Smart motorways - what is wrong with drivers??

[Frustrated9182]

KEEP LEFT UNLESS YOU ARE OVERTAKING. It’s simple.

On the M1 now (as a passenger obviously). 2 middle lanes full. Inside lane empty. It’s absolutely madness. Why don’t people understand how to drive properly on a motorway??

Maybe they are thinking the slow lane is a hard shoulder?

Smart motorways should be renamed death motorways. They are like some kind of Squid Game.
I am so glad they are not going to build anymore.
I can’t imagine why anyone thought prioritising journey times over people’s lives was a good idea.

Because they have read the stats for smart motorway deaths and on a clear motorway, want to reduce their chances of becoming one.

Because they are not punished for their fear of the left hand lane. Middle lane hoggers should face points on their licence, and people such as the OP should be able to submit video evidence and prosecutions follow.

We don't have a 'war on the motorist' (other than parking charges) and we should have one on bad motorists.

Smart motorways should go in my view, but that will not stop middle lane hoggers on normal ones, who should be prosecuted.

Yes, we call it the death lane and don't use it other than in very slow traffic. Always use the inside lane when not overtaking on regular motorways with a hard shoulder though. I have seen quite a few twits driving in lane 3 on the "dumb" motorways recently with nothing on their inside.

I never use the left hand lane on smart motorways unless approaching my exit.

I know someone who was killed and someone who had life changing injuries from avoidable accidents on smart motorways. Both would be alive and well if there had been a hard shoulder.

I will not drive on the inside lane of a smart motorway unless in very slow traffic.

On a normal motorway I will always move over to the left after overtaking - can’t stand middle lane drivers.

Not a fucking chance would I use the death lane on a smart motorway. They need to be done away with. Crazy idea.

I was on a smart motorway recently and passed a broken down car in lane 1/ the hard shoulder. The cameras had not picked up on it and were still indicating the blocked lane as 70mph. That’s why people don’t use them. In the case of smart motorways, I think staying in lane 2 when 3 and 4 are still open is acceptable.

Soporalt
You* *won't be any better off in lane 2 if you break down. There will be traffic thundering by on both sides then which is even more dangerous.

I agree that smart motorways are a bad idea and that lane discipline is even worse than on 3 lane ones. Education and enforcement would be a start but motorway police seem only to turn out for Channel 5.

I drove along a smart motorway recently - for the first time. It took me about 5 miles to realise, yes, they truly do mean to drive on the hard shoulder and get into a mess every junction. Sorry, but I stayed in the original left lane.
So, I'd say they need to put a hard shoulder in, then more people would drive in the left hand lane.

Because people treat it as a hard shoulder and stop in it when they could limp the car to the next exit! They are a great idea if a) people know how to use them, b) you limit access to well maintained (could be ANPR enforced from service history) cars with full run flats.

Someone I know posted that they were stop on a motorway a mile from the exit with a misfire from a spark plug......keep going even new block isn't worth the risk to your life from stopping.

I hate the smart section on the M1 and don't like being in lane 1 as I never know if I will come across a stranded car as we did on the M25 a few years back. But even so, we saw lots of cars in lanes 3 and 4 who were not overtaking anyone and should have been in lane 2 at the very least

I hate smart motorways but the drivers who refuse to use the lanes correctly make them much more dangerous!

you can’t just decide not to use a lane!

Um... they made the motorway "smart" - but unfortunately they ran out of cash to upgrade the drivers on it.

I use the slow lane on the smart stretch of the M1 everyday - am not dead yet by the way (despite loathing the bloody things). Seen some epic examples of stupidity though.

I would move into lane 1 if I had a breakdown and pray I could make it to one of the (far too infrequent) emergency bays. But in lane 2 I'm more likely to be able to avoid broken down vehicles in lane1.

Around here the left lane on smart motorways is only to get off at the next junction, it isn't a real left lane as such

I won't use the lane - if it's a motorway I don't know I don't want to risk being filtered off unexpectedly and unable to move right safely in time. The M6 around Birmingham is dreadful. The number of times cars (and lorries) switch across sharply as the lane suddenly changes from motorway to exit only is frightening.

I also don't want to risk coming up fast to a car stopped in it.

They are incredibly dangerous and I can't believe anyone ever thought they were a good idea

It's not just smart motorways. 4 lanes, empty lanes 1 & 2, traffic (multiple cars) in lane 3 doing 55, why? I was in lane 1 traveling at 70 mph (cruise control) do I pull across 3 lanes to overtake? Undertake? That was this morning, similar yesterday, Thursday (Friday traffic was chocca!) I use the motorway most days 2 junctions. People have forgotten their Highway Code!

How do you all survive on dual carriageways which can also be up to 70mph and rarely have a hard shoulder, or even emergency bays, and little CCTV coverage? Do you all just stick to the outside lane in case you break down or come across someone who has? Of course not. The motorways I've driven on in France mainly have no full hard shoulder either, just a narrow boundary space.
Agree the smart lane should just be for those getting off at next Jct (and I think I've only been in ones set up that way).
It seems like lots of drivers have just made up their own rules so you never know what nonsense someone is going to pull, and lane discipline is atrocious.

I refuse to use that lane following a near miss with a family changing a tyre in it.

I only use 2 motorways and only about 3/4 times a year. When I get to the 4 lane stretch at J2 on the M3 I go in lane 2 as I need the Gatwick turning. I made the mistake of staying in lane 1 once and had to get of at the Heathrow junction as I was hemmed in. On the M25 it's lanes 2&3 all the way until I get to the filter lane I need.

I will not drive on the far left (ex hard shoulder) lane on a "smart" motorway. I stick to the original left hand lane.

Because drivers are constantly making risk assessments to stay safe... unlike the government.

But they are making it more dangerous for those who are driving following the rules of the road.

by lane hogging you are either going to slow down two lanes to your speed, make a driver have to move across two lanes to overtake or make a judgement call to undertake. None of which make the middle lane hogger a safe driver!