I was coming up the M42 this evening in rush hour, traffic was flowing reasonably well, and all four lanes were open including the hard shoulder, and the overhead gantry signs were indicating 50.
I, along with a few others were using the hard shoulder, as instructed by the matrix sign, which read “congestion use hard shoulder”. The next matrix sign read “congestion stay in lane”, fair enough I thought, unecessary lane changing slows traffic down. Then the next matrix sign read “use hard shoulder only for junction X” This was effectively telling you to change lanes unless you were coming off at that particular junction, which slowed the traffic down.
This continued all the way from the top of the M40 to the M6 north junction. Aliitle bit contradictory if you ask me
It’s not as bad as on the roadworks on M1, where you see sign similar to that with “stay in lane” under it. It’s not too good, if you are in lane, which is going to end in 800 yards
It helps if a driver knows the system of hard shoulder running on the 42.
They should be informed that the hard shoulder is not in use as a running lane through the junctions.
This would enable them to ‘get in lane’ earlier.
There are now a lot of ,stay in lane’ signs when approaching reduced lanes - this is to encourage the use of ‘merge in turn’ (zip merge) closer to the cones which in turn does not leave a massive empty piece of tarmac unused.
It is recommended in the new highway code.
What really gets on my case with this hard shoulder running lark is this…
Couple of weeks ago, peak time, Friday, M42 chocka with traffic as usual. Got on at M6 4a / M42 7 South bound to the M40. All 3 normal lanes packed, hard shoulder closed along the entire run to the M40…reason? …could`nt see anything apart from 1 car broken down. The vehicle in question was occupying one of the purpose built emergency refuges and they close the hard shoulder along the entire 42
Were these refuges not built specifically to allow the hard shoulder to be used as a running lane even in the event of a breakdown… or am I just confused
M42 is one big bulls up. Years and year they spent ■■■■■■■ about with it. They are far too fond of over doing the signs, limits and lane restrictions along there even in the middle of the night and they don’t bother warning you of any problems when you’re coming up the M5 either. There’s some sadist or that that sado that loves going over the top with the lane shutting creating tailbacks even at night.
You can 3 different speed limits on one gantry …
The lowest being 20 mph on ■■■■■■■ motorway network with lanes open.
Some one needs shooting for this abortion of overhead signs.
You can be at 40 and then down to 20 and then 400 yards later be back upto 40. Whats more anooying is the idiots that slow down to 20 when it is obviously an incorrect sign.
I have contacted the Highways agency over this and still waiting for a reply 3 months later. Sooner or later there will be a big accident on that road and the main contributing factors will be the idiotic overhead signs.
Why the ■■■■ at 4 am and the roadworks gave been collapsed are we still seeing 2 lanes closed and 20 mph signs when it is obvious that the works are over ? The ■■■■ road has camera’s on it surely it is common sense.
Thankfully I now know where every single speed camera is on those gantrys and you can guess what I,am doing at 4 am with 3 lanes open and 20-40 mph and lanes closed signs and I don’t care what people think.
The ■■■■ road can’t get it right so I will do it for them.
For christ sake the road is empty at that time of day , get the signs off…
It’s never worked since it opened , every night people are chucking cones out and sticking screw drivers into control boxes and sensors…
Classic is down to 40 mph then some time later come to the roadworks in 1 mile sign … Why are we doing 40 mph more than 1.5 miles away from roadworks? It’s ■■■■■■■ ridiculous.
I was on the M42 this morning as I was going to collect a trailer from evesham , now bearing in mind it was at 5am the matrix sign just before the A45/airport junction said 40mph queues ahead, got the junction and the only traffic there was me and a few cars but as its in the speed camera bit ,I decided to slow to 40, in the inside lane,while a car comes flying past at god knows what speed and in in my mirror I could see the camera flash him , so I reckon they also do it to raise revenue on the speeding fines for the old bill
Andydisco:
I was on the M42 this morning as I was going to collect a trailer from evesham , now bearing in mind it was at 5am the matrix sign just before the A45/airport junction said 40mph queues ahead, got the junction and the only traffic there was me and a few cars but as its in the speed camera bit ,I decided to slow to 40, in the inside lane,while a car comes flying past at god knows what speed and in in my mirror I could see the camera flash him , so I reckon they also do it to raise revenue on the speeding fines for the old bill
LGV driver sees 40 in a red circle - sticks to posted limit even if it is stupid
Car driver sees (assumes car driver can see ) 40 in a red circle - thinks,stupid sign - ignores and gets a NIP
Now who is stupid
to my knowledge the speed cameras are mounted on every gantry and it depends which ones are switched on, they are supposed to be average speed ones so the first one and the last one may be on and the rest off ,
or the first and third one , or third and sixth etc, so you never know which ones are on and which are off,
Also im led to believe the cameras are active when the speed limits are displayed, if the signs are off the cameras are too, but dont quote me on that,
If the cameras are made by the same people are the gantry signs, we are all safe as they probably dont work
Also i think they use the M42 as cone laying practice in the middle of the night, have been up and down in the middle of the night and just a cone truck and no one doing anything,
well my ticket hasn’t come yet…20mph at 10 o’clock at night on an empty motorway and when you go through there’s no-one there ,they are joking right.
i did post about this a while back,it’s a real pain in the ■■■ on along run back from somewhere down the m5…nice and quick along the m5,round the m42 then into this lot,40mph,30mph,20mph,40mph etc etc,
i have to say though the hato’s have improved along there and i did manage to 3-point turn a unit in one layby with a rear guard from a hato before towing it away so they are handy.
