'Smart' Motorways

[YamFazFan]

The subject of a BBC Panorama programme investigation tonight 27/01/20 8:30pm.


https://roadsafetygb.org.uk/news/panorama-to-focus-on-britains-killer-motorways/

[darrsi]

It's not just motorways, normal roads are scaring the life out of me these days.


It took me SIX emails to the local useless council saying "Urgent Attention" needed, and it wasn't "fixed" until a week later, which was a temporary fill.
My mate ruined his tyre on it, and another thought he had smashed his wheel after both hitting it, but i dread to think what other damage it did in all that time?
When i first rode past it, it was raining so i just thought it was a big puddle, until my mate gave me a rough location of the one that ruined his tyre andi realized it must've been the same one. When i saw it the next day i was horrified. 


 

[mtread]

Lots round me like that too. Lots of cars and bikes bodyswerving round them.


Trouble is, councils don't have any money.

[Dudeofrude]

Lots round me like that too. Lots of cars and bikes bodyswerving round them.


Trouble is, councils don't have any money.

Haha pull the other one!! Councils have plenty of money they just squander it either paying themselves huge salaries or paying over the odds to their pals companies to take on the work.
Our local council likes to ignore the huge potholes and shitty roads because they "dont have the money" but have spent the best part of a £1,000,000 grant digging up and then re laying all the paving slabs on the seafront. Something that nobody wants doing, has caused businesses and locals untold amounts of hassle and money loss and after the first section was laid if became immediately apparent that theyd chose the wrong colour slabs (as they are an off white and as you can imagine after 1 bank holiday weekend they were all marked, filthy and ruined) but instead of listen they have cracked on with another 6 months of road closures to finish it off!!
Councils have plenty of money.... the just dont know how to spend it on the public!

[fazersharp]

Ever since I first heard of them I thought they were stupid, and laughed at the "safe" propaganda that was pumped out about them. Surly there must of been some professionals who also thought they were a stupid idea.Cameras and X to close the road, it only takes seconds to have a pile up if a car breaks down in a running lane. And then how is the emergency services supposed to get to the crash. Stupid.
 

[agricola]

The so called Smart Motorways are essentially a cheap way of increasing the road capacity by consuming the hard shoulder and using it as a running lane. The Govt/Highways Agency were forced by the environmental legislation to act to reduce congestion and improve air quality. Adding additional lanes while maintaining the hard shoulder was deemed too expensive, so the hard shoulders were assimilated. As always, the cheapest option rarely turns out to be the best

[YamFazFan]

Well that programme just confirmed what I already thought about these so called 'smart' motorways. Complete and utter madness.


I'd never drive or ride on one in the dark and pray to god I don't break down whilst travelling on such a road in the hours of daylight.

[mtread]

Ever since I first heard of them I thought they were stupid, and laughed at the "safe" propaganda that was pumped out about them. Surly there must of been some professionals who also thought they were a stupid idea.Cameras and X to close the road, it only takes seconds to have a pile up if a car breaks down in a running lane. And then how is the emergency services supposed to get to the crash. Stupid.

I think the theory is that as soon as the 'observers' spot a breakdown, they turn the inside lane back into a 'hard shoulder'.
But it is a theory, and depends on them
1. Spotting the breakdown quick enough
2. Changing the signalling quick enough
3. Drivers behind obeying the signals
Too many 'ifs'

[darrsi]

So blatantly true.....

[YamFazFan]

3. Drivers behind obeying the signals
Too many 'ifs'

Yep that's a BIG IF. As far as I can see I'm just about the only one that slows down in accordance with/adheres to any warning signs whatsoever

[BBROWN1664]

3. Drivers behind obeying the signals

I am surprised at the amount of so called professional drivers that ignore the signs on the motorways. Years ago it used to just be the Mondeo Man reps but now its everyone ignoring the red cross signals. I am guessing these are the same people that drive through red traffic lights too

[Oldgit]

the creation of Smart Motorways should stop immediately , they are not safe , the driving public have no confidence in them, the spotting radar has not been installed on more than 400 metres of the existing Smart Motorways, the emergency layby distances are too large, I could go on, but they really need to cease this madness before the fatalities go through the roof, I wish that the families of anyone injured or heaven forbid killed on these so called Smart Motorways would bring a case against the Highways Dept. of the UK government at the High Court a) for compensation, b) challenge the safety record of these motorways as soon as possible.
 

[YamFazFan]

3. Drivers behind obeying the signals

I am surprised at the amount of so called professional drivers that ignore the signs on the motorways. Years ago it used to just be the Mondeo Man reps but now its everyone ignoring the red cross signals. I am guessing these are the same people that drive through red traffic lights too

It's the same with those signs that light up with the message that there's something loose or an obstruction in the road ahead and warning you to slow down to 50mph.


Everyone else just keeps going at 70/80 and swerves around you when you decrease to 50. You know full well they're thinking..."What's this idiot complying with the warning for?, everyone ignores those don't they!"

[Grahamm]

It's the same with those signs that light up with the message that there's something loose or an obstruction in the road ahead and warning you to slow down to 50mph.

When you see one of a warning sign "Queue Ahead, Caution" at 2am on an empty M25 and slow down, but a couple of miles (and other, blank signs) later there's absolutely no sign of a queue it generates a "Cry Wolf" reaction.

I had exactly that happen, with the result that, a couple of months later, on the M27, about 10pm at night, light traffic, free flowing, dry conditions, I saw the same sign and thought "Yeah, right".

So when, about half a mile later, I found that a car had shed a load of stuff off its roof-rack, I just had to hope I had picked a clear line because it was way too late to slow down and trying to do so would probably have destabilised the bike if I had had to try to manoeuvre.

Had it said "Debris on Road" or similar, I would have definitely slowed down.

So to expect that they get things right on "Smart" motorways is too much to hope for

[fireblake]

It's the same with those signs that light up with the message that there's something loose or an obstruction in the road ahead and warning you to slow down to 50mph.

When you see one of a warning sign "Queue Ahead, Caution" at 2am on an empty M25 and slow down, but a couple of miles (and other, blank signs) later there's absolutely no sign of a queue it generates a "Cry Wolf" reaction.

I had exactly that happen, with the result that, a couple of months later, on the M27, about 10pm at night, light traffic, free flowing, dry conditions, I saw the same sign and thought "Yeah, right".

So when, about half a mile later, I found that a car had shed a load of stuff off its roof-rack, I just had to hope I had picked a clear line because it was way too late to slow down and trying to do so would probably have destabilised the bike if I had had to try to manoeuvre.

Had it said "Debris on Road" or similar, I would have definitely slowed down.

So to expect that they get things right on "Smart" motorways is too much to hope for

They also take to long to turn the warning signs off. I drive my lorry up and down the M27 all day and see various signs on all day knowing the debris/Pedestrian/Queue is long gone.


Mickey

[fazersharp]

There is one near me that quite often says "1 min to junction"