[TV] Smart Motorways - BBC Panorama now

[Notters]

Was just driving back to Leeds from Manchester on the M62 thinking about this when I saw a very near miss. A van in lane 2 overtaking a small car in lane 1, started to pull in not seeing the small car and came within about an inch of it. The car tried to pull out of the way but only had about a foot of rough grass to the barrier due to there being not hard shoulder. My heart skipped a beat!

And this is nothing to do with the issue of people breaking down discussed in the documentary.

 

[Creaky]

We seem to have got used to hard shoulders and even more, used to driving without assessing potential dangers ahead.

There must be hundreds, if not thousands, of miles of dual-carriageway in the UK that don’t have hard shoulders or any form of ‘refuge’. Are these now the scene of Armageddon?

At least motorways in general have good signage, certainly better than the standard dual-carriageway.

 

[Badger]

Last year I got on the M25 at J5 on a Saturday morning and it was stationary. But the inside lane was clear although the big red X was showing. Being a smart arse I went in the inside lane thinking I’ll cut in when I get to the incident. Well there was no incident or if there was it had been cleared. When I got to clackets red X went off and traffic was fine.

A few days later I got a letter from Highways Agency telling me I’d been caught driving in a lane with red X. It said it was now a criminal offence to do so but as that was a recent change this was a final warning. I’ve not done it again since.

Be interesting to know whether fines are now being handed out to red X drivers.

That's a shame. I was hoping you'd got a big fine and points on your licence.

 

[dazzer6666]

Last year I got on the M25 at J5 on a Saturday morning and it was stationary. But the inside lane was clear although the big red X was showing. Being a smart arse I went in the inside lane thinking I’ll cut in when I get to the incident. Well there was no incident or if there was it had been cleared. When I got to clackets red X went off and traffic was fine.

A few days later I got a letter from Highways Agency telling me I’d been caught driving in a lane with red X. It said it was now a criminal offence to do so but as that was a recent change this was a final warning. I’ve not done it again since.

Be interesting to know whether fines are now being handed out to red X drivers.

I’d imagine this is precisely how most of the Smart Mway deaths occur.......

 

[Stat Brother]

It must be the most stupid idea that anyone ever came up with. A fine example of an idea by someone who has never driven or broken down on a motorway. When they first came up with this idea I couldn’t believe it. When they pumped billions into building them I couldn’t believe it. I now find the outcome believable. Relying on technology being smart enough to get the signs up instantly and for drivers having the time to react to the sudden change in use of a lane was always going to be impossible. With the time delays, technical errors and driver error on top of this, it was always going to be, and will always be, a recipe for disaster.

But drivers are reacting to the red X, aren't they?

If only we had some way of knowing us car drivers are completely selfish, distracted and only concerned with getting from A to B faster than the car in front.

Car drivers don't want to be stuck in other people's traffic.

 

[Lankyseagull]

Article from 'The Construction Index' today: https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/smart-motorway-roll-out-suspended

 

[Creaky]

Driving to Brighton I travel along the M23 as far as Pease Pottage where the road becomes the A23 - still three lanes, same speed limit, no hard shoulder, very few, (if any), lay-bys.

It was widened to three lanes to relieve congestion - the section from Bolney was upgraded to a dual-carriageway for the same reason. Should these sections have the inside lane converted to a hard shoulder? If not then where is the logic in calling for the abolition of Smart Motorways?