In my opinion, smart motorways have become like typical town dual carriageway. Honestly its also a deadly move to remove hard shoulder and add as running lane and then not add hard shoulder. I almost got killed 3/4 times during such places on M1 and M25!!! Considering the fact england highly looks up to health safety, why not add hard shoulder?? Simple because it was their “cheapest” option. Its pathetic and makes me sick. Seeing the fact these Highway patrol stopping you guys like that is one of the worst things you can do. No common sense but england is very good at nicking your money out of your pocket!
I have no doubt that the deciding factors were cost (as in it's a lot cheaper) but also public backlash. Anytime there are plans to take more land, especially green belt land, to create road space, all the environmentalists go mental, bring judicial reviews against the government and cause loads of grief. Thanks for watching.
As I always say - the intention and idea of using technology is good but it only really works in theory because people aren’t used to it and don’t comply with the electronic signs. Also the people in the control center aren’t looking out close enough for broken down vehicles.
Hard shoulder is an essential safety measurements. Doing away with it means in the event of an accident there is no clear lane for the emergency services to use. I have the misfortune to also use the stupid smart M3 for my work commute 5 days per week
As you'll no doubt regularly see, it is really dangerous when a car breaks down and it's stuck in a live lane even when the signs have closed it off. People have enough difficultly seeing what's going on 2 or 3 cars in front let alone further down the road. Thanks for watching.
I will not drive in a smart lane, end of, lane two for me I'm afraid! Its them few minutes between a breakdown in lane one and the information signs to warn drivers, in that time anything could happen!
I don't like smart motorways, people don't even use the extra 2 lanes and the hard shoulder is not a thing, they are supposed to close the lanes off by signalling that certain lanes are closed so that traffic can flow freely still, but I guess to many people didn't take any notice of the signs, so now they just stop the whole motorway instead? I don't even see the point of this investment in the motorway system, since it doesn't actually work, I think it's great that yeah we get an extra lane, but if they close that lane and someone doesn't read the sign, it's an accident waiting to happen in a big way, absolutely useless in my opinion
I think "Smart Motorways" that maintain a hard shoulder could work. Dynamic lane management and variable speed limit etc. The principal and modelling do work IF motorists comply and are properly trained. That's why I've always said spend the money on driver education and training instead. If people kept left except when overtaking we would have far more available road space and freer flowing traffic.
I kinda disagree that the hard shoulder is needed per se'. I just think the 'smart' motorway isn't being used very 'smartly'. They could bring down the speed limits and push stuff over to the right hand two lanes many miles back; and stick the Highways officers car in lane two well back from the incident. It would keep things moving in lane three and four and give a safety zone on the inner two lanes. I agree its a pisser, and I present this option as a potentially better option to employ 'so called' smart motorways. They are only as smart as the people managing them. Y/N?
it was a money saving idea to save them spending fortune making the motorway wider ! i drive a classic car and if i brake down it would be like a death wish waiting for someone not seeing me last min and taking out me and my car as i cant pull over any more off the motorway onto any sort of hard sholder , when more people are killed in lane one cos they couldn't get out the way i hope they feel proud of themselves !! stupid idea putting peoples lives at risk for 4 lane motorways we dont need !!
Sort of agree with the smart motorways, but the main issue was the highway guys - they could have stopped their 4x4 between 1 and 2 leaving lanes 3 and 4 clear. All too often do I see these highway patrol cars stopping all traffic for very minor things that could and be sorted quickly. Dare I say it, before these guys came along, the police used to deal with things much quicker.
Totally agree. Seems to be by the book health and safety rather than common sense employed by these Highways England people. Doesn't seem to apply any proportionate risk analysis, instead always going for the full maximum. Maybe that's because we live in such a litigious world these days. Thanks for watching.
smart motorways in Yorkshire mean slower traffic when unnecessary, delays and pointless. By slowing peak volume traffic they add to congestion. I just don't understand what if any modelling these planners do, if any!
The modelling they do is theoretical and perfect world. i.e drivers actually obeying the highway code and knowing how to properly drive on a motorway. The thing is we know that's not real world. Driving on motorways is not even part of the current UK driving test (it will be soon, thankfully). Thanks for watching.
Actually, I think your wrong, later this year, Learners will be allowed to drive on Motorways with a trained instructor in a car that has passenger side pedals (brake and clutch, but no throttle which is what i'd imagine learners need most anyway, but no matter) however this is purely optional and will not be part of the driving test. These Highway Wombles have been closing motorways before smart motorways anyway, nothing new, I'm just glad I can live and drive to work in a pretty quiet and scenic bit of scotland (the perk of being a pilot is your work is away from city centres), can't image what it's like driving on those roads everyday.
Filtering like this or at all - first offence £500 and 3 pts - next offence £1000 and 6 points and all subsequent. Why do you want to filter - too impatient to wait your turn? You'll agree with me when you have been run into and road raged by m/cyclists - perhaps? I agree with you on four lane no hard shoulder 'smart motorways'. The routine should be first lane normally closed for safety reasons and for emergency vehicles until the traffic builds up and it is needed to relieve congestion then 40mph in lane 1 (to reduce collision risk), 55 in lane 2 and 3 (lorries geared to 56) and 60 in lane 4.
I want to filter because I can safely and legally and it cuts journey time significantly. Also it reduces the pollution having vehicles moving rather than sitting stationery. It's not a question of too impatient. Only an idiot driver/rider would get road rage from a filtering motorcyclist. I agree there are ways to filter, not being aggressive to others, keeping your passing speed sensible and not dodging and weaving. If I'm filtering like that, why would anyone object?
