'Smart' Motorways.

[petemcewan]

We drove on the first completed section of the M1 "smart motorway" today, and I have to say I`m rather unimpressed, in fact I`m rather concerned about it.....

 

In the past we`ve driven on the M42 "smart motorway" quite often, and I have to say I was never very enthusiastic about it. I like the fact hard shoulders give you somewhere (relatively) safe to stop should you break down on a road with three lanes of traffic moving at up to 80mph or more. However, I was placated a bit by the fact that when the hard shoulder is in use the speed limit drops to 50mph and is apparently rigorously enforced by speed cameras.

 

Unless I`ve got this completely wrong, and West Yorks Police say I`m right, the M1 (not so) "smart motorway" is something entirely different, and I can see why local MPs and the South Yorks Chief Constable objected to it on safety grounds. Today, as we drove up it, none of the signs were on, much less indicating 50mph, yet traffic was doing 70mph or more in all four lanes, i.e. including what was the hard shoulder. Apparently that is how it`s supposed to work, rather different from the M42 "smart(er) motorway".

I agree with the SY Chief constable it should never have been allowed, it`s a straightforward trade off, more capacity for less safety and done on the cheap. I think it`s particularly dangerous in times of restricted visibility (e.g. at night) but also when driving behind a large vehicle and thus the drivers view of the road ahead is restricted.

As an aside, I did wonder, when it`s so basic, why it`s all taken so long to adapt the motorway.....

 

One last thing, normally I prefer to drive in the inside lane (provided it`s reasonably empty), but as far as I`m concerned the inside lane will now be what should be the hard shoulder (i.e. where broken down vehicles may lurk hidden from view by the artics which normally inhabit that lane.....), so I`ll be rather less keen to drive in it, particularly at night.

 

Addition (16 Feb 16) : Senior police road traffic officers criticise permanent all lane running (i.e. no hard shoulder) on motorways.

 

JS,

 

I drove on it just recently. The impression I got is that there's a pile up just waiting to happen-particularly when driving conditions are poor.

I will avoid driving on it in the future.

[littlebasher]

JS,

 

I drove on it just recently. The impression I got is that there's a pile up just waiting to happen-particularly when driving conditions are poor.

I will avoid driving on it in the future.

 

At which point the emergency service won't be able to reach the scene of the accident, as all four lanes will be rammed with cars with nowhere to go.

[alchresearch]

At which point the emergency service won't be able to reach the scene of the accident, as all four lanes will be rammed with cars with nowhere to go.

 

Then they get on at the next junction and head towards the accident in the "wrong" direction.

[Cyclone]

Then they get on at the next junction and head towards the accident in the "wrong" direction.

 

So they have to then do what? Park in the fast lane and climb over the barrier... That's likely to cause another accident on the other carriageway.

 

 

I took more notice whilst going to Leeds yesterday as I promised.

6 miles with no hard shoulder (at least according to the sign that says so)...

Weirdly, the central reservation is so wide that it could almost get a vehicle into it...

 

I didn't notice any point where a travelling lane converted into a slip road without plenty of warning and time though.

[Justin Smith]

Yet more reasons.....

A report I`ve just read in an old copy of the Yorkshire Post (29 Jan 16) that in a study on the 4 lane running stretches of the M25, up to 7% of drivers do not comply with the red lane closure warnings.

Something to ponder on if you`re ever unlucky enough to find yourself broken down in the non existent hard shoulder, or, indeed, waiting for an ambulance or fire engine to get to you along the (no longer in existence) hard shoulder.

Edited February 22, 2016 by Justin Smith

[Cyclone]

Funnily enough there were 2 lane closures yesterday in the new 4 lane section.

 

I moved over when I saw the lane closed 600 yards section.

At 200 yards someone had just passed me in that lane, and the car in front then pulled out into it... As the cones appeared they both had near misses as they moved back over without much time and with cars to their insides... So yeah, there are definitely some drivers who ignore the lane closed markings.

 

Which also made me wonder, why are they setting up new roadworks, with 2 lanes closed, when the road has only just been finished!

[geared]

Didn't build it right in the first place??

 

They've had to rip the central reservation out more than once because the concrete wasn't any good.

[Cyclone]

Only closed on one side, so I guess it's not central barrier being removed.

[alchresearch]

So they have to then do what? Park in the fast lane and climb over the barrier... That's likely to cause another accident on the other carriageway.

 

That's why I said in the "wrong" direction.

 

If there's an accident on J37 northbound and its totally blocked, go to J38, but head south, down the Northbound side.

[Cyclone]

That's why I said in the "wrong" direction.

 

If there's an accident on J37 northbound and its totally blocked, go to J38, but head south, down the Northbound side.

 

So first wait for the police to entirely close the opposite carriageway...

Solves the problem of access for the emergency services, albeit with a major delay first.

Double the impact of an accident though, in terms of traffic problems caused.