"Smart" motorways

[Ballet On Ice]

investigation on Panorama now - fucking death traps - typical British cut price way of trying to solve a problem - in this case congestion

Absolute joke of a system, people get killed on the hard shoulder from time to time because some driver drifts out of the lane, take away the hard shoulder and you make it 10 20 50 or more worse. Any driver being distracted for just a second can run straight into the back of the broken down car or into the back of anyone who has to stop behind it. Who could ever think this would work.

Plus the hard shoulder is how the emergency services or breakdown vehicles get to the problem.
The breakdown vehicle can’t get to the broken down vehicle to move it, and the police ambulance etc cant get to the victim if it’s a crash.
Pure stupidity of genius proportions.

 

[Kinkladze 1]

Sorry this isnt entirely true, the new ones have serious design flaws.

That shouldn’t be an issue if you’re not a shit driver.

 

[Kinkladze 1]

Unless someone is unfortunate enough to break down.... then it’s a death trap. You should try it.

Shouldn’t be a problem. Come to a halt in the near side lane, get out of your car and stand in the trees. It’s the imbeciles who can’t a) get over and b) who can’t either stop in time to not hit a stationary vehicle ffs or change lanes in time to avoid it who are the problem.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Shouldn’t be a problem. Come to a halt in the near side lane, get out of your car and stand in the trees. It’s the imbeciles who can’t a) get over and b) who can’t either stop in time to not hit a stationary vehicle ffs or change lanes in time to avoid it who are the problem.

There are stretches of smart motorways though where it is physically impossible to do that, there is nowhere to go and it is not possible to get off the motorway

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

Shouldn’t be a problem. Come to a halt in the near side lane, get out of your car and stand in the trees. It’s the imbeciles who can’t a) get over and b) who can’t either stop in time to not hit a stationary vehicle ffs or change lanes in time to avoid it who are the problem.

So what you are saying is there is no need for any cameras as people should be able to see a broken down vehicle regardless. Unfortunately we don't live in that kind of society and allowances are made to pick up on the ability of the majority of drivers not just the most observant.

 

[Kinkladze 1]

There are stretches of smart motorways though where it is physically impossible to do that, there is nowhere to go and it is not possible to get off the motorway

How could this scenario you describe be possible? There is always a near side lane. Stop in it. Get out. Stand in the trees. It’s the seemingly blind clowns who crash in the back of said stopped vehicle who are the problem.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

Shouldn’t be a problem. Come to a halt in the near side lane, get out of your car and stand in the trees. It’s the imbeciles who can’t a) get over and b) who can’t either stop in time to not hit a stationary vehicle ffs or change lanes in time to avoid it who are the problem.

And if you are a wheelchair driver and are unable to get out of your car and over the barrier that is just your tough luck ?

 

[Kinkladze 1]

So what you are saying is there is no need for any cameras as people should be able to see a broken down vehicle regardless. Unfortunately we don't live in that kind of society and allowances are made to pick up on the ability of the majority of drivers not just the most observant.

I never mentioned cameras.... and if someone can’t see a stationery vehicle that they are approaching I would suggest they shouldn’t be behind the wheel.

 

[Kinkladze 1]

And if you are a wheelchair driver and are unable to get out of your car and over the barrier that is just your tough luck ?

And if you are a wheelchair driver and are unable to get out of your car and over the barrier that is just your tough luck ?

Wheelchair or not you should be perfectly safe sitting in your car until help arrives. People behind you should absolutely not in any circumstances be crashing in the back of you. It happens though because the roads are overrun with abysmal drivers who don’t look beyond the end of their own bonnet. The dangers are because of shit drivers.

 

[smevchenko]

Shouldn’t be a problem. Come to a halt in the near side lane, get out of your car and stand in the trees. It’s the imbeciles who can’t a) get over and b) who can’t either stop in time to not hit a stationary vehicle ffs or change lanes in time to avoid it who are the problem.

All roads have the same problem.... bad drivers. At least with a dedicated hard shoulder, you have the relative safety that under normal circumstances, the lane is not used by anyone unless they are stationary (apart from entering and rejoining the main carriageway). With the 'Smart Motorways', that safety net has been taken away, and you are now reliant on the technology to close the lane quickly. However, 'closing' a lane is just putting a red cross on the gantry's above the lane. You are then still at the mercy of drivers a) knowing it is illegal to travel under a red cross, therefore moving out of the lane and b) actually bothering to pay attention to the red crosses, they see a clear lane and think 'fuck it, nice and empty, I will fly down there and save some time'

Not everyone will feel they can safely exit a vehicle with traffic flying past them either, so just telling them to head for the trees is a little naive.

So yes, whilst I agree that bad drivers can be largely responsible for a crash, you need to create as safe a road as possible, and not having a hard shoulder does not meet that requirement.