Killer motorways.

[vetran]

I went to sunny Yorkshire over the weekend and travelled on the newly "Smart" M1. The extra lane and probably the lower traffic level meant the journey was much smoother.

On the way back however a few miles from the Mansfield turn off the overhead lights went on. They suggested the outside lane was closed which meant the reasonable people moved out of it and then you saw lots of performance German cars and Range rovers move into it. Of course when the Fire engines and various support and tried to get down it they had to wait for the stationary Audi & BMW drivers in the outside lane to get out the way. This was about a mile from the accident.

They closed the 3rd lane which people ignored on the overhead signs which are too far apart anyway. Rinse & Repeat.

In the end as the accident was between the on ramp and the exit ramp of the junction the Police decided to close the Motorway and direct us over the junction though they only had pictures of closed lanes to tell us.

When we got to the junction there was no traffic control so the few people on the roundabout were doing 50+ while the whole M1 was trying to join the roundabout from a standing start, a set of traffic lights would have helped.

All in all not impressive for smart motorways while the emergency services did a very good job dealing with the incident they were severely hampered by the new design of the motorway.

Personally the sooner they prosecute people for being in a closed lane the better. Also they should have sensible plans for alternative routes that they should invoke as soon as they can, the rear of stationary traffic on the M1 is very exposed, traffic moving at 20-30 is far less dangerous.

[ladymuck]

DfT need to roll back the smart motorway scheme. The amount of money spent on it could have been better used improving the road network in other ways, I'm sure.

They're currently screwing up the M4 with implementing it at the eastern end.

[Paddy]

I notice the same on the M3. Red X on the outside is an invitation to the BMW's & Co to use it exclusively. Plus, there has been a number of times where the Red X is shown either in the wrong lane or wrong section that has the accident.

[tazdevil]

Smart motorways are simply very expensive dumb motorways although they are getting cameras detecting abuse of closed lanes, hopefully they were installed and working on the M1, 3 points and £100 fine. LM is right the money would have been better spent improving the whole network. I also think we should move to a government backed compulsory 3rd party insurance scheme with accidents simply bulldozed off the road ASAP to get everyone moving again

[vetran]

Smart motorways are simply very expensive dumb motorways although they are getting cameras detecting abuse of closed lanes, hopefully they were installed and working on the M1, 3 points and £100 fine. LM is right the money would have been better spent improving the whole network. I also think we should move to a government backed compulsory 3rd party insurance scheme with accidents simply bulldozed off the road ASAP to get everyone moving again

On hopes not I was stationary in the third lane for an hour , they closed that while I waited should be fun to argue.

[northernladuk]

IMO smart motorways are a death sentence waiting to happen. We've got them round Manchester and the years of delays caused around the Trafford Centre to implement will never be recouped. It's still as busy as it ever was, still as many accidents. The motorway might be smart but they forget that the people that use it aren't. I'll bet they either don't track, or will never release the stats around how many breakdowns now result in an accident compared to before.

[SueEllen]

News programs and current affairs documentaries have all done at least one program on how they are death traps if you are the one that breaks down................

[Eirikur]

There are loads of speed cameras on the M1 in the smart zones. I would assume they would take a pic when you drive through a red cross as well.

It’s illegal to drive in a lane closed by a Red X sign. If you’re caught, you could receive a fixed penalty of up to £100 and three points, and in some cases more severe penalties or a court appearance. It’s the responsibility of the police to enforce Red X offences.

How to drive on a smart motorway - GOV.UK.

[Gibbon]

IMO smart motorways are a death sentence waiting to happen. We've got them round Manchester and the years of delays caused around the Trafford Centre to implement will never be recouped. It's still as busy as it ever was, still as many accidents. The motorway might be smart but they forget that the people that use it aren't. I'll bet they either don't track, or will never release the stats around how many breakdowns now result in an accident compared to before.

I disagree, I travelled the M1for years between Leeds and Derby and once implemented the journey time was much more predictable. But then again between Junc 31 and 28 is what I used to term 'death valley', for some reason always loads of accidents there. BTW in anwser to the death while broken down: you're supposed to get off the motorway as soon as possible even if there is a hard shoulder and not like some numb nuts stand in front of your vehicle, but behind it. That way if it gets clipped it goes away from you!

[SunnyInHades]

If you're ever motorway travelling North or South via Birmingham and choose to 'treat yourself' with the M6 toll the experience is like going from 'constantly near death smart motorway hell' to 'dreamlike totally safe heaven':

As soon as you join the frenetic traffic just disappears .. where's it gone ?
3 virtually empty traffic lanes the whole length, no need to ever travel less than 70 mph in the inside lane.
A beautiful, gorgeous, elegant, magnificent hard shoulder the whole length - such a relief after the smart motorway 'I'm going to die if this car breaks down' torture.
A well maintained gravel trap to the left of the hard shoulder.
A manicured 'picnic grade' landscaped lawned bank to the left of the gravel trap.

Like many things pleasurable in life the experience is very short and costs a fortune - at £6.90 toll for the half hour car journey the 27m M6 toll is one of the most expensive roads in Europe.
Seeing an HGV or coach is ultra rare due to the £12.00 toll they need to pay.