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Friday 2 April 2021

Drive carefully - experts at work



Smart motorways: Roads without a hard shoulder linked to more accidents and fatalities

A report found where all lanes were open there was a 216% increased chance of being involved in a live lane breakdown.

Smart motorways without a hard shoulder are associated with higher rates of fatalities and serious injuries, an independent report has found.

The report, commissioned by lawyers for Claire Mercer whose husband Jason Mercer was killed in accident on a stretch of the M1 without a hard shoulder, found that where all lanes were open to traffic there was a 216% increased chance of being involved in a live lane breakdown.

We may assume that this was anticipated, costed and shrugged through because even an expert must have foreseen at least a temporary rise in accidents caused by the lack of a hard shoulder. 

Temporary because this may be officially viewed as a transitional problem. Government may be comfortable with a situation where private car drivers begin to avoid motorways because they are less safe. Fewer long journeys by car, reduced car mileage, more public transport, lower levels of car ownership. It feels like one more aspect of the carbon neutral fantasy.   

10 comments:

DiscoveredJoys said...

It's a version of the classic conundrum. We collectively assert that human life is sacred, or priceless, or of high value, when we also collectively assert (or go along with) the idea that the cost of saving a life may be too much to bear.

One of my lecturers argued in the late sixties that it was strange that 'we' could spend billions of pounds going to the Moon but we couldn't afford 10/- to buy a pensioner a blanket to keep them alive over winter. Yes, the argument is biased in many way, but it does expose the conundrum.

So if Smart Motorways increase the risk of death then we should also set against this the benefits (greater traffic capacity, quicker journeys, less spending on new roads). An already complicated calculation - but one that needs actual numbers rather than 'percentage increases'. I'm not averse to such comparisons because organisations do it all the time; I just want those calculations to be done transparently.

Ed P said...

Road designers were impressed by Ford's response to the Pinto - it's cheaper to pay compensation for a few deaths than improve the car's safety.

I had to stop on one of the smart motorways, due to wheel vibration. I stopped in the yellow lay-by to check the tyres, which very quickly became, "Tyres look OK, no time to check pressures, get going ASAP before another lorry thunders past 2 feet from me".
It was terrifying! These so-called 'refuges' are not wide enough safely to inspect the offside of the car, also they're too short to allow for sufficient acceleration when rejoining the traffic.

Sam Vega said...

The most terrifying motoring incident I ever experienced was being marooned in the centre lane of a motorway. Everything was fine until all lanes stopped for an accident ahead. When things started again, my car didn't. Ten minutes of not knowing what to do (run for it and abandon the car? Sit tight?) while cars swerved round me at the last moment, horns blasting. Having no hard shoulder would mean that every emergency breakdown would be like that. I don't know how any strategic thinking could imagine otherwise...

Scrobs. said...

One way to get over all this, is for every vehicle to have a loop attached to the front, a rope and a hook at the back, so everyone drives at the same speed.

In a few years time, the way to go will be described as a 'train'...

MrMC said...

I was around at the start of these "Smart Motorways" and saw the "safety data" provided from trials, and in the face of objections from every emergency service and motoring organisation they neverthless ploughed ahead, maintaining that cars rarely break down nowadays, hmmm and if they did it would be immediately noticed and a lane closed down, hmmm, but even if they did how do they guarantee drivers, texting and watching their phones will even notice ? and if they did notice, even be bothered to change lanes if it meant they lose 20 seconds off their journey...?

A K Haart said...

DJ - I think the term "Smart Motorways" was intended to avoid transparency because they knew lives would be lost. On the other hand, maybe they convinced themselves that it wouldn't happen because there would be less traffic per lane.

Ed - we once stopped in a lay-by on the A38 to check the tyres and that was bad enough.

Sam - that's a scary story. Only stop in the left hand lane seems to be the message, but if we all did that...

Scrobs - I think that is already being tried electronically. Hook up to the vehicle in front electronically and sit back.

MrMC - interesting, so the outside experts always knew it would cost lives. It would be interesting to know who was behind it, pushing it forward in spite of the obvious risks.

MrMC said...

They were originally meant to be called "Managed Motorways" but changed the name at the last minute, maybe to avoid the impression they were privatised, and Highways Agency (now Highways England) did all the promotion on behalf of the DOT I believe.

wiggiatlarge said...

This sort of belligerence is everywhere, we have the same locally with the NDR northern distributor road in Norwich, it was immediately flagged up that the stupid roundabout markings were potentially dangerous.
Oh no they are not says the Highways agency and the council highways department as the crashes mounted, they then said they had a consultation and everyone would get used to them.
Never replied to why anyone should get used to something that is confusing and dangerous , and naturally these numb nuts refuse to back down when they are wrong so the crashes continue.
https://youtu.be/Zf7Rj7EFnr4

Vatsmith said...

It was obvious from day one that more people will die on 'Smart' motorways that ones with hard shoulders, but are motorways still the safest roads for motorists to drive on? It also has to be said that some motorists who die on the roads are so stupid that they fully deserve their fate, the trouble is they often take perfectly sensible people with them..

A K Haart said...

Wiggia - yes it is everywhere - I'll bookmark the video for later.

Vatsmith - we see lots of the stupid ones, even on approaches to schools where children could just wander into the road.