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'Smart' Motorways.

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The lane is not closed where the obstruction is. It's closed where the first red X is showing. It doesn't mean, keep using the lane until you see a reason not to.

 

I assumed that the OP was referring to the red X as the last point.

 

If people are driving up to the actual incident itself then that's being a knob for sure.

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I assume they mean after the red X, otherwise this

 

"As I approached the accident there were still cars and vans coming up in the closed lane"

 

Doesn't make sense, as it's not a closed lane until the first red X, which should be long before approaching the accident.

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Mmmm that's semantics - theres a lane that's closed. It can be open at points along it but it's still a closed lane.... I get what you mean though.

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If you read what I put it says when I got on, the overhead sign said do not use closed lane and there was a red cross above the lane. Nothing do do with merging the lane clearly said closed do not use yet people need to get there a few seconds earlier so ignore the sign. The sign was as you get on at J41 but a few people totally ignored it and were trying to get in the third lane a few yards from the cones the police had put out.

Edited by iansheff

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IIRC there are cameras on every gantry, so if anyone is driving in the lane with the red X then a few FPNs - but publicly advertising the fact - should remind people.

 

Sadly, like with fining middle lane hoggers and mobile phone users, there's a brief campaign and high police presence, then it fades away.

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IIRC there are cameras on every gantry,
True, they were installing/upgrading/faffing with them southbound last night (22:15-ish)...

 

...near the 34 Jctn gantry before the viaduct, after blocking off all lanes but the rightmost all the way from J36A to just before 32 (M18 ), and setting everybody single-file at 40 the whole way :rant::rant::rant:

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IIRC there are cameras on every gantry, so if anyone is driving in the lane with the red X then a few FPNs - but publicly advertising the fact - should remind people.

 

Aren't they traffic monitoring cameras on those gantrys though?

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Aren't they traffic monitoring cameras on those gantrys though?
yellow coloured housing ;)

 

Next time you pass by them, pay close attention to the upright strut, about two thirds of the way up.

 

They're fairly small (compared to the speed averaging ones atop the temp yellow poles).

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As we were driving up the M1 (the bit with a hard shoulder) the other day I saw a car stopped with a flat tyre. It made me wonder what one is supposed to do if one has to stop in a live running lane with a flat ? Most people, men anyway, would change the wheel, but I`m not sure I`d want to do that if there was no hard shoulder. No, on reflection, there`s no chance I`d change it, no chance whatsoever. If one is lucky enough to be in the RAC or AA they`re supposed to change the wheel for you, but, as far as I`m aware, they won`t attend a breakdown in a live running lane.

As an aside, I assume the AA or RAC just forward the call to the Highways Agency, is that right ? And if so does anyone know how much the Highways Agency charge you to recover your vehicle from the (non) hard shoulder ? I have to say, particularly if you can prove you are actually in a recovery scheme, they should do it for free, after all, they`re saving shed loads of money by simply making a three lane motorway a four lane high speed road

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As we were driving up the M1 (the bit with a hard shoulder) the other day I saw a car stopped with a flat tyre. It made me wonder what one is supposed to do if one has to stop in a live running lane with a flat ? Most people, men anyway, would change the wheel, but I`m not sure I`d want to do that if there was no hard shoulder. No, on reflection, there`s no chance I`d change it, no chance whatsoever. If one is lucky enough to be in the RAC or AA they`re supposed to change the wheel for you, but, as far as I`m aware, they won`t attend a breakdown in a live running lane.

As an aside, I assume the AA or RAC just forward the call to the Highways Agency, is that right ? And if so does anyone know how much the Highways Agency charge you to recover your vehicle from the (non) hard shoulder ? I have to say, particularly if you can prove you are actually in a recovery scheme, they should do it for free, after all, they`re saving shed loads of money by simply making a three lane motorway a four lane high speed road

 

Minus the gentle sexism Justin :rant: it's a good question I'd not considered. However, the odds of being charged a recovery fee seems highly unlikely and it's not mentioned on any website I've looked at. You aren't charged anything if you breakdown on a part of the motorway that's being worked on and the signs are up saying 'free recovery'. I presume the same rules would apply for the smart motorway.

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Minus the gentle sexism Justin :rant: it's a good question I'd not considered. However, the odds of being charged a recovery fee seems highly unlikely and it's not mentioned on any website I've looked at. You aren't charged anything if you breakdown on a part of the motorway that's being worked on and the signs are up saying 'free recovery'. I presume the same rules would apply for the smart motorway.

 

I suppose technically it`s sexism, but, let`s be honest, how many women would attempt to change a wheel ? It`s not so much the technical skills but the brute strength which is usually required.

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I suppose technically it`s sexism, but, let`s be honest, how many women would attempt to change a wheel ? It`s not so much the technical skills but the brute strength which is usually required.

 

Brute strength to change a tyre? Are you for real? That's why someone invented wheel wrenches, worst comes to worst you stand on the darn thing to shift the nut...anyway, off topic massively so let's drop it.

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