First of all, I’ve only travelled the M42 a couple of times, and it’s not in our area (Thank God!) so I’m not making comment on the signals, camera’s etc there, but I might be able to throw some light onto why the signals seem wrong, ie 40, 20 then 40.
If there’s been a 2 lane or more closure in the near viscinity (ie a sliproad to another motorway) the system puts a secondary setting prior to that at 20, Anyone who knows the Eccles junction, M62/M60, this is particularly bad in that respect.
There’ nothing we can do about them, we can’t even force them off. (you can force off the VMS signs, so they show nothing, but not the speeds) This is possibly what’s happened, we don’t set 20’s willy-nilly believe me!
However, in roadworks, the advisory speed that you should go through these is no higher than 50 mph, some are less. We change the HDS (Highest Displayable Speed) within the length of c/way taken by the roadworks, to 10 mph below the speed limit there. (so if the speed limit is 40mph, the signals should never show higher than 30 mph) So practically, you could get a report of an incident between Jx to Jy, and you set 50’s (normal setting for an unconfirmed incident) actually on road it could easily show 50, 50, 30, 30, 50. where the 30’s are in the area of the roadworks.
Another thing that can trip signals to show speeds and “queue” message, is a slow vehicle travelling over the MIDAS pads, you then need a certain number of vehicles travelling faster to “reset” the Midas pads, often during the nights, there’s just not enough traffic to reset them, we do try to keep an eye on that happening though.
If you’re unhappy about any signal setting etc, phone the Highways Agency Hail line, 08457 50 40 30 inform them of the problem and location etc. I assure you it is investigated, straight away if it’s important (we get calls from them reporting stuff, asking questions etc) or the complaint is sent through in a more formal manner and has to be answered.
ROG:
LGV driver sees 40 in a red circle - sticks to posted limit even if it is stupid
Car driver sees (assumes car driver can see ) 40 in a red circle - thinks,stupid sign - ignores and gets a NIP
Now who is stupid
Well maybe, but frequently between 11pm and 3am at night the M42 is totally empty of traffic/roadworks and bad weather and the signs wil be up at 60 then 40 then 20 , I will stick to the limit until 40, but then when it starts reading 20 I will no way slow to 20mph on a motorway with clear or light traffic, it’s absurd. I’ve been through the 20 signs at 40mph on the M42 plenty of times as they were doing it most nights at one point and have yet to be flashed.
The cameras aren’t average , thats a myth . They are plain old gatso…
Classic one tonight …
Approaching the M6 jcn 7 exit and the matrix reads slip road closed roadworks.
Fine thats great I’m going to 9 anyway…
Motorway overheads reading 40 , then lane 1 and 2 to 20 with lane 3 running twice the speed at 40
Why ? it was only the slip road closed for roadworks , the motorway doesn’t need slowing down.
Both those gantrys have no scameras on them … Got Poor old tescos chugging at 20 and I carried on at normal speed , it’s 3 in the morning for christ sake …
It would be a success if they could apply some sodding common sense.
Well I drive up and down the 42 every day — sometimes twice and frequently in the busiest times and since the changes the traffic flow has been vastly improved and journey times reduced.
My main complaint is about the car drivers who seem to think that they should do 45 when the signs say 50. Even worse are the ones that overtake between the gantries and then brake sharply when they see the stripes on the road. Yes I know it’s a limit not a target, but the idea is to get everyone travelling at the same speed. When it works it’s quite impressive, but it only takes one slowcoach to snarl things up and make everyone start changing lanes.
The ones speeding down the outside are no problem and the flashing camera lights are quite pretty when they are (rarely) turned on.
I would be interested to know what legal force the signs have that say “Use hard shoulder for next exit only”. Could I be prosecuted for disregarding the sign? If so, for what, and at which point — after the first sign, the second….? Sometimes (because everyone is going at the same speed) it can be hard to move over.
paul@midway:
Approaching the M6 jcn 7 exit and the matrix reads slip road closed roadworks.
Fine thats great I’m going to 9 anyway…
Motorway overheads reading 40 , then lane 1 and 2 to 20 with lane 3 running twice the speed at 40
Why ? it was only the slip road closed for roadworks , the motorway doesn’t need slowing down.
It would be a success if they could apply some sodding common sense.
I did try to explain before, but I’ll try again.
The system will not let you slow traffic down in greater steps than 20mph at a time, so if you have anything 2 lanes or more, ie a sliproad, then the next previous will be 20 in lane 1, then the one in front of that 40.
It’s because, if you have a closure of a sliproad, you’ll always get the muppets who slow right down, just to see, why it’s closed / can they get through anyway, this brings the whole c/way down to his speed. I’m sure you guys meet them every day.
As I said, the system sets them, on nights when the motorway is empty, we’d love to get rid of them, but we can’t.
Remember also that unless they have a red ring around the speeds, they are advisory not mandatory. (although if you had a bump, even a bump all on your lonesome and you were proved to be going in excess of the advisory speeds, then BiB would increase the charges against you)
with “stay in lane” under it. It’s not too good, if you are in lane, which is going to end in 800 yards 
What really gets on my case with this hard shoulder running lark is this…
