Shapes Painted on Motorway

[Hellion]

In certain places on the motorway there are shapes painted on each lane of the carriageway, usually diamonds or squares, do they have a purpose?

[buildersmate]

I believe they are timing marks used by police when checking the speed of a vehicle.

[sddsddean]

If you mean the (usually) 2 squares beside each other, about 6" square each, the are used by Motorway Maintence vehicles to identify lengths of the motorway for routine maintence (road sweeping, litter picking etc.). Nothing to do with the Police, their gadgets are far too hi tech to need marks on the road.

[pagey]

it is a common misconception that marks and even full carriage-width lines are used for speed measurement but they are not.

[goldmember81]

The small squares are used by the police to measure the speed of vehicles. The system is called VAS-CAR it was explained to me by a friendly police officer whilst he was writing up my ticket for speeding on the M62. not 100% on the other shapes.

[tellboy]

If you look at the posts on a motorway they are numbered as a fraction of a mile when it gets back to zero there is a square on the motorway(M6 anyway)

[Suzyboo]

If you mean a stretch of road with loads of them on all 3 lanes, it is meant for motorists to check that they are leaving a big enough stopping distance between them and the car in front - 2 diamonds should be seen inbetween you and the car in front of you

[BreenM]

Can someone please provide the correct answer. Somebody has to be wrong out of the answers given. I am curious to know what they are now.

Cheers

[trevHCS]

One of it's purposes is a high visibility marker for using in something called "Visual Average Speed Computer And Recorder" or VASCAR 5000 for short according to UK Speedtrap Guide.

http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/speed03.htm

Can't imagine they are brilliantly useful as its non-automatic, but would be a good way to get an idea of speed from a distance away when you can't use a standard speedgun.

Also applies to normal roads as I saw them using this on one of those TV programs where they follow the South Yorkshire police around. Allowed them to do it while partly hidden whereas a speedgun just wouldn't have worked.