 6 February 1857. At establishment it had a strength of 102 officers. In 1868, prior to a national police pay structure, a newly recruited constable had a weekly net wage of 14s 1d which was 3 shillings a week less than constables in Staffordshire. It later absorbed Buckingham Borough Police 1 April 1889 and Chepping Wycombe Borough Police on 1 April 1947. In 1965, it had an establishment of 738 and an actual strength of 672.''The Thin Blue Line'', Police Council for Great Britain Staff Side Claim for Undermanning Supplements, 1965 On 1 April 1968, Thames Valley Constabulary was formed by the amalgamation of Buckinghamshire Constabulary, Berkshire Constabulary, Oxford City Police, Oxfordshire Constabulary and Reading Borough Police. At the point of amalgamation the constabulary had a strength of 1,042 police off ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
