Just curious what the difference is,here in the states we don't have A and B roads. Just wondering what exactly it means? Going to guess and say it's the difference maybe between say a small back country road versus a highway?

Just wondering

 

A roads are either duel carridge ways or a main route between 2 locations (good quality roads for heavy traffic) a B road on the other hand is normally narrower, not good for Heavy goods vehicles, not quite as good a quality and normally "off the beaten track".
Probably the best way to explain it

Tony

 

As above, but for us drivers A road's are for going places, B roads are for fun.

 

^^^^All right gotcha!!! Thanks guys.

I'd like to go across someday maybe and check out some nice B roads

I really enjoy driving some of the back roads and mountain roads we have here!!

 

That's what we call B roads

 

It varys depending on which part of the country:

In the West Midlands A-roads are mainly full of traffic, reduced speed limits for no reason, red tarmac and flashing signs dotted all over the place, speed cameras and lots of potholes

B-roads have less traffic are much narrower, national speed limit (60mph except for villages), more twisties, blind corners/junctions, with lots of trees, hedges or horses to crash into. Camera vans (Talivans) hiding in wait for bikers, and even more potholes.



Suffice to say, I need new lower suspension arm bushings

 

Empty A Roads = Skyline territory

Empty B Roads = Scooby territory

 

With A roads everything is safety related, signed bends, more road paint when entering more dangerous areas, street lamps and generaly geared up for lots of traffic.
With B roads you need to look past the front of your car and make decisions, bends are blind, pot holes are deep, overbanding is high and slippy, horse plop is stacked neatly exacly where you dont want it and junctions are only sign posted sometimes if the council servey said it was necessary, ideal conditions for a scooby!

 

And just to confuse you more...
Our most dangerous road here!

YouTube - A537 - Macclesfield to Buxton
(not my video)

 

A roads have small bumps and poyholes that make you say "****"

B roads have larger bumps and poyholes that make you say "B*******!!

 

Dohhh should read POTHOLES

 

Aye it does depend where you are. An A road is possibly a main road from one place to another. In the far highlands there are several A road that are actually single track with passing places but they are the only road so they are designated as A roads and in theory more money is spent on them keeping them up to scratch.

There are many 'fun' a roads like the Cat and Fiddle although the stupidity of the few has ruined them for the masses as that road is speed cameratastic!

5t.

 

B roads are narrow poorly maintained pothole ridden highways.

A roads are the same but slightly wider

 

Looks like a nice place for a drive!!! Beautiful scenery as well

 

Most of the back roads and mountain roads we like to go for "spirited" drives on and quick sprints are a quite a bit narrower it seems, and not very well maintained at all LOL!!! You have to run a similar suspension set up to say like a tarmac rally car then, a circuit type set up LOL!!!

 

Personally i'm a fan of the A82 to Fort William. Takes you through some spectacular scenery. Best to go outside the regular season though, full of caravans and campers (RVs??) in summer!

YouTube - Take a quick trip up to Glencoe

5t.

 

Wow another beautiful place

 

British A Road = US Highway 1, but with loads more traffic, speed cameras, no view of the Pacific, no Big Sur and generally lots of rain

HTH

 

There's no doubt about it, Scotland has the best driving roads with the most amazing scenery in the whole of the UK. Driving in Scotland (in winter) is bliss

 

B roads are great, I use them all the time, some are just as good as A roads, but quieter. It's often quicker for me to go cross country using B roads than to stick to A roads, duals and motorways.
And I'm not driving a scooby these days but a 2+ tonne 4x4.

 

A roads are generally used by Ar5eholes.
B roads by Blithering idiots.

 

When they build a motorway (M-road) then they downgrade the A-road to a B-road. That means the council don't have to grit it in the winter and spend far less on maintenance. So the A41 becomes the B4100 but its still a fast wide road, but the satnav generation can't find it

 

Empty...ish B road

YouTube - Subaru Impreza type RA

 

A bit granny(ish) on the corners and early gear changes but, good vid

 

Yeah I know, I had not driven it for a good few years and was still getting use to the scoobs road holding and I could not remember the were the corners were.

 

and you need to lower the setting on the cynicism amp....


Just for information:

CBRD - British Roads FAQ

shows:
2.1 How are the roads classified?

Classification refers to the allocation of numbers to British roads. There are three tiers of classification: motorways, A-roads and B-roads. Motorways are grade-separated expressways and have 1, 2 or 3-digit numbers prefixed with 'M' or suffixed '(M)'. A-roads are the other major routes; they vary from motorway-standard to narrow local roads, and have 1, 2, 3 or 4-digit numbers prefixed with 'A'. B-roads are local routes and have 3 or 4-digit numbers prefixed with 'B'.

 

That's actually a great site for **** sods like me

How the roads are numbered:



whichever zone they are in where they start defines the first number... I never knew how the zones were divided.

 

I did I could even tell you what areas were which numbers

My sister didn't realise that the 'M' in motorways stood for motorway

 

Pic doesn't work Kieran (hotlinking blocked: hxxp://www.cbrd.co.uk/roadsfaq/img/azones.gif )

I always wondered why all the road numbers by me began with "4"

 

Poo. I'll copy it down tonight and change the path later