Driving on the hard shoulder

[rov1200]

It was suggested in an earlier posting that with the advent of new satellite technology in 2010 a new system of charging motorists by the mile was imminent.

The use of the hard shoulder is another step towards this scheme but politicians would rather you did not know of their intentions. The AA believe it could be a reality.

http://www.dailymail....re-speed-cameras.html

What do you think?

[rov1200]

The hard shoulder is opened when sensors on the gantries detect high levels of congestion. The speed limit is then cut to 50mph, with displays telling drivers of the change. Emergency refuge areas have been set up at regular intervals.
Transport Minister Chris Mole who is to open the new section today, said the scheme will 'make an invaluable contribution to business and economy'.
But Edmund King, President of the AA, said the gantries could be used for bringing in pay-as-you


Read more: http://www.dailymail....as.html#ixzz0YS5Le6Tt

[vulcan]

Irrespective of whether this is used to charge drivers per mile, the idea of using the hard shoulder as an extra lane is ludicrous.I watched a police programme a few weeks ago and they were on their way to a serious accident, until they got stuck behind 1 car which had moved onto the hard shoulder. They couldn't get through,neither could the fire brigade and ambulances. what happens when the hard shoulder is completely blocked, do the emergency services walk to an accident ?

[rov1200]

I see your point Vulcan but are they not introducing laybys at certain intervals. I believe this is the method used on the M42 at Birmingham and maybe someone has experience of this?

[jake-the-peg]

I wouln't think that driving on the hard shoulder would have been introduced without the support of the Police.

Imagine the announcement on the news before cutting to a police spokesman saying how bad an idea it is!

Is this one of those Daily Mail articles where they get someone (in this case the AA) to speculate about what the Government is supposedly planning in secret and then run a big article damning it?

They really do think their readers are stupid don't they?

Again the comments below the article are interesting:

for example:
It's working very well on the bit of the M42 I use. It was hell before. Breakdowns are coped with admirably, there seem to be fewer, and the only time we get delays through serious accidents is when the speed limilts are off. It's just another change that regular users have got used to.

[chas2008]

Vulcan42 this system is in use on the M42 during peak hours, has been for a few years , and in fairness seems to work.

[rov1200]

You can understand why the government wants to allow drivers to use the hard shoulder as if there was a motorway charging scheme then stupid motorists would try to avoid the camera by flipping to the hard shoulder. Of course the government would keep quiet about charging drivers for a new system as they have votes to consider. But as the hard shoulder would be used at times of busy periods this is when they could use maximum charges to the full and makes sense.

To believe any government plans to recouip our large deficit by taxation alone is cloud cuckoo land and the motorist has always been a cash cow. This would apply to all parties.

[New Judge]

Anybody who has witnessed a serious accident on a motorway (and I have – twice) will know that the emergency services have enough difficulty reaching the scene even with the hard shoulder reserved for emergency use only.

The idea that it should be used for regular traffic (albeit limited 50mph – which will be ignored – and with lay-bys) is preposterous. When motorways were introduced in the early ‘60s it was made clear that the hard shoulder was for emergency use only. And that is how it should remain.

I’m not sure that “the police” entirely agree with this idea. It may well be that some senior officers have acceded to the notion. Many of them do not want to disagree with their political masters for fear of jeopardising their next step up the greasy pole. However, speak to a traffic cop (as I do quite frequently as part of some of the work that I do) and they will tell you that it is a recipe for disaster.

It is simply an attempt to ease congestion on the cheap.

[TWR]

The hard shoulder, there are more deaths on the Hard Shoulder than any other lane on any Motorway, Sourse of info, 30+ YRS of seeing it happen.

[vulcan]

having re-read the article I noticed the transport Minister said" will make an invaluable contribution to business and economy", no mention of safety then.
I hadn't heard that this had been tested on the M42, so I've been genning up. The official site gives a number of statistics, but the details for gathering information is vague.
How for instance do you gather these? "drivers ability to predict weekend journey times improve by 27%" and " fuel consumption down by 4%." When I see dubious statistics I start to get suspicious.
I just cannot accept the fact that the hard shoulder,something that was built for safety reason's, can now be part of the motorway without compromising that safety aspect.

[chas2008]

in fairness guys you need to see it in action to appreciate it, when it is working usually the speed limit is reduced/controlled and the drivers seem to stick to it also there are refuge areas for any serious problems.

[chas2008]

http://www.highways.g...pressreleaseid=163785

[TWR]

Chas thee clowns that put these things in operation deal in figures, I as one Ex HGV put this in reality, the amount of people wiped out on the hard shoulder would open your eyes, the hard should is the most dangerous place to be, going back to your post, Refuge areas try telling that to the 1000s of foreign HGVs that come from Europe & beyond, for a 44 toner to pick up speed to rejoin the Inside lane will take him / her approx a mile if not more, you can guess the result of this? another thing that has not been stated regards the Hard Shoulder, the shoulder will eventually give in to the 44ton weight also the drains etc, If I can remember my Tipper days of Motorway work & delivering tarmac to the likes of the M62, there was a difference amount of hardcore + Tarmac laid on this area, so in turn " you might have guessed it" more road works.