Variable speed limits and smart motorways - dangerous!

[Timetotalkhaspassed]

Aibu to think modern motorway driving is more dangerous than it ever has been? I'm a regular M25 user but I know other motorways have similar set ups. I find when they have variable speed limits I spend far more time looking at my Speedo than is safe (I don't have cruise control in my car). Add in the M25 is a smart motorway and I spend half my time checking my Speedo and the other half checking gantries for what the speed limit is or if they've thrown a red X up.

Is anyone else finding this?

Honestly, no. If there's a new speed limit displayed on the gantry or a red X it's really obvious and you can see it from a long approach normally. Even without cruise control, sticking to a new displayed speed limit (be it 40, 50 etc) surely takes no more work than sticking to 70mph? I find it just as easy to drive on as a regular motorway or road, pay attention to signs and speed limits and it's pretty straight forward imo.

I don't disagree that smart motorways aren't the safest, but that's the no hard shoulder bit rather than people following new speed limits.

I agree with @Tatas. I don't find it difficult to keep track of the speed limit, or the speed I'm going. But I don't like the lack of hard shoulder.

Variable speed is actually a really good idea for safety. The fact that it can be changed due to weather conditions, breakdowns, accidents, etc. is a really excellent safety adjustment.
If you cannot drive at any speed without constantly checking your speedo, you’re not a safe driver - at any speed.

Yes I tend to agree with you both checking one's speed and the no hard shoulder. One of our cars has heads up display and that is far easier to monitor speed.

I do agree on the lack of a hard shoulder, though.
I drove from Kent to just north of Edinburgh last week. The biggest risk to safety is drivers who aren’t looking, who swerve for exits, and who don’t know how to drive a 3 lane motorway.
I also broke my drive overnight, about halfway, and think that a lot of people might benefit from not just driving constantly for 6 hours!

Completely agree with this.

Bad drivers and middle lane hoggers are the main danger in my view.

I don’t like the lack of hard shoulder on smart motorways but I think variable speed limits are a very good idea.

keeping an eye on limits and signs is part of driving and it shouldn’t distract you that much

I agree that the lack of hard shoulder is bad. I also find that if I obey a gantry sign that shows a lane closed, lots of drivers move out into that lane, thinking 'oooh 3rd lane is clear!' because they haven't seen the lane closure sign.

The speed limit I don't understand. You should be keeping at or below 70 in normal conditions, and that is no less difficult than keeping at 50 or under, or 40 or under.

Sorry but sticking to the speed limit is easy. The time it takes to glance at your speedo is less than the time you should spend looking at your three mirrors which you should be doing every 5-8 seconds. People that find this difficult shouldn't really be driving.

Variable speed limits - not a problem. No hard shoulder - death trap.

I despise smart motorways. The lack of a hard shoulder is incredibly dangerous. Any car could suddenly fail at any moment.

Even being forced into limp mode is dangerous if you have to travel at slow speed. I don't care if they close the lane or not. You could very easily have a car in lane one in limp mode and a car in lane three have a blowout.

Enough people die on the hard shoulder. Taking even that away blows my mind at the idiocy.

Agree I use cruise control but find the number of speed cameras a hazard on smart motors ways and average speed checks are even worse if you don't have cruise control.

You become obsessed with speed over cruising at around 70mph and sometimes creeping up to even 80mph realising a slowing down. Have a look at inattentive blindness it describes it perfectly. Aviation is great for human factors research but our highways ignores most of the learning points.

Before anyone starts it's inappropriate speed and in appropriate cars that are the issue. Along with people stopping for minor issues on the hard shoulder it's only 1.5miles between bays on a smart motorway you can limp most things that far even if it damages the car. Run flats should be mandatory to use smart motors ways tho.

I can cope with variable speed limits, that's just part & parcel of driving, but the lack of hard shoulders is just plain dangerous.

I don't use the M25 any more.

Im fine with variable speeds but lack of hard shoulder gives me the willies