AIBU to be shocked about so-called "smart" motorways?

[Bigfatchips]

Trust me, it takes a lot to shock me. Last time I was seriously shocked was when we had to go through an automated check-in for our luggage with Ryan Air last summer. No human contact whatsoever - just loaded our baggage onto the plane via an automated terminal - but that's another story.

Today I drove on the M3 for the first time for about 6 months. There have been roadworks and 50mph limits on the Surrey end of this motorway for at least 3 years, with signs up saying "creating a new smart motorway" at the roadside.

So, am on this new smart motorway today and I realise that what's changed is that it's gone from 3 lanes plus hard shoulder to 4 lanes with NO HARD SHOULDER for miles and miles.

AIBU to think this is completely fucking insane? Where are you supposed to go if you break down or have an emergency inside the car? What if your car literally grinds to a halt in the inside lane? How insanely dangerous is that?! Cars driving up behind you at 70mph - how are they supposed to avoid smashing in to the back of you?

If anyone can reassure me that this is all fine then I would be grateful. Otherwise I'm seriously considering avoiding the M3 altogether even though I need to use it fairly often.

Hope you don't break down in the inside lane then RadioGooGa! I'm guessing you are habitually zipping along in the outside lane at 90mph.

What about the lorry drivers who have no choice but to drive in the inside lane.

Like I said - shocking.

And its all about the money..........what a fucking surprise.

"It's only a mile between junction 4 and 4a".

Oh well that's ok then. But that's not the only part of the motorway with no hard shoulder.

If hard shoulders were not needed, why have we had them for the 60+ years motorways have been in existence?

Essentially, some bean counter did a cost/benefit/risk analysis and the smart motorways, including the increase in fatalities, won out over the cost of widening the motorway network

Fucking hell. Although I don’t know why I’m surprised.

The M1 Smart bit (Junction 9 ish northwards?) is different from the M3. Drive both very regularly. On the M1, there are 4 lanes and the Hard Shoulder can be taken in and out of use and ruled by the gantry signs in response to heavy traffic. On the M3, there are 3 (I think? maybe 4) lanes and the occasional lay-by for emergencies.

I agree, I honestly don't understand how it's safe... I was driving down the motorway once in middle lane when my car completely died, permanently. Had to cruise to the hard shoulder without my indicators in busy traffic across the left hand lane! Was fine as I don't panic easily but if there'd been no hard shoulder what could I have done?

It terrifies me. My car lost power in the right hand lane of the M1 last year. I managed to just about to get to the hard shoulder before it completely cut out. It is giving me nightmares thinking about what might have happened if that part of the motorway had been ‘smart’ at the time. I think they are ‘upgrading’ it currently.

I think it's more than 4 to 4a?

www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/m3-camberley-crash-not-very-13960020

Junctions 2 to 4a, 13.4 miles:

roads.highways.gov.uk/projects/m3-junctions-2-4a-smart-motorway/

Well your two posts, LemonShark and CoperCobana, are exactly why we should all be worried and in my case I think probably avoiding these motorways. I'm not going to risk everything for the sake of getting somewhere 15 minutes sooner!

It's one of the many benefits of year on year high net immigration OP!

More people means more cars. The roads fill up. We get to live more exciting lives by breaking down on motorways with no hard shoulders.

If you try to travel by motorway at night these days you can get even luckier and have an impromptu tour of our beautiful local countryside because the motorway has been shut altogether for essential repairs caused by the sheer weight of traffic causing so much wear and tear.

It's all good. You'd be racist for thinking otherwise.

Currently the M62 is 5 milrs of smart motorway.

Supposed to be variable speed but has been 50 since it opened. 4 lanes and widely spaced refuge areas. Bloody scary. I seem to get more than my fair share of tyre blowouts. The next one will probably kill me.

AF

I travel on the M62 most days between J25 and 27, it's usually 60 but varies 40-70, certainly not stuck at 50 since opening.

Well the general public are always being told we must look after ourselves and keep ourselves in good health .........not put undue pressure on the NHS but what about the extra pressure this will put on the NHS and emergency services.

Makes the patient blaming look even more hypocritical.

I think the gantries have cameras that count/record vehicles and if any go 'missing' the lane is closed, thus further vehicles should change lanes. Not sure how quickly this happens though and presumably the margin for safety will be less when busy.

Sorry, I'm referring to the northbound side. 4a to 4. As I said previously though, you can still grind to a halt or have some kind of mechanical failure in the other lanes.

To the poster who said there's no such thing as an accident. There is. 95% of collisions are avoidable which is why RTA was changed to RTC. 5% are genuine accidents.

Yanbu. Whenever we take the M3 through Surrey the "smart" motorway section gives me the willies.

Yep. Already had deaths attributable to lack of hard shoulder. The laybys they are now constructing (in place of the hard shoulder) raise the risk of an accident by 200% according to the AA (there is no room to accelerate to rejoin the motorway. It would be like pulling out of a parking place straight into moving traffic). A bean counter has worked out that it is cheaper to accept the extra deaths than to widen a motorway. Every consulted body seems to be against it.

So they are pressing ahead with introducing 300 miles of smart motorways over the next few years.

Why bother consulting with anyone? The government clearly regard themselves as infallible so why not save the consultation costs.

Bear in mind that dual carriageways are 70mph and rarely have hard shoulders, but do have more vulnerable road users (bikes, learner drivers etc).

Good point EduCated.

YANBU - I hate these "smart" motorways too. Stupid motorways I call them. So dangerous.

Essentially, some bean counter did a cost/benefit/risk analysis and the smart motorways, including the increase in fatalities, won out over the cost of widening the motorway network.

Christ, that’s terrifying. :(

Using the M1 very frequently, I’ve basically worked out that ‘smart’ motorways are designed to slow you down by junctions for no good reason! Junction 11 is a classic case. Speed limit is 60 at times, then 40. This causes serious log jams then after the junction, where we were all slowed down for no reason, it’s back to national. Bonkers. Drove me nuts driving from London to the Lake District, smart motorways my fucking arse!

If they just fined middle lane hoggers we wouldn't need all this.
I know people who actually admit to staying in the middle lane as it suits their personality.
Yes, cuntish

I drive regularly on smart motorways and I broke down on one. I got out of the car and used the motorway phone, the lane was quickly shut and turned back into a hard shoulder, a highways agency vehicle turned up and towed me to one of the lay bys, and I waited there for the AA. It was fine.