MPs want halt to smart motorway rollout

[Alsatian]

BBC News - MPs want halt to smart motorway rollout over safety concerns
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46553654

In principle I think the idea of smart motorways (where the hard shoulder is converted to a permanent live running lane) are a good way of improving traffic flow, but that means that all drivers must be fully aware of their surroundings at all times.
Unfortunately that doesn't happen, due to various reasons - including the effects of drink, drugs, tiredness, mobile phones, plain stupidity, etc etc.

Hardly a morning goes by without a warning of a delay on our stretch of the M1 (which has been converted to a smart motorway) due to breakdown and/or accident. I fail to grasp why there are so many incidents on motorways, as everyone is travelling in the same direction, therefore cutting down the possible cause(s) of accidents.

If every driver drove to the standard of driving required to pass the driving test, and concentrated 100% on driving, instead of talking on their phones (including hands free) and not driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs, then there would be far fewer collisions. Also everyone wants to get from A to B in the shortest possible time, why not set off earlier and give yourself plenty of time - then there's no need to drive like a boy racer?

It annoys me immensely when there are reports of accidents on 'dangerous' roads as there's no such thing as a dangerous road, these are roads that need a different driving technique - it's drivers themselves that are dangerous.

Rant over!

[Sorastro]

As someone who drove for a living 95% of my working life knew these "smart" motorways were a bad idea from the off, and have said so on numerous occasions. A child of three could figure out that any sudden emergency concerning your vehicle it needs to be on the {constant} hard shoulder asap {out of harms way and not a danger to other traffic} these smart motorways only have a"lay-by" every few miles so it goes without saying these "safer" motorways are anything but.

 The good thing is the powers that be have JUST found this out, the bad news is once again more money is going to be poured down the drain to put it right, and the sooner the better.
It makes you wonder just what these politicians are paid for, certainly not their expertise because they have none.

[Alsatian]

As someone who drove for a living 95% of my working life knew these "smart" motorways were a bad idea from the off, and have said so on numerous occasions. A child of three could figure out that any sudden emergency concerning your vehicle it needs to be on the {constant} hard shoulder asap {out of harms way and not a danger to other traffic} these smart motorways only have a"lay-by" every few miles so it goes without saying these "safer" motorways are anything but.

 The good thing is the powers that be have JUST found this out, the bad news is once again more money is going to be poured down the drain to put it right, and the sooner the better.
It makes you wonder just what these politicians are paid for, certainly not their expertise because they have none.

Agree 100% with you 

[Fly]

So they spend millions putting in overhead signs, then millions more taking them out and creating havoc for years turning the hard shoulder into another lane, putting more and more expensive signs back up then decide it wasn't such a good idea after all 

So how about they stop HS2 now before any more damage is done for no good reason.
The only thing that comes out of all this is jobs for people for a good few years.

[Sorastro]

The reason politicians c*ck up is when they plan these Eureka moments they forget to ask the people who it's going to directly effect.

A few questions asked of firms employees like Eddie Stobarts, AA,RAC, the police even BEFORE they set out on this "miraculous" way of making our motorways "safer" 

I think it's time we started throwing a few of these M.P.'s in jail as, like lawbreakers, they're a menace to society.

[Sorastro]

Hello..! it looks like someone {news today} has found out that these smart motorways are actually a danger {who would have thought it,}

These politicians..if brains were dynamite they wouldn't have enough to blow their hats off.

[Alsatian]

OK, so smart motorways are here to stay! I think that's just been done as a face saving exercise by the government.

Now I'm led to believe that 'driverless cars' are planned to be allowed on our roads soon. I think this is a road to disaster (pun intended) :

Firstly they will be allowed on motorways travelling at a maximum speed of 37mph! Now if that isn't going to add to congestion and road rage, I don't know what is!

Secondly drivers must remain behind the wheel and be alert to traffic and road conditions around them. I imagine/hope the majority will, BUT, there will always be the idiots who think its clever to sit in the passenger seat and/or not pay attention to the road (as the recent Tesla crash in America where the two occupants died - neither of them behind the wheel 🙁

What's wrong with going from a to b under your own steam and paying attention to what you're doing?

My wife and I went for a drive (local) yesterday and enjoyed it, and it was a pleasant drive - and in these times, a novelty too!

It all beggars belief to me I'm afraid.

[Alsatian]

So, according to a media source, Rishi Sunak has agreed that smart motorways aren't the be all and end all to the future of our motorway systems and, as such, he is halting the roll out of smart motorways. 🎉🎊🎈

......... But, before we go overboard celebrating........ he isn't reverting the existing smart motorway sections back to the good old fashioned motorways with a hard shoulder?!

So, on the one hand he's admitted that there are definite safety concerns but, on the other hand, he can't be bothered to save lives in the future by reverting existing sections.

It beggars belief 🤬

[Sorastro]

The unfortunate thing about all this {apart from the fact the motorist is totally powerless} is that even though they may reverse their decision traffic will still have to use these smart motorways for a few more years.

One solution they may consider is closing down lane one to make it a "hard shoulder" only trouble is it will take time to re educate drivers NOT to use that lane.
Took the wife to Ikea in Eastwood the other day, went through Ripley and Codnor, no way was I going by motorway I avoid it like the plague. Yes there are times when I find myself using the M1 because it's unavoidable but I get off it onto the a and b roads asap.

[Sorastro]

Driver less cars are to be trialled in the UK.

We have enough idiots on the roads without encouraging them to be even less diligent. This is a recipe for disaster, it follows on from the "smart" motorways idea and no one was surprised at that outcome.

I still think these cars that may be involved in accidents will create a minefield for litigation, car insurance companies etc. The fact that you are still supposed to watch the road even though it's driver less begs the question "Who was in overall charge of the vehicle at the time"
if it's the "driver" then what's the point in "driver less" cars.

[Fly]

If you have a self parking car, but it hits someone or thing. Are you to blame?

[smithy266]

i don't even have 100% confidence in the beep beep camera thing when I reverse...

[Old Cruser]

i don't even have 100% confidence in the beep beep camera thing when I reverse...

I don't like it either. I still use my mirrors 

[Sorastro]

AT LAST........

Someone with a bit of common sense. Some firms have been trialling longer lorries  on Britains roads to cut down lorry journeys, apparently for nearly 13 years {No I don't believe that length of time either}

On the news this evening they interviewed the "boss" of Buffaload a logistics company that's been trialling these longer lorries, when asked if it would work the answer was a definitive NO!!!
He basically said what every good driver was thinking, they are ok whilst on the {wide} motorways but the vast majority of drops are to supermarket and small shops that are on B roads up side streets etc. and they need a bigger turning circle so more blind spots.

It's totally unworkable {big surprise} just like the smart motorway ideas and they are actually being paid to come up with cr*p like this.

[Fly]

Isn't a bigger lorry called a train?
Just needs a few rails putting down and .  .  .  .  .  .
Shut up Fly :-(