So called Smart motorways

sionie1

sionie1

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jemgee said:
Apparently the reason for the restrictions ...... Wait for it........ Is not because of the current traffic.........it is based on historical analysis of road conditions where problems occur.

Please form an orderly queue for a Rant
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It makes some sense, however I wouldn’t t be shocked if the data is taken from the 3 years it takes them to install smart sections and during which time the lanes are reduced and the speed limit also.. oh and the delays due to break downs in the roadworks....
 
BennyD

BennyD

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They’ve ploughed billions into screwing up the roads in this country and they’ll want to get it back. It’ll become just another way of getting money out of the motorist. W4nkers.
 
2b1ask1

2b1ask1

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Some of the breakdown/recovery companies are giving their drivers the option of not attending on smart motorway sections unless they get police assistance as they are so dangerous! Frankly I can sympathise with them, god help you if you break down on one or non-hard shoulder section. If you get a total electrical failure, what hope have you got, no lights, hazards or other means of warning others. HM Gov't have just jumped on the idea they can get a free lane out of existing infrastructure at virtually no equivalent payout and they get to put cash cow cameras every other lamp post!
 
Zep

Zep

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I have seen signs on some “smart” motorways where they have indicated that reduced speed limits are in place for a reduction in pollution.

As reduced speed does mean less pollution, and that there are no good corners on the motorways (M11 to M25 slip road excepted) this seems fair enough to me.
 
T

TimR

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Zep said:
I have seen signs on some “smart” motorways where they have indicated that reduced speed limits are in place for a reduction in pollution.

As reduced speed does mean less pollution, and that there are no good corners on the motorways (M11 to M25 slip road excepted) this seems fair enough to me.
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This is indeed the idea behind some of the restrictions, in certain places & critical times...
.. but motorways came about to facilitate efficient & timely transportation links. I know it doesn’t really matter but it does kind of defeat the intention of their original inception....in truth, the UK has consistently failed to meet legally binding pollution levels...
Which is how ULEZ comes about. Charging motorists actually has no positive impact on air quality. It’s wrong headed to my mind but govt doesn’t care to distinguish between the schemes....

:)
 
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2b1ask1

2b1ask1

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ULEZ is another Lunacy and does nothing to reduce emissions it is purely revenue generation. Just take a look at the expansion plans for it, bu 2022 even pure electric vehicles will pay it!!!!
 
Zep

Zep

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TimR said:
This is indeed the idea behind some of the restrictions, in certain places & critical times...
.. but motorways came about to facilitate efficient & timely transportation links. I know it doesn’t really matter but it does kind of defeat the intention of their original inception....in truth, the UK has consistently failed to meet legally binding pollution levels...
Which is how ULEZ comes about. Charging motorists actually has no positive impact on air quality. It’s wrong headed to my mind but govt doesn’t care to distinguish between the schemes....

:)
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I’m with you. Putting aside the safety aspect of hardshoulder running, I have found that Smart motorways have reduced the amount of time I have sat still - I do mean when they are working, not when they are being built, that’s a nightmare.

The difference between 10 miles at 50 mph and 10 miles at 80 mph is 4.5 minutes. Would I trade that for more consistent journey times? Probably. But I reserve the right to change my mind next time they annoy me! :D
 
BennyD

BennyD

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Zep said:
I have seen signs on some “smart” motorways where they have indicated that reduced speed limits are in place for a reduction in pollution.

As reduced speed does mean less pollution, and that there are no good corners on the motorways (M11 to M25 slip road excepted) this seems fair enough to me.
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Not always true: at 60mph my 335D is doing less than 1500rpm and is below it’s efficient power band. If accelerating and decelerating between 50 and 60 it will emit more soot and cr4p than it will between 70 and 80.
 
V

Vince2

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Can't see a rosey long term future for cars like ours, (nor our preferred driving style ), so make the most of them now while we can still find 'somewhere' to give them what they was designed for.
 
Wack61

Wack61

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Black box in your car once the tax revenue from fuel starts to drop significantly

You have travelled 27 miles today , your bank account has been debited , have a nice day
 
Wack61

Wack61

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CatmanV2 said:
Ahh. That makes a certain amount of sense

C
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A few years back a driver told me he was on the motorway following a car & caravan when he saw something move in the caravan, thought it was a dog until he got closer , a woman and a kid in it, bloke driving the car , I've seen a few matchwood caravans over the years , the M5 in August is their main point of destruction
 
Wack61

Wack61

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Just driven from warrington to Birmingham, some of the smart motorway is open with no 50 mph speed restrictions , well I say open , it's on 60 with no traffic on it

But I became aware of no traffic coming the other way at all so I thought big crash

Nope , van broke down in lane one so they shut the motorway to recover it , then 10miles further down again, rolling road block that stopped rolling because Dave the recovery driver hadn't got it on yet

Is that really how it's being run, every broken down car needs the motorway stopping , what a balls up, traffic chaos coming soon
 
sionie1

sionie1

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Wack61 said:
Just driven from warrington to Birmingham, some of the smart motorway is open with no 50 mph speed restrictions , well I say open , it's on 60 with no traffic on it

But I became aware of no traffic coming the other way at all so I thought big crash

Nope , van broke down in lane one so they shut the motorway to recover it , then 10miles further down again, rolling road block that stopped rolling because Dave the recovery driver hadn't got it on yet

Is that really how it's being run, every broken down car needs the motorway stopping , what a balls up, traffic chaos coming soon
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I’ve done that trip 3 times this week, only once did the traffic flow really need assisting. What I’ve noticed is even more people just sitting in the middle lane oblivious to what’s going on.
 
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