New advice for recovery on smart motorways
Just a 'Heads Up' regarding a BBC documentary programme showing tonight....which says that motoring organisations have now deemed Smart Motorways too dangerous for their staff to recovery vehicles. Members who breakdown on a Smart motorway will now be told they will have to wait until Highways England recover them to a 'safe place'...
Given this is a BBC documentary and for some reason only being aired in the NW Region (at the moment)...I would urge caution in accepting the content at face value....Personally I cannot see Highways England being issued with recovery vehicles and all the staffing/logistics that entails..
If indeed this Policy is introduced Nationally, this would be similar to the French system where it is the responsibility of the Police to arrange recovery on all Motorways/Dual Carriageways.
This link is from todays Daily Mail...which, incidentally, should not be taken that I am in anyway RW...but read a broad selection on morning papers (online) including my excellent local 'Yorkshire Post'...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7905879/Now-AA-says-smart-motorways-dangerous.html
Comments
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The programme (Inside Out) can be seen on iPlayer shortly after broadcast, see here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000dnb7
David
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Smart motorways are a dumb idea.
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I am not sure I am against the idea of so called Smart Motorways, especially the full time variety. In my experience of using them on the M1 they improve traffic flow quite considerably. Personally I would prefer the refuge's to be more frequent. I think currently they are every mile and I think that distance should be halved. I appreciate that motorways tend to be more frantic that dual carriageways but surely the same risks exist on that type of road as well?
David
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I watched a bit on BBC Breakfast this morning and the AA have advised that he cameras that are supposed to monitor the "smart?" motorway are not as prolific as made out to be and in numerous areas it is down to whether the ops centre staff have the area with an obstruction is being monitored at the time
We have learnt from HGV drivers and stay in the second lane with them when towing on the M3 "smart"portions
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I think that on a two lane dual carriageway, although there is a risk immediately after breakdown, it does not take long for everything to back up with only two lanes. So speeds around the breakdown site are fairly slow. The main risk is fast traffic approaching the back of a queue. Conversely on a four lane (all lanes running) motorway, there is little backing up of traffic and speeds are not reduced around the breakdown. Resulting in the real possibility of someone running into the single stationary vehicle at high speed. The back of a queue of vehicles is perhaps easier to spot (lots of flaring brake lights) than a single vehicle.
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The only time we use motorways now is on holiday with the caravan, although I am not in favour of this new Idea of no hard shoulder. If Highways England want the feelings of people who use motorways for a job, go and ask truck drivers on any motorway service area what they think, but they never do. We all want traffic flowing freely but with safety. If they think it's safe get them in a lorry cab with a loaded trailer behind them and a front wheel tyre blowout, and ask them to drive it half a mile. I myself am a truck driver retired who drove over 40 years.
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From the Programme last night it appears that a good part of the trouble is with the appalling standards of driving on those 4 - lane motorways. One of the "Worried Drivers" had a rear flat tyre, so slowed and put on the Hazard Lights while heading for the Safe Area. She, it was a lady, knew that several other motorists had seen her 'cos they passed her with their horns on full blast !!
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As I sit here I've started wondering what is the Clubs break-down advice following the claims that the A.A. apparently expect the Highways Agency to do the first stage of recovery to the Lay By Safety Areas. Does Green Flag now think the same thing, or is there no change in their Break Down Advice ??
Could somebody please REPORT THIS POST !! for East Grinstead Towers to be made aware of our worries??
Thanks A B M
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All reported, Brian. 👍🏻
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Good afternoon,
Just to advise that we are aware of the BBC documentary mentioned by the original poster, and the subsequent press coverage.
I should stress that in any breakdown or accident situation at the roadside, law enforcement and emergency services (including the Highways Agency) will always take precedent over any breakdown provider if that need arises.
However, in light of the above, I have gone back to Green Flag requesting a clarification of their stance regarding Smart Motorways, particularly in light of the more specialised nature of vehicles being driven/towed by our Members.
I will respond on here as soon as I hear back from the team at Green Flag.
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Come on, DD there's no need to be offensive when referring to the Traffic Officers. After all they are on Motorways and trying to keep us motorway users safe and alive. I know that should I be required to do such work, in the certain knowledge that I would, on occasion, be required to deal with severely injured and / or dead motorists regularly, then please believe me I would be a rather grumpy A B M !!
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It’s bad enough to break down on a motorway with a hard shoulder - utterly terrifying to break down without one. Whole thing is madness and needs to be stopped.
Panorama 8.30 BBC1 Monday 27th January.
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You have a shiny-ier halo than me ...... I'm able to do so within the law & my ability so do so. It's a button press to answer & I see no difference in speaking on the phone & speaking to a back seat passenger.
Maybe you don't have the ability to multi-task ..... 🙄
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Just a button to press for me on my unreliable disco sport. I just have a thing about using a mobile especially while driving hands free or not. Maybe an age thing as I can remember the days pre mobile. In fact I often wonder why I have one. Always getting calls I don’t want.
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