Topic: Hard shoulder use (Read 1165 times)

MuddyMike · « **on:** September 07, 2006, 22:36:25 »

Left the NEC by the M42 on Tuesday and had my first experiance of the new innovation of using the hard shoulder as a traffic lane. Overhead gantries all showing 50 MPH and directing traffic to use the hard shoulder.
Seemed to work well.

Mike

blade · « **Reply #1 on:** September 08, 2006, 08:04:59 »

i think it a stupid idea what happens when someone breaks down?
when theres an accident how are the emergency services going to get through?

NeilWilson · « **Reply #2 on:** September 08, 2006, 08:35:34 »

The overhead signs will push you off into the main traffic lanes when there is trouble ahead. Quite often they show the hard shoulder as closed to traffic as well outside of peak periods. There are emergency refuge laybys off of the hard shoulder as well for broken cars etc.

Neil

muddyjlx · « **Reply #3 on:** September 08, 2006, 08:49:07 »

so your car will break down conveniently right next to a breakdown bay. :lol:

UDTrev · « **Reply #4 on:** September 08, 2006, 08:53:19 »

Quote from: "muddyjlx"

so your car will break down conveniently right next to a breakdown bay. :lol:

Yeah, and it will be full of foreign lorries taking a break because they are out of hours !!! :D :D :D :D

Trev

DaveS · « **Reply #5 on:** September 08, 2006, 09:49:27 »

If someone breaks down I can see amultiple shunt happening, seems to happen most days on the M6 in the normal lanes!

landyman37 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 08, 2006, 21:20:19 »

Quote from: "MuddyMike"

Left the NEC by the M42 on Tuesday and had my first experiance of the new innovation of using the hard shoulder as a traffic lane. Overhead gantries all showing 50 MPH and directing traffic to use the hard shoulder.
Seemed to work well.

Mike

Had my 1st go at it yesterday bit of a nightmare when you stay on the solder at the exits end up getting off then back on :oops: :oops: :oops:

Evilgoat · « **Reply #7 on:** September 08, 2006, 21:58:52 »

Its an astonishingly STUPID idea.

Scenario one. Someone losses a wheel, major drivetrain component and stops in the main lanes dead. They are toast. So it happens and they get into the hard shoulder. No matter how good the system is, the warning will be dealyed. So Cue Sales rep in vectra on the phone :

Bang, driver of first car and rep seriously injured probobly fatally

Cue EU trucker loaded up on caffine and deadlines - Bang, innocent is dead, and probobly massive multiple pile-up.

Scenario 2, signs are up, one of the above too is too much in a hurry to see, same result.

Scenarios 3, catastrophic failure on any of the normal lanes oops, no escape route. Maybe lucky, maybe another multiple, because in rush hour everyone drives SOOOOOO well.

The hard shoulder is not safe without cars in it. What totall and utter moron thought this up.

I reckon Fatality within the next 2 months.

Nick666 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 08, 2006, 22:29:55 »

Yea, sounds about right.

Berliner Beer · « **Reply #9 on:** September 09, 2006, 08:59:14 »

So why do "they" allow this use of the hard shoulder?

Evilgoat · « **Reply #10 on:** September 09, 2006, 09:18:17 »

Its cost cutting. For example, two stretches of the M27 are scheduled for an additional lane. If they use this scheme the motorway wont need to be widened and this millions will be saved.

Until the first lawsuit.

missroadrage · « **Reply #11 on:** September 09, 2006, 10:04:39 »

the main problem on that stretch is the overhead speed limiters. Before they started restricting the speed limit it had the occasional queue now they are guaranteed

UDTrev · « **Reply #12 on:** September 09, 2006, 17:06:53 »

Of course the speed limiters are on, they need their cash cow !!!

you know the score - "we got em paying a hefty premium for their Road Tax, we got the rake off on their Insurance, we got a King's Ransom on Fuel Duty, how can we now rip off the drivers ?"

