Drivers are avoiding hard shoulders converted to running lanes

Two fifths (38 per cent) of UK drivers say they will not drive in lane one of a smart motorway where the hard shoulder has been permanently converted into a running lane, according to a survey of more than 18,000 drivers conducted by the AA.
July 4, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

Two fifths (38 per cent) of UK drivers say they will not drive in lane one of a smart motorway where the hard shoulder has been permanently converted into a running lane, according to a survey of more than 18,000 drivers conducted by the 1459 AA.

This compares to 85 per cent of drivers who say they would drive in lane one of a motorway with a permanent hard shoulder.

When asked why they avoid using the new running lanes on smart motorways, more than a third said that they wouldn’t use lane one ‘for fear of coming across a broken down vehicle'. One in ten said that they believed lane one was ‘the lorry lane’.

Documents from 8101 Highways England analysing two stretches of M25 smart motorway scheme indicate that traffic flow is significantly lower on lane one than other lanes within the scheme.

Edmund King, AA president, says: “Despite all the talk about improving traffic flow and easing congestion by having more lanes, it seems that drivers are voting with their wheels by avoiding converted hard shoulders and clogging up the other lanes.

“Drivers are fearful that, with the current lack of Emergency Refuge Areas, they will come across broken down vehicles and have little chance to avoiding collisions. We need more education for drivers using smart motorways as clearly they do not trust the schemes in their current state.”

UTC

Related Content

  • February 25, 2015
    Substantial savings from smarter street lighting
    As authorities strive to reduce expenditure and carbon emissions, Colin Sowman looks at some of the smart ways of managing street lighting while containing costs and maintaining safety. Street lighting can account for 40% of an authority’s energy consumption. So, faced with the need to reduce outgoings, some authorities are looking for smart ways of managing street lighting or even turning off swathes of street lights in the small hours. Back in 2008 the E-street Initiative report concluded that authorities
    Read More
  • May 8, 2020
    Magway plots retail delivery revolution

    While most of the debate around hyperloop focuses on the potential for passenger traffic, technology firms are also exercised about how to respond to the fast-changing nature of the retail sector.

    One such company is the UK-based start-up Magway, co-founded in 2017 by former South African mining engineer Rupert Cruise and retail and technology consultant Phill Davies.

    In short, Magway moves goods from warehouses to distribution centres – or to new residential or commercial hubs - through small, high-density polyethylene pipes in pods driven by linear synchronous motors.

    Read More
  • January 4, 2013
    Road signs removed to reduce ‘clutter’
    In a response to a move to remove unnecessary clutter in cities and rural areas, more than 9,000 road traffic signs have been taken down in England, where local councils have been urged to think more creatively about the number and location of their location. Ministers have warned that excessive signs can be a distraction to motorists and make roads appear unattractive. In October 2011, the requirement for certain road signs was lifted; the government plans to give councils more discretion over where they p
    Read More
  • March 17, 2014
    Swedish drivers support speed cameras
    In sharp contrast to many other countries drivers in Sweden support speed cameras and the planned expansion of the automated enforcement network. Sweden is embarking on a massive expansion of its speed camera network and is doing so with both a very high level of public acceptance and without its drivers feeling persecuted; a feat the administrations in many other countries would like to emulate. So how did this envious state of affairs come about? Magnus Ferlander director of business development and ma
    Read More

Highlighted Content