ROG:
Roads need to be designed with the numptiest of drivers in mind
Or we need a common sense test as part of the driving test
The concept of a smart motorway is sound. The problem is as usual, that rather than follow the rules, some drivers choose to interpret them for their own ends.
If everybody followed the variable speed limit and stopped braking harshly, there would be less tailbacks. The thick as mince drivers who ignore the red signs closing a lane until they themselves can see the obstacle should face the courts rather than a slap on the wrist.
It’s a ‘variable’ speed limit IE ‘less’ than 70 mph when 70 mph is slow enough so why do we need an extra overtaking lane at the expense of safety.
The real problem is those who want to trundle along at less than 50 mph in lane 1 and those who don’t think that lanes 2 and 3 are only meant to be used for overtaking.
Conor:
Everyone complaining about smart motorways with no hard shoulders again yet not one peep about dual carriageways which are exactly the same.
So dual carriageways which are also 70MPH and have no hard shoulder are fine, even though it’s legal for things like tractors doing 20MPH to use them, but apparently smart motorways which are the same with the exception of far more overhead information signs and an extra lane or two aren’t?
Can’t disagree with that ^^^^. It’s complacency that’s the killer here, autopilot if you will. I pride myself on maintaining a high level of concentration whilst driving but an incident a few weeks ago had me questioning things; driving along the ALR bit south of Derby on the M1 in perfect conditions with light traffic and I came upon a broken down HGV in lane one. I realised that it took about a second longer for my brain to register what my eyes were telling it simply because it didn’t “compute”.
As it happens I moved out into lane two about 800 yards before the stranded vehicle so no dramas but it did make me wonder if it’s the disbelief that causes the fatal hesitation we hear so often?
Dual Carriageways are nothing like motorways, motorways do not have traffic lights, roundabouts, intersections, or traffic turning across the front of you, there is no grass verge or layby to pull onto, plus the average brain does not expect to see two chaps parked up with notepads exchanging details.
Wheel Nut:
Dual Carriageways are nothing like motorways
To be fair sometimes they are actually much better than some motorways let alone smart motorways.
Dual carriageway 1970’s style.That’s where/how I learn’t to drive on a motorway, with L plates.
Night-and-day:
Who in their right mind stands in a live lane to exchange details after a minor collision
Maybe they thought they were standing on the hard shoulder, you know like wot it was, not standing in lane 1.
Who in their right mind stands on the hard shoulder to exchange details. Get over the blooming barrier.
Same as people who sit in their vehicle when broken down…
Night-and-day:
Who in their right mind stands in a live lane to exchange details after a minor collision
I can recall passing an collision on the M25 in the 90’s on the inside lane with both cars in lane 2 doing just that with a long queue behind.
Me : anyone hurt-injured ?
The halfwits : No all ok thank you.
Me : Well get your bloody vehicles & yourselves onto the hard shoulder (well I was a tad more forceful than that)
The Halfwits : looked quite shocked ?
Interestingly the coroner asked the driver Szuba what training he had been given on the Smart Motorway. Hopefully these needless deaths will raise the right questions and rethink the rethink. its quite close to where a police officer was killed whilst on duty.
ROG:
Roads need to be designed with the numptiest of drivers in mind
Or we need a common sense test as part of the driving test
The concept of a smart motorway is sound. The problem is as usual, that rather than follow the rules, some drivers choose to interpret them for their own ends.
If everybody followed the variable speed limit and stopped braking harshly, there would be less tailbacks. The thick as mince drivers who ignore the red signs closing a lane until they themselves can see the obstacle should face the courts rather than a slap on the wrist.
Yes, in a way, but also there’s been a vast amount if corner cutting either through cost or speed of roll out requirement.
The original smart motorway (M42) worked well. Thats why its been adopted. But that part of the motorway has refuges every 400/500 yards apart which was how its designed. Now the minimum requirement is every 2500 yards apart so theres much fewer escapes available.
Yes the signage needs work and education needs to be reinforced, but they’re two of many factors that would allow them to be much safer than they are now.
If a local council apply for a speed limit, pedestrian crossing, roundabout, traffic lights, road signs etc, they must first carry out a study and a detailed list of near misses, deaths and life changing injuries. It needs a certain percentage of deaths or injuries before the Highways Department will consider it, the study and list has been completed about Smart Motorways and they are as dumb as the authorities.
