switchlogic:
If you refuse to use the open hard shoulder because of the danger you must cause some massive tailbacks riding along in lane two on roads like the A14. Or do vehicles break down less on dual carriageways? Hard shoulder running isn’t new, some countries like Holland have been doing it donkeys years
The most common reason drivers don’t use the hard shoulder is because unless your coming off at the next junction, you invariably find yourself having to work your way back out of it shortly afterwards. “Use hard shoulder”… next sign… 'Use hard shoulder for Junction 9 only". Rightly or wrongly, drivers can’t be arsed swapping and changing from lane 1-2 in busy traffic when they know lane 2 is the lane they really need to be in planning ahead…
Winseer:
The system is daft because it’s done with “saving money” rather than saving lives in mind. If 4 live lanes were wanted - then 4 lanes should have been widened and a new hard shoulder made out of part of the surrounding field added.
I disagree, we cant keep building over countryside. I’m a fan of smart motorways but if the alternative was tarmac over yet more countryside then I’d happily make do with fewer lanes.
On this subject I have often wondered why and how the M6 toll was ever considered as a good idea, when you think of all the damage and upheaval to the area caused by it’s construction. Surely it would have been more environmentally beneficial to upgrade the existing M6 in some way, rather than a separate parallel complete new motorway.
It just goes to prove that despite what the Govt tries to put across to make themselves look good, profit and gain does actually take precedence over green and environmental issues in the real world.
Winseer:
The system is daft because it’s done with “saving money” rather than saving lives in mind. If 4 live lanes were wanted - then 4 lanes should have been widened and a new hard shoulder made out of part of the surrounding field added.
I disagree, we cant keep building over countryside. I’m a fan of smart motorways but if the alternative was tarmac over yet more countryside then I’d happily make do with fewer lanes.
On this subject I have often wondered why and how the M6 toll was ever considered as a good idea, when you think of all the damage and upheaval to the area caused by it’s construction. Surely it would have been more environmentally beneficial to upgrade the existing M6 in some way, rather than a separate parallel complete new motorway.
It just goes to prove that despite what the Govt tries to put across to make themselves look good, profit and gain does actually take precedence over green and environmental issues in the real world.
I remember reading somewhere that they company running the road was worried about falling revenue as drivers are skipping using the road.
Anyone else noticed an ad campaign on radio telling motorists "RED X means the lane is closed. Also i have seen it on the matrix signs. Maybe the HA have seen a few near misses with using the hard shoulder as a live lane. And were afraid something like this would happen
Winseer:
If ‘smart’ motorways are some mamby-pamby “green” thing then I spit on it - because it kills people.
:
Where are your facts, examples and statistics to back that statement up?.. or is it just a convenient excuse to justify to yourself your inconsiderate driving, and poor lane discipline on these Motorway systems that you have admitted on here
Winseer:
The system is daft because it’s done with “saving money” rather than saving lives in mind. If 4 live lanes were wanted - then 4 lanes should have been widened and a new hard shoulder made out of part of the surrounding field added.
I disagree, we cant keep building over countryside. I’m a fan of smart motorways but if the alternative was tarmac over yet more countryside then I’d happily make do with fewer lanes.
On this subject I have often wondered why and how the M6 toll was ever considered as a good idea, when you think of all the damage and upheaval to the area caused by it’s construction. Surely it would have been more environmentally beneficial to upgrade the existing M6 in some way, rather than a separate parallel complete new motorway.
It just goes to prove that despite what the Govt tries to put across to make themselves look good, profit and gain does actually take precedence over green and environmental issues in the real world.
I remember reading somewhere that they company running the road was worried about falling revenue as drivers are skipping using the road.
How long as it been built now, I can remember it being opened but I have never used it.
Coffeeholic:
The vast majority of hard shoulder RTC’s are nothing to do with Smart Motorways and using the hard shoulder as a live lane. They happen with frightening regularity on ‘normal’ motorways or on smart sections when the h/s isn’t live, as this incident did. A point missed by the terminally bewildered on this thread who ignore the facts because it doesn’t fit in with their need to hog lanes.
So given this fact perhaps we should all use lane 2 at all times in case something breaks down and pulls on the hard shoulder, or perhaps they already do this. Or just stop using motorways because a vehicle could breakdown and come to a halt in any lane at any time.
But then there’s other roads vehicles can break down on? It’s a conundrum.
Maybe just the pant wetters who can’t successfully use a system proven to work and ease congestion should stop driving and leave it to others who can.
I agree, adapting and reacting to road systems and conditions (should) separate the pro.s from the amateurs.
Just to add something, has anybody noticed the latest thing in crap truck driving ?
Middle lane hogging, something that you never saw at one time, another nail in the coffin of professional truck drivers
Winseer:
The system is daft because it’s done with “saving money” rather than saving lives in mind. If 4 live lanes were wanted - then 4 lanes should have been widened and a new hard shoulder made out of part of the surrounding field added.
