Hard shoulder use on motorway's?

EdgeWitch

The idea reeks of desperation. I was stuck on the M25, for 5 hours, sometime ago after a petrol tanker over turned. If the hard shoulder had been full of traffic there would have been no way for the emergency services to get through.
I don't know if anyone was hurt, but certainly it would have caused more chaos if people had resorted to the hard shoulder.

monty

It`s cheaper than building new motorways, It doesn`t matter about the people who will be killed.

Barne-Hurst

I agree! But then again, isn't it always the politicians
who can't see the wood for the trees?

rowdy

I think you're right - I don't like this idea at all. I was on the M6 near Warrington once, when there was roadworks. Traffic was using the hard shoulder, and a Frenchman in front of me decided to stop. I couldn't go round him so I had to stop - scariest moment of my life.

teddy

I totally agree and thought that this was another ill thought out exercise, hard shoulder should be used for car breakdowns not another chance for More people to be killed.

joe

^o) when a car breaks down, its not going to stop instantly, so its not going to make people do emergency stops and cause a pile up.

all that will happen is your engine cuts out, so you slowly roll to a stop, and cause miles of tail backs. fun eh?

Prince By Tor

The trials they carried out on the M42 must have been successful otherwise they would not be extending the scheme further.

chimp

too true, plus how are the emergency vehicles supposed to get to accidents as they normally use the hard shoulder and now it will be blocked!!

Twiggy

I agree with you, can`t add to what has already been said, except to ask people to harass their M.P. about it...................unmercifully !

george d

You sound like a typical Times / Guardian reader. It makes me mad to read ill informed comments like yours.
After reading the negative comments regarding the use of the hard shoulder, I wonder how many of you actually USE the motorways on a daily basis,- including you, solo man. This is a proposal to be used only when traffic flow allows. Following the successful PEAK usage of the hard shoulder on the M42, there were NO more serious incidents than 'usual', The traffic flow is constantly monitored by cctv - linked to the police motorway unit at Coleshill, and any breakdowns were swiftly dealt with. During peak times, once the traffic is heavy enough, the lanes are either open or closed by indicator signs above each lane, and a max speed limit is enforced. Usually 50mph to start with, NOT 70 as you wrongly assume. (But the overall average speed for 'peak' traffic is about 15 mph) As it works on the M42, the hard shoulder is for traffic turning off at the next junction, and the matrix is set to show that, and the hard shoulder is 'closed' ( RED X matrix) until past the 'on slip'. IF you have ever travelled the stretch of M42 where this system is operating you will have noticed special recovery / breakdown bays set about 800 yards apart and set further off the carriageway than the standard 'hard shoulder'. Regarding a vehicle breaking down, it would have to be a total engine / gear box seizure for a car to stop dead in the middle of any road and cause an accident. Where the hard shoulder should be used is where there is a regular hold up on a slip road - M40 onto the M25, regular queues of more than a mile at peak. for example.

Andrew G

I couldn't agree more. Not only is it hazardous, but it will be during peak times when all the lanes are busy so it will be more difficult for emergency service to attend the accidents that occur as a result. Madness!

mark s

On motorway's what? Illiterate.

You should send your thoughts (or should that be "thought's"?) to your MP.

You are such a deep thinker, I'm sure all this hadn't occurred to whoever's in charge.

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