Coroner calls for review of Smart Motorways

[coolguy]

Survey completed. I have had problems on a Smart Motorway - they are frightening.

[stevestrat]

Completed the survey. Personally I have no confidence what so ever in "smart" motorways.

[wraymond]

Wouldn't it be nice if the identity of the steering group that introduced this ridiculous suicidal idea were known? They could then be prosecuted and made to repay their presumably vastly excessive payment. Oh, and barred from having anything to do with road safety in the future.

[COLVERT]

Completed it.

Smart motor way.---Bit like rock climbing wearing a blindfold.--

[Bolin]

Done.

A few months back I was driving east on the M3 in the left lane (what used to be the hard shoulder), following a lorry.

I was getting closer to the lorry, to the point whee I was about to pull into the next lane to overtake, when the lorry very suddenly moved into that lane.

Which suddenly left me with a broken down car in the live lane not far ahead at all - thankfully there was nothing in the next lane so I too could pull over but it was far too close for comfort.

And what would have happened if the motorway was really busy? Slam on the brakes and hope for a gap in the next lane and hope not to get hit by a vehicle behind?

And just what the hell should you do if you break down in a live lane with a passenger in a wheelchair in the car? They can't just jump out of the car and leap to safety over the barrier in a few seconds.......

[stevestrat]

Its like a lottery, hoping nothing goes wrong and if it does praying somebody with glazed over eyes who has been staring at umpteen monitor screens all day actually spots it and the drivers following are paying attention and not on automatic pilot. There's nothing smart about that arrangement.

[trikey]

Survey done, lets hope a panel with common sense read the results and get rid of the 'smart' motorway.

[BRG75]

Survey completed.


Question 8, I tried to answer as "other" and stated "only original hard shoulder addresses issue of emergency vehicle access".

Couldn't find the button for "other", so had to submit less than 100 mtrs.

Any one else have this issue please?

[AndyN01]

Originally Posted by Bolin

..I was getting closer to the lorry, to the point where I was about to pull into the next lane to overtake, when the lorry very suddenly moved into that lane.... Which suddenly left me with a broken down car in the live lane not far ahead at all - thankfully there was nothing in the next lane so I too could pull over but it was far too close for comfort......

Totally playing Devil's advocate here.

I've been in a similar position and I'm sure there's a vast number of others who have as well.

Did you have enough distance to STOP in the distance you could see to be clear in your own lane?

But let me guess.... the lorry didn't move out when it was "safe" distance away which would have given you possibly 3 times the distance you needed (lorry weight + speed is going to need much more STOPPING distance).

And I absolutely know what it's like to break down and crawl to a refuge area. Been there, done that, got the underpants to show for it.

I keep harping on about space not speed. And, in general, we know the group of drivers that don't keep their distance - they're mentioned above.

I'd happily see a massive campaign of targeting "tailgating" lorries on the Motorway network with big incentives to change their behaviours. Perhaps the thought of being pulled off the motorway for a multi agency check of the vehicle, the load, the driver etc. etc. might be enough?

Glad that your skills kept you safe and you weren't involved in any sort of collision.

Take care out there.

[COLVERT]

Andy. We don't live in a perfect world and what you suggest will NEVER happen.--However these Smart motor ways only add considerably to the possibility of being killed on one of them. They are definitely detrimental to road safety and should be re-structured ASAP.