I disagree, we cant keep building over countryside. I’m a fan of smart motorways but if the alternative was tarmac over yet more countryside then I’d happily make do with fewer lanes.
On this subject I have often wondered why and how the M6 toll was ever considered as a good idea, when you think of all the damage and upheaval to the area caused by it’s construction. Surely it would have been more environmentally beneficial to upgrade the existing M6 in some way, rather than a separate parallel complete new motorway.
It just goes to prove that despite what the Govt tries to put across to make themselves look good, profit and gain does actually take precedence over green and environmental issues in the real world.
The government should buy this road from the operator. It was planned to ease congestion on the M6 Round Birmingham.In its present form it has failed to do that. The scottish government purchased the skye bridge from the french company who built it and made it toll free.
I was in Dublin this week and used the M1 Toll road it only cost €3.60 Less than £3.00. Same with the tunnel €10 before 10am €3 after 10am. Coaches are free.
Even letting HGVs use the toll road free of charge. That would go a long way to easing the M6 through Birmingham
Coffeeholic:
Maybe just the pant wetters who can’t successfully use a system proven to work and ease congestion should stop driving and leave it to others who can.
+1
It’s not that hard to look where you’re going. It’s what you’re paid to do FFS.
It’s a long tale I won’t bore you,the toll road was built at a price,not a quality and would last about a week if any great number of lorries used it,that
from the navvies who actually built it and it was allowed because our Government hoped private companies would take over all our road network
saving them money.Now I did offer to sort out our road network hardly a tough task for a lorry driver but the last thing the Department of Abject
Failure in Transport wanted,the[DAFT], was someone showing them how it should be done.But with what has gone on this week in various places I
really believe we should take over all aspects of transport since those putting so many lives in danger are not up to the job,I think WE are.
switchlogic:
The most common reason drivers don’t use the hard shoulder is because unless your coming off at the next junction, you invariably find yourself having to work your way back out of it shortly afterwards. “Use hard shoulder”… next sign… 'Use hard shoulder for Junction 9 only". Rightly or wrongly, drivers can’t be arsed swapping and changing from lane 1-2 in busy traffic when they know lane 2 is the lane they really need to be in planning ahead…
It’s called driving ffs.
You’re saying the main reason people who drive for a living and are paid to do so don’t use the road properly because they can’t be arsed changing lane and prefer to hog lanes and just stay in one lane, pointing the vehicle in roughly the right direction, instead of actually driving the thing?
Those drivers who go round a roundabout on a dual carriageway then sit in the outside lane holding people up because they are tuning right at the next one 2 or 3 miles down the road, I’m guessing you don’t mind term at all?
Shows how far the standard of truck driving has fallen. As robroy said it used to be a rare thing to see an HGV lane hogging but you see it all the time these days.
Armagedon:
I really believe we should take over all aspects of transport since those putting so many lives in danger are not up to the job,I think WE are.
Posts on this thread from lorry drivers who cannot grasp the most basic of the rules of the road in this country, around which all others are built, ‘Keep Left’, would suggest otherwise.
Coffeeholic:
Those drivers who go round a roundabout on a dual carriageway then sit in the outside lane holding people up because they are tuning right at the next one 2 or 3 miles down the road,
You been down my neck of the woods then 5 soddin miles and 4 roundabouts this prat sat in the right hand side for
Interesting comment Coffeholic and it certainly rules you out of my team.M42 and the use of the hard shoulder is an interesting one.they considered it a cheap
alternative to laying down the road in the proper fashion.The problem with the M42 as will eventually exist on the M6 in the area of the M5 interchange is
the distance between junctions is too short to make moving an artic over onto the hard shoulder and out again, is considered by many including
myself, a dangerous manouvre when the distance involved is so short.I assume you are one of them that is willing to move over and back again,interesting.
Armagedon:
I really believe we should take over all aspects of transport since those putting so many lives in danger are not up to the job,I think WE are.
Oh dear.
Most lorry drivers are full blown cabbages. Are you in the minority? The jury’s out. Go to bed.
[
I agree, adapting and reacting to road systems and conditions (should) separate the pro.s from the amateurs.
Just to add something, has anybody noticed the latest thing in crap truck driving ?
Middle lane hogging, something that you never saw at one time, another nail in the coffin of professional truck drivers
[/quote]
your right enough there…because of??..speed limiters causing the majority of trucks to elephant race at 50 something loaded or empty.
Coffeeholic:
Those drivers who go round a roundabout on a dual carriageway then sit in the outside lane holding people up because they are tuning right at the next one 2 or 3 miles down the road,
You been down my neck of the woods then 5 soddin miles and 4 roundabouts this prat sat in the right hand side for
Yep, happens all over. Too stupid or lazy to keep left until they need to move right.
