I absolutely acknowledge the fact that collisions on motorways may largely be a result of significant driver error, however, that in no way absolves those responsible for approving the roll out of these horrific roads of blame. Human behaviour HAS to be a consideration at the design stage.
I speak as someone who has worked in and around motorways for over twenty years, and has investigated countless collisions on them. Anyone who has ever stood on a hard shoulder of a motorway and had traffic thundering by will tell you, categorically, that the hard shoulder is a scary place. I would go as far as saying they are the most dangerous part of the network. I will never forget watching a lorry driving through a 100m taper of illuminated cones, straight into the back of a liveried patrol car which itself was lit up like a Christmas tree. On the “safe” hard shoulder. I have investigated fatal collisions where recovery contractors have been struck whilst loading broken down vehicles onto recovery trucks. On the “safe” hard shoulder.
Turn that hard shoulder into a live lane, where you rely on drivers to adhere to lane closure warnings (in the event they even activate promptly), and it is a clear recipe for disaster. An absolutely ludicrous concept which will continue to cost lives.
I speak as someone who has worked in and around motorways for over twenty years, and has investigated countless collisions on them. Anyone who has ever stood on a hard shoulder of a motorway and had traffic thundering by will tell you, categorically, that the hard shoulder is a scary place. I would go as far as saying they are the most dangerous part of the network. I will never forget watching a lorry driving through a 100m taper of illuminated cones, straight into the back of a liveried patrol car which itself was lit up like a Christmas tree. On the “safe” hard shoulder. I have investigated fatal collisions where recovery contractors have been struck whilst loading broken down vehicles onto recovery trucks. On the “safe” hard shoulder.
Turn that hard shoulder into a live lane, where you rely on drivers to adhere to lane closure warnings (in the event they even activate promptly), and it is a clear recipe for disaster. An absolutely ludicrous concept which will continue to cost lives.