Trev

NeilWilson · « **Reply #13 on:** September 09, 2006, 17:15:54 »

Isn't that the stretch that has the cameras that calculate average speed so you can't cane it between the gantries & then cruise under them looking all innocent ?

Neil

landyman37 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 09, 2006, 20:41:37 »

Quote from: "Evilgoat"

Its an astonishingly STUPID idea.

Scenario one. Someone losses a wheel, major drivetrain component and stops in the main lanes dead. They are toast. So it happens and they get into the hard shoulder. No matter how good the system is, the warning will be dealyed. So Cue Sales rep in vectra on the phone :

Bang, driver of first car and rep seriously injured probobly fatally

Cue EU trucker loaded up on caffine and deadlines - Bang, innocent is dead, and probobly massive multiple pile-up.

Scenario 2, signs are up, one of the above too is too much in a hurry to see, same result.

Scenarios 3, catastrophic failure on any of the normal lanes oops, no escape route. Maybe lucky, maybe another multiple, because in rush hour everyone drives SOOOOOO well.

The hard shoulder is not safe without cars in it. What totall and utter moron thought this up.

I reckon Fatality within the next 2 months.

But if the hard sholder is being used.There must be traffic jams as they are only open during rush hour so speed should not be a problem i would have thought.

drmike · « **Reply #15 on:** September 10, 2006, 07:38:48 »

I had my doubts about the active sped management thing but I have found that the traffic now does keepmoving when I am on the M42 so I'm a convert.

Using the hard shoulder - not happy. They always refer to the yanks doing this with no problems. Can't see it myself.

Mike

wetnwild · « **Reply #16 on:** September 12, 2006, 00:58:12 »

I remember in my driving lessons some 6 years ago that the Hard Shoulder was said to be the emergency lane and was never called or related to as the Hard Shoulder.

It seems strange that for the last couple of years we've all been taught that it's the emergency lane and should not be used unless in an emergency ie car braking down.

But now it seems that it's all changing again.

It's interesting to hear people's opinions about this and it brings up pretty much the same points that were talked about when they introduced the bus/taxi lane on the M4 Heathrow spur. It works for the buses and taxis, but created more traffic.

Not having experienced the M42 in the last couple of months, I don't know what the traffic situation is like but I can't forsee this working nationally. I could however be proved wrong!

Just thought i'd add my two pence worth!

smog · « **Reply #17 on:** September 12, 2006, 02:24:56 »

I had so much more to say on the subject but then I decided to put as much thought into it as the person/people that came up the idea and came to the conclusion that a few words will suffice.....................STUPID STUPID STUPID IDEA!

Lets wait for the death toll to rise bit like all tolls they all rise to rapidly.

Edge · « **Reply #18 on:** September 12, 2006, 15:21:02 »

Obviously.... someone high up in running the country.... had a fault with his helicopter.... Had to use our overcrowded roads & got stuck for awhile in traffic and thought.... "I'll fix this" :roll:
Its a bad idea i say......
They should give on the spot fines to those who stick in the middle lane when theres 2miles of free road before the next lorry they overtake (oh-sorry, i forgot..... changing lanes means looking in your mirrors). Selfish drivers are the cause of most hold-ups.

UDTrev · « **Reply #19 on:** September 12, 2006, 15:33:08 »

Can't we have on the spot fines for helicopter users ?

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Trev

Henry Webster · « **Reply #20 on:** September 12, 2006, 15:36:24 »

Should we not give it a fair go - it is only a trial after all. Let's re-assess when we have the facts!

H

Tailendcharley · « **Reply #21 on:** September 12, 2006, 15:39:01 »

:o :o I totally agree with Smog on this one...stupid stupid idea...I could take you to a Cemetary and point out the innocent motorists who had broken down on the 'hard shoulder' of a motorway and paid the ultimate price...stupid idea...that's my pennys worth...back to me corner now...bye

Terry Smith

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AuthorTopic: Hard shoulder use (Read 1165 times)

NeilWilson

missroadrage

NeilWilson

Edge