'Smart' Motorways.

[Obelix]

I won't look forward to it, but compared to saving over 2 hours of my life each week because the traffic actually flows now, it is something I am willing to put up with.

 

Please note: In 15 years of driving it has never happened to me that I had a flat tyre that forced me to stop on the hard shoulder, barring a catastrophic failure due to debris on the road modern tyres are pretty solid. Compared to previously the road is now monitored 100% and all the time and help should arrive very sharpish in case of an accident.

 

Not sure about the Notts section, but up near Wakefield the road isn't actively monitored.

 

I've also encountered three cars dead in the left hand lane since it opened. I, and for that matter an increasing number of drivers now pretend the left lane is in fact the hard shoulder and don't drive in it, which seems to rather negate the point of it.

[Hambeast]

It's almost certainly true that it will be more dangerous than it would be with a hard shoulder.

Only time will tell exactly how much more though.

 

Think I might have a lay down actually.

 

Well most people will be able to get to the refuge bays/next junction/next services. If someone has a tyre blowout in the third lane then no matter what the type of motorway, an accident could easily occur depending on how busy it is.

 

The opening poster has in his head the scenario whereby cars are going to plough into stationary cars in Lane 1 because the motorway operator will take hours to turn the lane off. That clearly isnt going to happen.

[Justin Smith]

My experience so far is that it is 50 mp/h limited 4 lanes open, but I travel mostly during peak hours, so that would make sense. Once I drove back in the early afternoon and it was 70 and four lanes.

 

What I know for certain is that it is flowing an awful lot better than it did and that is the point of these upgrades. Regular users will notice a huge boost to their journey times, mostly because traffic isn't stuck at EVERY junction like it was before.

 

I`m sure adding an running extra lane will normally reduce congestion (maybe not if there`s a breakdown and a stationary vehicle stuck on the inside lane), but what I`m saying is I don`t want 4 lane running at 70mph with no hard shoulder. Most of those I talk to don`t either. If they must have a smart motorway it should be a genuinely smart motorway, like the M42, not some cheap bodge of increasing capacity but reducing safety.

[Hambeast]

I`m sure adding an running extra lane will normally reduce congestion (maybe not if there`s a breakdown and a stationary vehicle stuck on the inside lane), but what I`m saying is I don`t want 4 lane running at 70mph with no hard shoulder. Most of those I talk to don`t either. If they must have a smart motorway it should be a genuinely smart motorway, like the M42, not some cheap bodge of increasing capacity but reducing safety.

 

Fair enough, you can stay off it then and it's more room on the motorway for the likes of me. Good luck getting to somewhere like Nottingham or Leeds in a hurry using the alternative routes

[Justin Smith]

Well most people will be able to get to the refuge bays/next junction/next services. If someone has a tyre blowout in the third lane then no matter what the type of motorway, an accident could easily occur depending on how busy it is.

 

The opening poster has in his head the scenario whereby cars are going to plough into stationary cars in Lane 1 because the motorway operator will take hours to turn the lane off. That clearly isnt going to happen.

 

No he doesn`t. The fact is it would be impossible for the motorway operator to immediately close the lane and move all the vehicle behind the breakdown into the 2nd lane. And you`re forgetting that 7% of vehicle don`t vacate the inside lane when asked to do so :

 

Yorkshire Post (29 Jan 16) : 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.

 

---------- Post added 12-04-2016 at 14:01 ----------

 

Fair enough, you can stay off it then and it's more room on the motorway for the likes of me. Good luck getting to somewhere like Nottingham or Leeds in a hurry using the alternative routes

 

That`s a singularly unhelpful suggestion, if I may say so.

[Hambeast]

It wasnt a suggestion. You clearly think the road is unsafe so I assume you will be keeping off it?

[truman]

I use the stretch of M1 from Leeds to Nottingham on a regular basis (ie every day) CAn't remember the last time I saw a broken down vehicle in lane 1 (on the bits without a H/S)..do you have figures for lane 1 breakdowns as opposed to lane 3 or 4 breakdowns? Genuine question..

[DT Ralge]

I use the stretch of M1 from Leeds to Nottingham on a regular basis (ie every day) CAn't remember the last time I saw a broken down vehicle in lane 1 (on the bits without a H/S)..do you have figures for lane 1 breakdowns as opposed to lane 3 or 4 breakdowns? Genuine question..

 

I don't know whether figures would be available from the HA in lane by lane detail but a FOI request would be the route to the data.

The HA ran a "campaign" quite recently aimed at stopping us running out of fuel with the matrix signs declaring "20-30 motorists (from memory) ran out of fuel" (last month). Add into that other reasons for breaking down and the numbers get to ...

If I get a moment, I'll fire off the request ... Done!

Edited April 13, 2016 by DT Ralge

[Dubaidani13]

No he doesn`t. The fact is it would be impossible for the motorway operator to immediately close the lane and move all the vehicle behind the breakdown into the 2nd lane. And you`re forgetting that 7% of vehicle don`t vacate the inside lane when asked to do so :

 

Yorkshire Post (29 Jan 16) : 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.

 

---------- Post added 12-04-2016 at 14:01 ----------

 

 

That`s a singularly unhelpful suggestion, if I may say so.

 

most people dont drive around with their thumb in their <Removed> pontificating on others either! most will see the problem ahead and move accordingly, since the stretch from around j29 to nottingham opened hey presto no hold ups this is the best way to go for motorways.

[tzijlstra]

Not sure about the Notts section, but up near Wakefield the road isn't actively monitored.

 

I've also encountered three cars dead in the left hand lane since it opened. I, and for that matter an increasing number of drivers now pretend the left lane is in fact the hard shoulder and don't drive in it, which seems to rather negate the point of it.

 

It is actively monitored.

 

No he doesn`t. The fact is it would be impossible for the motorway operator to immediately close the lane and move all the vehicle behind the breakdown into the 2nd lane. And you`re forgetting that 7% of vehicle don`t vacate the inside lane when asked to do so :

 

Yorkshire Post (29 Jan 16) : 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.

 

On the first point: I have witnessed, frequently, the motorway being managed due to exceptional transport moving at a slower speed than normal. They have been doing so for years, it works. Approaching drivers are told to slow down in the run-up with the Matrix boards, once you are past the obstacle the speed limit is immediately released. It works without problem.

 

I have also frequently witnessed a lane being closed, you are right, British drivers don't respond to it in the way they should yet, that is a matter of the locals getting used to it. It is also high time for the national driving test to include motorways, too many people are scared of motorways and creating unsafe situations that way.

 

I use the stretch of M1 from Leeds to Nottingham on a regular basis (ie every day) CAn't remember the last time I saw a broken down vehicle in lane 1 (on the bits without a H/S)..do you have figures for lane 1 breakdowns as opposed to lane 3 or 4 breakdowns? Genuine question..

 

Don't have the figures, but I can't either. There have been incidents but, oddly, most of the ones I have seen occurred due to tailgating in the outside lane in stop start traffic and someone not paying attention, presumably playing on the phone and so on - 4 lanes probably lower that instance because there is more lebensraum on the road.