[Closed] “Smart” motorways.

Agreed, not sure any minimal gain we've had justified the years and years of disruption and cost. The bottleneck sections still bottleneck and people seem to have even less lane discipline than on a 3 lane motorway.

Well the disruption and cost would have been worse if they'd added a proper extra lane, that's kind of the point. But I agree with you, much of the benefit of extra lanes seems to be eroded by people using them even less efficiently.

I think smart motorways are OK in theory, but in practice we've penny-pinched by stretching the distance between refuges, and the number of drivers who simply ignore a lane closed sign on a motorway is frightening.

They're not perfect but there's still a massive issue with poor drivers using them; speeding, poor lane discipline, inattention.

Who on earth thought it was a smart move to ditch the emergency hard shoulder on our fastest legal speed roads?

Works fine in Germany.
It’s the poor standard of driving here that’s the problem.

Who on earth thought it was a smart move to ditch the emergency hard shoulder on our fastest legal speed safest roads?

I've driven a few times through France when we have been heading to Barcelona or Madrid for work. Each time I was struck by how good the lane discipline was on the stretches where there were two lanes and how it all went to shit when there were three. It seems we have the same issue in the UK when we go from three to four, most people if not all can cope with driving reasonably well with three lanes but after that something goes wrong.

Boycott the dumb lane, treat it as you would the hard shoulder.

Many, many drivers have long since adopted this procedure. Even when there is a hard shoulder. Or when it gets in everyone else’s way. Or causes congestion. Sadly.

Don't forget to sit in the middle lane for the rest of your journey. Really stick it to the man. With your fog lights on!

Don’t forget to sit in the middle lane for the rest of your journey.

I think I've worked out why people do this, if you move in and out of lane 1 as you should you'll find people going 1mph faster than you refuse to turn their cruise control off and let you back out so you end up constantly speeding up to 70 and slowing down to 56. It's not an excuse just a possible explanation.

Of course many are just lazy ****less tools

A mate who runs traffic police in 3 counties says they're a disaster for emergency scenarios. No lane to get emergency traffic through. Also agrees they're dangerous.

Just wait until more sorry folk have e-cars....stopping on the motorway because they've misjudged their range or the last service station had no charge points....be carnage.

We need smart drivers not smart motorways. Or at least drivers who are moderately competent.

Gawd, I've got it all to look forward to when I bring my car back from Portugal, I've got used to empty roads!

Works fine in Germany.
It’s the poor standard of driving here that’s the problem.

Very true. British exceptionalism again.

Though i accept that because of our poor driving standards, reinforced by inadequate enforcement, they are disastrous.

While I'd be happy to see them go, as ever we are dealing with the symptom rather than the cause.

Boycott the dumb lane, treat it as you would the hard shoulder.

Agreed, ... and people seem to have even less lane discipline than on a 3 lane motorway.

Sounds like boycotting the left lane is part of the problem not the solution!

Just wait until more sorry folk have e-cars….stopping on the motorway because they’ve misjudged their range or the last service station had no charge points….be carnage.

You know people run out of fuel with petrol/diesel cars all the time? I'm not sure the frequency of chancing it will go up with (1) vehicles which are much better at predicting range (2) the option to "refuel" with almost zero effort at home. I've not driven an electric vehicle - but expect when you get very close to dead you can a load of warnings rather than a petrol or diesel which is full speed then splutter, dead in lane 3 and hope you can coast to the hard shoulder...

In the USA they just pick a lane and stick to it, but then undertaking is apparently allowed there.

Works fine in Germany.
It’s the poor standard of driving here that’s the problem.

Very true. British exceptionalism again.

Though i accept that because of our poor driving standards, reinforced by inadequate enforcement, they are disastrous.

This would suggest that we are actually quite good at not killing ourselves on the roads compared with others

I don't mind them if they work. But the M6 on wends had the stay in lane sign on just before an exit lit up.
Shame there was 2 cars with hazards on in that lane it could of been nasty.
We also get lorry's using the emergency pull in as truckstops.

I think they're intrinsically dangerous in the UK on the basis that so many people on the motorway probably shouldn't be there. Poor management of the system (lane closure indications in the wrong section and random 40mph limits) conditions drivers to ignore them.

Inclined to suspect that the improved traffic flow from the variable speed limits is offset by heavy braking by imbeciles at every gantry, camera or not.

Hopefully there will be a lovely empty lane on the left hand side to drive at 70 in.

Is this what FB is for now (not used it for a while TBF)?

For mardy, middle-aged, motorway bores to organise their little "protests"... It feels like Humanity is truly reaching its zenith.