Are smart motorways a smart move?

The problem is the (un)smart motorways being implemented are very different to the active traffic management that was introduced on the M42 as the initial trial. On that hard shoulder running was only during busy periods, with mandatory lower speed limts, full scale gantries very few hundres yards enabling the hard shoulder to be closed again if there was any incident, and laybys every 1/4 of a mile so you’d be unlucky to break down and not make it to the next layby.

With the new schemes as a cost saving measure the hard shoulder is open 24/7 so you can use it at NSL, laybys are only every 2km (1.6 miles) so you’ve every chance of breaking down and being stranded in a live running lane, few gantries enabling it to be closed. At night the chances of being hurtled into the back by an HGV are almost inevitable if you break down.

As malcolm r points out above, sections of motorway with hard-shoulder running are closely monitored. Presumably it would be a simple matter to temporarily reduce the speed limit and, if appropriate, close a lane in the event of a breakdown. Plus, if a motorway is so congested that it benefits from hard-shoulder running it really should have a speed limit somewhat lower than 70mph anyway (raod capacity increases at lower speeds).

Tyre shreds, etc. currently end up on the hard shoulder because there is no traffic there. If the hard shoulder were in regular use shreds would be thrown completely clear of the motorway.

Hard shoulders are indeed a safety margin, but we need to ask ourselves if they are (and have always been) unnecessarily generous. A lay-by every few hundred metres might well be adequate.

You’re dead right about Murphy’s Law. Fundamentally, it’s because people are concerned with travel time not distance, so improving the road network simply increases the ‘catchment area’ of a workplace or home. Arguably, this is a good thing.

My view? Let’s cautiously introduce hard shoulder running and learn.

I feel strongly that many of our problems in the UK are due to rising population. Obviously dealing with this will not sort out the problem of congested motorways any time soon, but we need to start talking about how to deal with the problem in the longer term.

. . . or perhaps we just need to redistribute the population to reduce congestion by relocating workplaces . Perhaps this might happen in an uncontrolled way by natural processes – the cost of housing in London & the south east will become prohibitive, road and public transport congestion will become unmanageable, and the quality of life so will become so unappealing that the slow drift to the provinces will gather pace; unfortunately, at the moment, all that is doing is extending the journey without relieving congestion. Instead of solving the problem, smart motorways might only prolong the agony.

The impact of new housing on roads is covered by planning not building regulations. So it is entirely under the control of the Local Authority. However, given the chronic housing shortage in the UK, I suspect proposals to give people a roof over their head will be seen as somewhat more important than traffic congestion!

A dramatic improvement in public transport (cost, convenience, availability, comfort, etc) looks to be the best answer.

I believe the pressure of traffic growth is caused more by sub-division of households, longevity, and rising affordability of personal transport [adding capacity, frequency and journey length] than by population migration, although that must play a part. There is statistically a sufficiency of housing – it’s just not where people want it, and nothing much is being done to bring about a more rational distribution. It will take a long time before economic forces alone will make much difference; meanwhile we will carry on spending vast sums on highway enlargements and new railway lines.

I have used American toll roads in the past and they were much cheaper than ours. Used the M6 Toll too and it was a great relief compared to the M6, but feel it is rather over-priced.

There may be some solution in pricing all roads to all users, but then it would be unfair to keep our steep petrol duty and road taxes on top of he tolls!

Forcing all drivers to use smaller and lighter cars may also help in the short term. Cars are getting bigger and heavier and you only need to look at the space some of these cars occupy in car parks to see the difference this would make on the road!

In the long term, to keep the roads moving and to preserve our health and the planet, I believe there is no alternative to population control!

Martin,

I agree wholeheartedly with you on cost.

Another problem is that we cannot just keep covering Britain with more and more concrete and asphalt. All we’re doing is trading one unpleasant fact of life for another, it makes no sense at all.

Making use of the hard shoulders gives us a lot of extra road space at the environmental cost of a few lay-bys.

I am not keen on enlarging motorways, but what happens when vehicles break down or a driver becomes ill when driving and there is no hard shoulder?

It would be interesting to have some facts about breakdowns and illness – just how many would prevent the driver reaching a refuge (proposed at 800m intervals, so an average travel of 400m)? Regarding breakdowns and illness with no hard shoulder, this is just the situation that pertains on most of our trunk roads – whether dual or single carriageway. We seem to take that in our stride with far less of the traffic monitoring proposed for those sections of motorways affected. If we cannot reduce traffic volume then a way of using our roads more efficiently without excessive cost is surely worth trying?

Smart motorways are already with us, to some extent, so it would also be useful to have figures for breakdowns etc. and to see how they compare with motorways with hard shoulders with regard to accidents.

One problem with speed limit restrictions on motorways, whether for maintenance work or variable speed limits, is that few pay any attention unless done in conjunction with speed cameras.

The need for a hard shoulder would be reduced when you can park your vehicle on the roadside in case of emergency, without risking being hit by a 40 ton truck with a sleepy driver.

You may argue that reducing the speed limit on motorways would help but how far would you go to minimise the risk of this happening and the impact of such collision?