I don’t *think* I’m alone in this, but my single biggest gripe with smart motorways is when a speed restriction is lifted but the overhead boards don’t *say* so, they just stop displaying anything altogether. I’ve had instances of this happen where half the traffic wants to move at 40mph and the other half at NSL… I know sometimes they *do* signal that the NSL comes back into effect, but around me it seems to be 50/50 whether they do or don’t.
My understanding of safety on these roads is that speed differentials are one of the biggest dangers, and yet the system often creates a startling amount of ambiguity for something that is meant to be ‘smart’, that results in massive speed differentials for significant stretches of road… I have no idea why they sometimes don’t use subsequent displays to say that a speed restriction has been lifted and that you can go NSL. Seems such an easy fix…
I drive down one of these death traps and they are anything but smart. Almost every night they slow us down to 40mph or even 30mph and filter us all into the right hand lane but then have no end to it. No more speed limits and no national speed limit sign. So obviously what happens is that some people are doing half the speed of others who are undertaking them.
On top of that some people point blank refuse to drive in the left hand lane and others seem to think the second lane from the right is fine for cruising. This results in a pretty much free for all where the inside lane is often the fastest place to be.
Also I actually think my average time from A – B is actually slower now with the extra lane and the so called smarts.
Also it literally took years and cost billions.
RIP Mrs Begum. 😞
They are not running properly and not fit for purpose
Nice to see the public attentionally finally turning on this half baked disaster.
As usual its about cost saving, the first smart motorway had layby’s every 800M, later ones doubled and even tripled the spacing. Add in lack of proper real time monitoring, lack of highway staff to get to a breakdown quickly and you end up with something completely different from the original concept.
They’re outright lethal in some instances. Like when it goes, NSL, 40mph for no reason, then NSL again in the space of a couple of overhead gantries and you either have people up your arse, or nearly crashing into each other because the lorries get impatient and swerve into the middle lane
> However, Prashant Popat QC, for National Highways, said: “There is no piece of safety technology that’s relevant to anything we are discussing at this inquest that was removed from between junction 29 and 31 of the M1 at any stage prior to the construction of the ALR (all lane running smart motorway) or removed after construction.”
Yes there was… A **hard shoulder**
I honestly think its not great but mostly fine, but the lack of a hard shoulder is dangerous. Had to swerve out the way of a stopped car in the rainstorm yesterday because id been passing ‘report of obstruction’ signs for a few miles, but none of the lanes had been closed. Thankfully the second lane was empty, but it could have been worse
>The driver of the Mercedes, Kantrimas Zukauskas, who was initially arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, had refused to give evidence at the hearing
Multiple news headline results for a Kantrimas Zukauskas being part of a crime gang chop shop that steal cars and break them up to sell off, in case anyone is wondering. Unrelated to this incident of crashing into the lady on the live lane, but might explain not wanting to be anywhere near any legal process like an inquest
On the M42 North & South there is 2 speed cameras on these smart motorway overheads between my work and home.
You wouldnt even believe how many times the speed drops to 50 or 60 on the stanchion before the camera, during the camera and then back to 70 after.
Its become an actual joke. You’l hit just before the camera and need to do 50, then its back to 70 after then back to 50/60 on the next camera about 2/3miles down the motorway.
It got that bad i emailed them complaining with video evidence, because it was a common occurrence and couldn’t be anything to do with traffic control.
They ignored me for 2 months until i sent another email in which they instantly responded to the first with a generic bullshit response about how smart motorways work and completely ignored what i stated in the email.
Im sick of them, they’re useless and cause more problems than they solve.
After several deaths (and likely more to come), and countless complaints about dangerous issues, why are “Smart” motorways still a thing?
Sadly knowing this country, it’s highly likely that someone/some firm are getting backhanders for this shit idea.
11 comments
I don’t *think* I’m alone in this, but my single biggest gripe with smart motorways is when a speed restriction is lifted but the overhead boards don’t *say* so, they just stop displaying anything altogether. I’ve had instances of this happen where half the traffic wants to move at 40mph and the other half at NSL… I know sometimes they *do* signal that the NSL comes back into effect, but around me it seems to be 50/50 whether they do or don’t.
My understanding of safety on these roads is that speed differentials are one of the biggest dangers, and yet the system often creates a startling amount of ambiguity for something that is meant to be ‘smart’, that results in massive speed differentials for significant stretches of road… I have no idea why they sometimes don’t use subsequent displays to say that a speed restriction has been lifted and that you can go NSL. Seems such an easy fix…
I drive down one of these death traps and they are anything but smart. Almost every night they slow us down to 40mph or even 30mph and filter us all into the right hand lane but then have no end to it. No more speed limits and no national speed limit sign. So obviously what happens is that some people are doing half the speed of others who are undertaking them.
On top of that some people point blank refuse to drive in the left hand lane and others seem to think the second lane from the right is fine for cruising. This results in a pretty much free for all where the inside lane is often the fastest place to be.
Also I actually think my average time from A – B is actually slower now with the extra lane and the so called smarts.
Also it literally took years and cost billions.
RIP Mrs Begum. 😞
They are not running properly and not fit for purpose
Nice to see the public attentionally finally turning on this half baked disaster.
As usual its about cost saving, the first smart motorway had layby’s every 800M, later ones doubled and even tripled the spacing. Add in lack of proper real time monitoring, lack of highway staff to get to a breakdown quickly and you end up with something completely different from the original concept.
They’re outright lethal in some instances. Like when it goes, NSL, 40mph for no reason, then NSL again in the space of a couple of overhead gantries and you either have people up your arse, or nearly crashing into each other because the lorries get impatient and swerve into the middle lane
> However, Prashant Popat QC, for National Highways, said: “There is no piece of safety technology that’s relevant to anything we are discussing at this inquest that was removed from between junction 29 and 31 of the M1 at any stage prior to the construction of the ALR (all lane running smart motorway) or removed after construction.”
Yes there was… A **hard shoulder**
I honestly think its not great but mostly fine, but the lack of a hard shoulder is dangerous. Had to swerve out the way of a stopped car in the rainstorm yesterday because id been passing ‘report of obstruction’ signs for a few miles, but none of the lanes had been closed. Thankfully the second lane was empty, but it could have been worse
>The driver of the Mercedes, Kantrimas Zukauskas, who was initially arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, had refused to give evidence at the hearing
Multiple news headline results for a Kantrimas Zukauskas being part of a crime gang chop shop that steal cars and break them up to sell off, in case anyone is wondering. Unrelated to this incident of crashing into the lady on the live lane, but might explain not wanting to be anywhere near any legal process like an inquest
On the M42 North & South there is 2 speed cameras on these smart motorway overheads between my work and home.
You wouldnt even believe how many times the speed drops to 50 or 60 on the stanchion before the camera, during the camera and then back to 70 after.
Its become an actual joke. You’l hit just before the camera and need to do 50, then its back to 70 after then back to 50/60 on the next camera about 2/3miles down the motorway.
It got that bad i emailed them complaining with video evidence, because it was a common occurrence and couldn’t be anything to do with traffic control.
They ignored me for 2 months until i sent another email in which they instantly responded to the first with a generic bullshit response about how smart motorways work and completely ignored what i stated in the email.
Im sick of them, they’re useless and cause more problems than they solve.
After several deaths (and likely more to come), and countless complaints about dangerous issues, why are “Smart” motorways still a thing?
Sadly knowing this country, it’s highly likely that someone/some firm are getting backhanders for this shit idea.