Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Twice in the last three weekends I have encountered stuff like this: The closures in the first case lasted more than 12 hours. In the second case, I took a parallel, local road (as did everyone else), which was perfectly passable, if a packed snow surface. Just drive slowly. What determines when the expressway needs to be closed? I have also noticed chain kisei being applied fairly liberally, even under what appear to be fairly good conditions. Actually, I should say, "チェーン規制" notices are put up fairly liberally, though without much evidence of actually being enforced. My recollection from the 90's is that things were handled somewhat differently then. I remember sliding all over expressways much icier than those which are quickly closed these days, and chain kisei was only declared under the most dire circumstances (and strictly enforced when it was!). Somehow it seems to me that expressways are more readily closed, and chain kisei is declared much more liberally (though with less actual enforcement) these days than in the past. Has expressway administration policy changed in recent years, or am I just mis-remembering? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I don't use them a whole lot really, but I can certainly remember once or twice sliding away and thinking perhaps this SHOULD be closed! Wonder why they havw yuki up there in katakana and not kanji? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I've seen the tyre chain signs flash on roads that are completely dry and clear. Link to post Share on other sites
norcal 5 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I think its an over-reaction. The expressway up here in Hokkaido is completely white, and not closed. No reason they should close the expressway down there, its just a waste. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 Wonder why they havw yuki up there in katakana and not kanji? I don't know. Some highway signs have kanji there, some katakana. Tubby and Norcal: yes, I do get the impression they are being, shall we say, aggressively conservative. I wonder if they got blamed at one point for having too high an accident rate? Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I think its an over-reaction. The expressway up here in Hokkaido is completely white, and not closed. No reason they should close the expressway down there, its just a waste. The highway from Tomakomai to Asahikawa is rarely closed as is the bit from Fukagawa to Rumoi. But they are always closing the bit from Muroran to Tomakomai. When I lived up in Sendai....I do remember the the Tohoku being closed often under conditions that I didn't think warrented a closure. Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I don't use them a whole lot really, but I can certainly remember once or twice sliding away and thinking perhaps this SHOULD be closed! Wonder why they havw yuki up there in katakana and not kanji? MAYBE BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO SEE... Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 雪 is hardly the most complex of kanji. And that board above has more complex ones, for example. So, in summary, Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Depends on the area, but the other day we had some heavy snow fall and they closed one lane off on the motorway and check everyone coming down has winter tyres, if not they pull them over. They didn't close the road though! But there is one road that runs through the centre of Kofu heading to Minaalps, that has the YUKI / CHAIN sign on all the time even though the road is usually free of any snow! I guess they are just being overly careful, probably due to previous high accident rates. Link to post Share on other sites
griller 9 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Different companies (?) run different sections of the expressway network don't they? Perhaps they have different policies? Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 雪 is hardly the most complex of kanji. And that board above has more complex ones, for example. So, in summary, My wife says....for emphasis. For those who aren't aware it's puking all around them.. I mean we live in a country where they announce it noon and 5 o'clock every damned day. The signs for "slow down" are sometimes different, too. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 When I lived up in Sendai....I do remember the the Tohoku being closed often under conditions that I didn't think warrented a closure. Hmm, perhaps as griller suggests it is a regional thing. Come to think of it, the highways I remember with the less trigger-happy policies were more on the Nihonkai side. Maybe they had fewer drivers from the Pacific side (less used to driving in snow) to worry about... Link to post Share on other sites
@tokyo 14 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Did you used to live over on that side Metabo? Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 I drove back and forth between one side and the other several times in the past. Link to post Share on other sites
CnnmnSchnpps 0 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I've only been doing the weekend pilgrimage to Niigata for three years now, but on the Joshinetsu/Kanetsu it seems they always check tires if the chain kisei sign is out. Typically the actual restriction starts a couple dozen k's before the real snow.. But I guess especially up there you can be driving on a bone dry road then go through a single tunnel and end up in a whiteout -edit- And yes, closing down the expressways is just silly, you force people onto smaller and possibly less passable local roads instead. Just clean em as best you can and hope for the best... Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 not all the time....I've been on the Kan-etsu a fair few times with the signs flashing and traffic hasn't been checked Link to post Share on other sites
egglesby 1 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Me too. Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Would certainly be interesting to know how the decisions to close them or not are made. Link to post Share on other sites
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