Smart Motorways!

[Deleted member 15344]

I wasn't the only one caught out that day. The images I requested clearly showed the only other vehicle in sight going faster than me.
It could happen to you with a moment's inattention.

how can an image show another vehicle going quicker than you unless it has the speed captured and then they would also have been punished for breaking the law ?
But then can you actually request images of other vehicles ? I believe you can only request the image of your car - so I expect you are telling porkies

As for motorways being safer that is only because help is quicker to arrive than in rural areas, and it's just crunching the numbers.
I am always monitoring the M6 in particular even though I don't go there any more. There are always pile-ups between lorries and cars, like one this morning in Cumbria.
So what causes this? Clues might be found with mobile phone use and sleep deprived drivers. On other roads they are more likely to pull over.

Imurg, Foxholer...judging by the volume of your posts, do you live on this forum?

why are you “monitoring” a motorway ?

Either way just seems that you are bitter about being caught breaking the law

 

[Imurg]

Might have to start monitoring the M11....don't use that one anymore...

 

[Imurg]

Might have to start monitoring the M11....don't use that one anymore...

Heavy traffic around Chigwell apparently....think of the pollution....

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Might have to start monitoring the M11....don't use that one anymore...

You should monitor the I405 in LA, makes our motorways look like country roads, and you get camera feeds.

 

[CliveW]

Think yourselves lucky that you have motorways close by!

 

[MegaSteve]

Any kit is only as good as it's end user... As the standard of driving rarely rises above parlous I'd suggest that's as good a reason as any to consign 'smart' to history...

 

[SocketRocket]

I use the speed limiter on my car, it takes out the chance of unintentional speeding.

 

[clubchamp98]

I4 through Orlando is the scariest road I have driven on .
There’s road works it’s shocking.

 

[shagster]

smart motorways are anything but, hard shoulder for problems
70mph speed limit is a joke this day and age, mind you getting to that can be a miracle
standard of driving is horrendous, most motorists in my area don't know what indicators are for and think they have right of way regardless of what is coming
as for roundabouts, left hand lane then turn right, daily occurrence when i go to golf
too many selfish drivers out there

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The mindset in Oz is obviously different to here in the UK. Many motorists here just will not adhere to speed limits and are so impatient. And therin lies the problem, getting people to SLOW DOWN!
...
TRAFFIC NEEDS TO SLOW DOWN!

Could in part be the fines. In Victoria earlier this year I was done for doing 13km/hr over the 40km/hr limit (I didn't spot the speed limit being reduced as the road skirted a coastal village). I was fined AU$330...

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Think yourselves lucky that you have motorways close by!

Aye - but A9 being improved north of Perth...

Still...best way to drive the A9 is to take your time and grab the opportunity to enjoy the countryside (whilst of course paying attention). So driving down from Inverness a few weeks ago we gave ourselves loads of time. Pity it hammered down and the views were - erm - rather limited...

 

[stefanovic]

how can an image show another vehicle going quicker than you unless it has the speed captured and then they would also have been punished for breaking the law ?
But then can you actually request images of other vehicles ? I believe you can only request the image of your car - so I expect you are telling porkies

Answered this already. The 2nd and 3rd images they provided clearly showed a vehicle going faster than me.

why are you “monitoring” a motorway ?

I want to know what roads to avoid. In my experience the M6 is the worst. It could get better one day but right now I don't want to go there.

 

[stefanovic]

Total chaos on the smart sections around Birmingham today.
M6 closed northbound.
The 4 miles between the airport and Solihull on the M42 once again in big trouble with travel time up to 1 hour 10 minutes.
Simple answer: These 'smart' motorways cause motorists to be confused. 4 lanes with no hard shoulder and screens constantly varying.

 

[Foxholer]

...
Simple answer: These 'smart' motorways cause motorists to be confused. 4 lanes with no hard shoulder and screens constantly varying.

Not quite...More like 'Some motorists are confused by SMs.' But they DO slow traffic down - or penalise those that don't! Whether they work do, or ever will, work to everyone's satisfaction, especially those likely to want to travel 'too fast', is probably unlikely!

 

[Hacker Khan]

You should monitor the I405 in LA, makes our motorways look like country roads, and you get camera feeds.

Just come back from LA yesterday and indeed I drove all the way down the I405 through LA on the way to San Diego, then went back up to LA and was driving around and through it for a few days. Absolutely terrifying to be honest, it's like Death Race 2000 as cars, bikes, scooters just appear from anywhere, undertaking, overtaking, lanes on freeways suddenly appear then disappear, one minute you are in the 2nd inside lane then 100 yards further you are in the same lane but it is now the 2nd outside lane of 8 lanes and you need to get across 6 lanes of solid traffic for the next exit.

 

[clubchamp98]

Just come back from LA yesterday and indeed I drove all the way down the I405 through LA on the way to San Diego, then went back up to LA and was driving around and through it for a few days. Absolutely terrifying to be honest, it's like Death Race 2000 as cars, bikes, scooters just appear from anywhere, undertaking, overtaking, lanes on freeways suddenly appear then disappear, one minute you are in the 2nd inside lane then 100 yards further you are in the same lane but it is now the 2nd outside lane of 8 lanes and you need to get across 6 lanes of solid traffic for the next exit.

Sounds like I4 in Orlando ,scariest I have ever driven on.
Plus they are all on the phone as it’s not illegal there yet!

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Just come back from LA yesterday and indeed I drove all the way down the I405 through LA on the way to San Diego, then went back up to LA and was driving around and through it for a few days. Absolutely terrifying to be honest, it's like Death Race 2000 as cars, bikes, scooters just appear from anywhere, undertaking, overtaking, lanes on freeways suddenly appear then disappear, one minute you are in the 2nd inside lane then 100 yards further you are in the same lane but it is now the 2nd outside lane of 8 lanes and you need to get across 6 lanes of solid traffic for the next exit.

Stop it, you’ll give stefanovic nightmares.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Sounds like I4 in Orlando ,scariest I have ever driven on.
Plus they are all on the phone as it’s not illegal there yet!

I'm slightly surprised by that. I've been twice to Florida and used the I4 daily on both occasions. The first, during Easter, it was an absolute doddle. Last time it was August, a stupid time to go, and it was definitely a bit more tense to drive on but still better than the M6 at rush hour or many other UK motorways at certain hotspots. I liked the undertaking aspect, it was less stressful. I think the slip roads to join are way too short but other than that I was not freaked.

What was it that you didn't like about it? (incidentally, I am not a macho driver, I am used to an easy life driving up here in the NE. Driving my son into Liverpool stresses me out, it's an awful place for cars)

 

[Swango1980]

Total chaos on the smart sections around Birmingham today.
M6 closed northbound.
The 4 miles between the airport and Solihull on the M42 once again in big trouble with travel time up to 1 hour 10 minutes.
Simple answer: These 'smart' motorways cause motorists to be confused. 4 lanes with no hard shoulder and screens constantly varying.

Obviously, because I've never seen traffic delays on any type of road except a Smart Motorway.!!!!!! What a completely and utterly useless piece of information to try and prove your point

If it was possible, I'd double your fine for not only breaking the law, but failing to learn your lesson. A murderer doesn't get let off because someone else standing beside him did 2 murders

 

[SocketRocket]

Dont see the problem with them, you drive along and if it tells you a new maximum speed you just drive slower than that. What does amuse me is seeing drivers on these average speed limits who belt along over the max then slow down when passing the cameras.