Smart Motorways, the end is nigh

[Beachball]

Yes the Highways Agency have offered a telephone number. Because there will clearly be some stranded motorists who are unable to get to one of the emergency phones. But theses days I suspect with the majority having mobiles that’s their first action to use a mobile.

If you get into trouble on a motorway - go left

Knowing what to do in an emergency or breakdown will help keep you and others safe and make you feel more confident when you travel on England's motorways

nationalhighways.co.uk

Hi clive very helpful information also made a note of the telephone number on my mobile

 

[Buckman]

999 if I’m in a live lane!

Problem is if you have been involved in a mishap, you are relying on others to make the phone call!

 

[RogerL]

Thanks, number added to my contacts under SOS.

Quote:

Call National Highways on 0300 123 5000, then a breakdown provider for help.

John

National Highways isn't "national" - it only covers England - different numbers will be needed for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

 

[otherclive]

National Highways isn't "national" - it only covers England - different numbers will be needed for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Another benefit of devolution. 🙁

 

[Raywood]

About time. The idea was brainless from the start and a five year old could have done better.

 

[otherclive]

About time. The idea was brainless from the start and a five year old could have done better.

I don’t agree as the initial ones on m25 and M42 seemed to work well in relieving congestion and reducing speeds by the use of cameras on gantries close together. When not congested the hard shoulder was returned to use. They have been in use for a long while. It’s the cheap skate newer ones with 70 mph operation no hard shoulder and gantries separated by long distance compared to earlier ones. Plus the 100 m safety refuges were spaced at 1.5 miles and few if any had accident/breakdown detection cameras. A typical do it on the cheap approach.

 

[Dustydog]

Someone will say if the smart motorway hadn’t been in operation those who were killed would be alive today👍.
I suspect the HMG Statisticians will paint the picture whichever way they are told!

 

[otherclive]

Someone will say if the smart motorway hadn’t been in operation those who were killed would be alive today👍.
I suspect the HMG Statisticians will paint the picture whichever way they are told!

There are three different models of Smart Motorway and any valid statistical review has to examine each model, compared to non Smart Motorways and include vehicle density/miles etc. They never used to attract such hype prior to introducing those that were non hard shoulder, few speed control gantries and limited accident/hood up detection kit, and ridiculously spaced out refuges.

 

[RogerL]

There are three different models of Smart Motorway and any valid statistical review has to examine each model, compared to non Smart Motorways and include vehicle density/miles etc. They never used to attract such hype prior to introducing those that were non hard shoulder, few speed control gantries and limited accident/hood up detection kit, and ridiculously spaced out refuges.

The motorways used in the initial trials, M25 and M42, used a dynamic hard shoulder which only opened as a running lane when volume was very high and/or when queues were forming at junctions - the majority of the time they were just for emergency use - unfortunately a significant proportion of UK motorists can't cope with a big red X over a lane and the compliance on the trialed smart motorways was poor.

While some dynamic hard shoulder were implemented afterwards, it's now policy not to implement any more - so some motorways are being converted to "all-lane running" while others will retain their existing hard shoulder.

The variable speed limit aspect of Smart motorways generally works well, with good compliance and improved journey times but there are occasions when the VSLs are set for no appropriate reason.

 

[otherclive]

The motorways used in the initial trials, M25 and M42, used a dynamic hard shoulder which only opened as a running lane when volume was very high and/or when queues were forming at junctions - the majority of the time they were just for emergency use - unfortunately a significant proportion of UK motorists can't cope with a big red X over a lane and the compliance on the trialed smart motorways was poor.

While some dynamic hard shoulder were implemented afterwards, it's now policy not to implement any more - so some motorways are being converted to "all-lane running" while others will retain their existing hard shoulder.

The variable speed limit aspect of Smart motorways generally works well, with good compliance and improved journey times but there are occasions when the VSLs are set for no appropriate reason.

I thought my #3 and # 31 explained that I understood the M42 and M25 arrangement, which has also been incorporated in Bristol for the M4 westbound at Almondsbury relatively recently compared to M42/25

 

[Sam Vimes]

A good friend of mine was responsible for some of the planning and purchasing of the land around the Herts, Beds section of the M25. I recall not long after it had been fully operational that they started to widen some sections and the Tunnels were of course of problem - although they did it.

I mentioned to him that foresight should have predicted that once opened it would attract more traffic so why wasn't it wider. He stated that they had wanted to build it wider from the start but budget constraints didn't allow this.

Its somewhat of a Catch 22 scenario and always seems to come as a suprise to some authorities that once you put a good road system in place it gets used more than they predict.

 

[Dustydog]

HMG have announced no more smart motorways will be built, The two under construction will be completed but with more refuges. Part time ones may also be returned to normal . Those currently operating , computer controlled, will remain in service
I meant to add this from The DT.

Headlines: Sunday's essential news Smart decision | Plans to convert stretches of the M1, M6 and M25 to smart roads have been shelved, saving taxpayers an estimated £1 billion and reducing the risk of further crashes. The rethink, welcomed by families of crash victims, comes after accusations that ministers have “blood on their hands”. The Telegraph has campaigned for years against the schemes and today calls for ministers to go even further to invest in a road network fit for the 21st century.

 

[otherclive]

I think it’s a good decision given that so many were sneaked in on the cheap as specifications were
”diluted”. I read a report on the M42 one that stated it had the lowest fatality and serious injury rate of any motorway. Probably because it had plenty of speed warning/ camera gantries and when the motorway became congested the speed limits came down until at some times the hard shoulder would then be opened to traffic. A similar scheme at Almondsbury M4 has worked very well in keeping traffic flow moving.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

It's a start. Personally I'd be happier if they simply did away with all of them.
Wouldn't take much to close the left hand lanes and revert them to hard shoulders.

 

[JTQ]

It's a start. Personally I'd be happier if they simply did away with all of them.
Wouldn't take much to close the left hand lanes and revert them to hard shoulders.

With the added bonus then of getting the hard shoulders back now with some very welcome added "refuges".

 

[otherclive]

With the added bonus then of getting the hard shoulders back now with some very welcome added "refuges".

Thats assuming the Highways Agency isn't run by ex MoD personnel where accommodation would see fitted carpets removed and replaced with non fitted carpets if the next occupant is of a lower rank.