Scrap Dangerous Motorway Hard Shoulder Plans, Mps Warn

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36664116

I am not sure if this has been debated yesterday. I heard about it on my personal radio when I was on the train.

If the MP's manage to put the kibosh on this, then they will have done something worthwhile this week. Bloody madness !

[whiskeryron]

Yet another case of ''The Lunatics Running The Asylum''

[fbg40]

As a retired fireman who had the M4 on his station's ground and attended numerous motorway accidents, I would say this is madness. We often had cause to use the hard shoulder to gain access to the incident/s. I dread to think what access Fire Brigades would have if this were brought into force !
FBG40

[Dodger666]

We have them on the M42 & M6 in the Midlands and I have used them frequently. They are only used in peak times and speed is signed down to 40mph max, it never moves that fast normally at peak times. Should an accident occur on the nearside(hard shoulder) lane the overhead sign soon shows a cross for motorists to get over to the next lane.

The following has been copied from newspaper articles:-

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “’All-lane running’ roads are designed to be as safe as ordinary motorways.

“In the two ‘all-lane running’ sections on the M25, accidents were down 17% and casualty rates fell by 21% in the first year.

Experts say surveys show the number of accidents has actually gone DOWN on stretches of motorways with part-time four-lane running.

This idea was pioneered on the M42 south of Birmingham in 2006 and has been hailed by the Highways Agency as a great success.

Since then, two stretches of the M6 – from Junction 4 (the M42) to Junction 5 (Castle Bromwich) and Junction 8 (the M5) to Junction 10A (the M54) – have been turned into part-time, four-lane motorways.

[New Judge]

The number of accidents may well have decreased, dodger. But that isn't the point. When there is one the emergency services need to get to the scene quickly. They cannot do so with no hard shoulder.

[TWR]

Dodger, have you ever witnessed a HGV wipe out a family? A car & passenger?

[mushroom25]

some of the decisions of the highways authority are puzzling. the first section of the M1 to be fully lit was between J16 and J18; this was done in 1973-ish after a series of bad accidents over the previous winter, that particular stretch (past watford gap services) was particularly prone to fog, etc. as part of the works to convert the M1 into 4 lanes (without shoulder), all the carriageway lighting has been removed, presumably for energy cost reasons. there have been no accidents since that was done, but that could well be because of the 50mph speed limit which, with the average speed cameras, is 89% observed by traffic.

we shall see, but it does rather suggest that safety is trumped by money every time.

[Hopkirk]

Dodger, there are two types of Smart motorway.

The first type brought in has a hard shoulder which can be converted to a running lane. Crucially this can swiftly be cancelled, so the cars leave that lane if someone breaks down or if there is an accident.

I have no problem with this, it works well.

The latest cheap version is no hard shoulder at all, and I consider this very dangerous.

The Highways Agency put up a red cross to stop the nearside lane being used, but huge numbers of arrogant idiots ignore it and just keep driving up the closed lane.

It is also noticable that the investment in cameras has been vastly scaled back since the earlier trials on the M42.

[Dodger666]

Then we must have the first type of hard shoulder lane in the Midlands.

The hard shoulder lane is generally red crossed at quieter times and is only used during times of heavy traffic that can hardly move anyway. All lanes are also regulated to 40mph max.

I agree, 70mph down the hard shoulder lane is dangerous.

[mushroom25]

//Then we must have the first type of hard shoulder lane in the Midlands.//

on the M42, and those parts of the M5/M6 in the immediate Birmingham area, yes. however the latest part of the M6 to be modified (J11A to J13) is 4 lane no shoulder, and so will the next parts of the M6 to be done (J13-J19), as well as the M5 from Lydiate Ash to Worcester, and the M1 from J13 to J19.

[Dodger666]

^^^^

Those are the bits I use regularly.

[malagabob]

M6 J 8 to J12 isn't this area hard shoulder at peak times. Planned/ work going on for M5 South of Birmingham

[waterboatman]

Madness. 'Accidents' waiting to happen.