Motorways are not fit for purpose

[Brieandcamembert]

Four times in the last few weeks I've needed to go places on the motorway in different parts of the UK. Every time there has been some sort of delay. One time it should have been a 25 minute journey that took me 55 as I had to come off the motorway and detour. Another was a 20 minute jam for no discernible reason. I did a longer trip of around 100 miles and in that time there were 3 lots of congestion. A lorry hitting a car, a broken down car and a jam of 18 minutes caused by lorries overtaking and middle lane drivers clogging the whole system.

Tonight my satnav twice warned of traffic situations on my way to a friend's so I came off the motorway and was 20 minutes late.

I find it absurd that a motorway should work very effectively with people driving along in a straight line and periodically going around one another but actually you always need to allow much longer than you really need. I think volume of cars is a problem but I honestly think much of it is terrible driving. People driving too slow (55 ish) not overtaking properly and moving back in, then the tailgaters so they haven't got the stopping distance when things do happen.

It's starting to really annoy me that you can't ever just plan to anywhere.

Aibu to think a second part of your driving test on the motorway should be compulsory.

More like too many drivers aren't fit for purpose. I hate this phrase

Speeding seems to cause most accidents and it's those that tend to lead to delays

So rather than objecting to the 55 mph driver , everyone should be like them

Every time there has been some sort of delay.

The delay is you, its traffic.

It isn't the motorways that are at fault.

It's poor driving, and the prat who decided 'smart motorways' were a good idea.

Middle Lang hoggers, people not knowing how to overtake, smart motorways which are dangerous., and too many users.

It’s the drivers not the roads

I agree. So many drivers hog the middle lane and slow down, and it's illegal to undertake so you have to slow down too or try your luck in the 'fast' lane where the 'look at my tiny penis' drivers are doing 110mph and then when there is the inevitable accident, everybody slows down to see the damage, and bodies if there are any, and traffic comes to a standstill for no reason at all. I hate motorway driving.

Agree. They’re a total nightmare. They’re either full of roadworks because they’re being turned into a “smart” motorway or they’re already a smart motorway so every time a car breaks down everything grinds to a halt because there’s no hard shoulder for them to pull over onto.

I’ve spent a lot of time driving up and down the M1 lately and the traffic grinds to a standstill every 50 miles or so because there’s no hard shoulder to accommodate breakdowns. It’s a total nightmare.

I almost never drive on motorways as we don't have them here but have recently driven Norfolk to Devon and back again so used various motorways (M6, M5, M42 iirc) and was surprised by their efficiency but horrified by the other drivers. Lots of pootling along in the middle lane regardless, undertaking, changing lanes without indicating, weaving, doing 45mph despite clear conditions, tailgating etc. It was exhausting. Quick though!

You have a point,however I bet it is generally still quicker to taking the motorway route than not so whilst it is annoying, you probably need to adjust your expectations.

I was caught up in the horrible incidents on the M5 a couple of weeks ago. It sounded so bad but they were at the point of having to turn vehicles around on the carriageway and get them off the slip road the "wrong" way while traffic coming in the correct direction was stacked back for miles. A journey we'd done the day before in 90 mins (Bristol to Birmingham for commonwealth games) took over four hours as there were road works on the diversion.
I wondered what they do in other countries in similar circumstances? There are very few alternative routes in some journeys and it is makes it extremely difficult to go what are really quite short distances.
I don't know what the answer is, better driving training maybe.

What makes things tricky is the sheer number of trucks, vans and lorries in the outside lane which, if you're trying to pull in as per Highway Code, is very tricky owing to the speeds at which things happen. I drove down south via m6 and it was literally three lanes reduced to 2 as the outside lane was solidly packed with large vehicles. 2 lanes doesn't give enough room for manoeuvres and then you get middle lane people refusing to overtake and then you get the tailgating, the sudden braking, the random patches of slowness out of nowhere.... god I'm annoyed thinking about it.

Having spent 2 weeks in France I can say we have rubbish service stations and waaaay toooo many cars on the road.

*as in England does not France

I worry most about the smart motorways with no hard shoulder. I hate driving on those.

Just got back from France - travelled from one of the busiest areas in France on a Saturday in August and had one 20 minute delay.

And I agree about the service stations in France. They are so frequent.

For example. You tuck yourself in behind a lorry and drive safely, then find yourself needing to move out to the second lane to find that you can't... cos some prat is doing the same speed and not pulling over or in to the right lane. So then when you finally get into the middle lane the traffic is backing up cos you know, nobody moves so then you pull into the inner lane and hey presto someone is riding up your rear at stupid miles an hour.... gah.

Motorways do have a special place in hell. Ultimately though it is the number of vehicles using them that causes the issue and we are all a part of that problem!

I’m not giving up my car and can’t give up motorway driving as I live below the M25 and my family above.

I do try to pick my times carefully and tend to travel at the weekend or early morning.

Terrible driving is probably 90%, bad roadworks planning the other 10%.

Snitching on people is generally frowned upon, but if you could report middle lane hoggers with dashcam evidence and the law/courts were supportive, you could improve motorway driving within a few years.

Oh OP, are you suggesting that people who don’t have access to a motorway can’t get a license?
Everyone north of Perth should have a bike or a horse maybe?
I’m not sure the citizens of Inverness would be pleased to find out they couldn’t sit their test without driving on a motorway.

No such thing as undertaking. It’s overtaking on the inside.

If everyone used lanes correctly there would be free flowing traffic but unfortunately you get your middle lane Brendas who cock everything up.

@BionhipWoman You do not have to slow down to their speed, you can continue at your speed, that's not undertaking. In order to under/overtake you have to leave your current lane to go around somebody, if there is nobody in front of you, the other lanes are none of your concern.

"Aibu to think a second part of your driving test on the motorway should be compulsory."

There is no motorway within 30-40 min of my house, and it's about the same distance from my nearest test centre. It's not a busy stretch of motorway either, and just two lanes, so I don't see what would be gained by testing on it.

It seems to me that it’s lorries and caravans that cause the problems. If they try and overtake everyone else is knackered.