Automatic fines and points for ignoring motorway lane closures

[Stratman]

Ignore smart motorway lane closures and it'll cost you £100 and three points.

It is already illegal to drive in a lane marked with a red X, but police officers previously had to catch drivers in the act.

Under new Home Office legislation, police will be given the power to penalise drivers captured on traffic cameras ignoring the signs.

In addition to a fine, offenders will be given three penalty points.

Highways England said more than 180,000 warning letters had been sent out since December 2016.

It said the new laws were due to come into force in "late summer".

 

[clk320x]

Good

 

[GeeJayW]

Good

Ditto!

 

[James Copeland]

About Time Too!!

 

[Dippo]

I remember one night I was driving round the M25 at about midnight. The signs brought everyone down to 40 mph, and over into lane 4 of 4. They were putting in roadworks. The traffic passed the trucks putting down the cones, and then the motorway was clear, but the lane closures and speed limit were still showing on the overhead gantries. I carried on in lane 4 at 40 mph for about another half mile, but I was being undertaken by every other car and truck on the road, so I decided it was safer to drive in lane 1 with the red X overhead. The lane restrictions continued for about another 1.5 miles.

Yes, I was in the wrong for driving in a lane that was shown as closed, but I thought it safer than trying to obey the signs. A camera wouldn't be able to consider those conditions.

 

[Dryce]

Yes, I was in the wrong for driving in a lane that was shown as closed, but I thought it safer than trying to obey the signs. A camera wouldn't be able to consider those conditions.

Yes you were in the wrong. It's not arguable or justifiable. The red X is there to close a lane. A camera has nothing to consider.

 

[johnsco]

I'm afraid this has to be a good proposal.
I get pretty-fed-up of obeying the instruction - only to see numerous drivers (much clever than me, of course) - speeding past me to gain advantage.

 

[zipdip]

I was on the M25 last week around 10pm and they had closed it down to just the inside lane and most drivers like me used the inside lane but you had a few who went through the red x signs ,I think automatic fines are a good idea.

 

[E55BOF]

On the other hand....

If, as often happens on the M25, you have lane closures signed for a mile or more before the actual start of the cones, that's a bit stupid too, and increases the size of the tailback. Many drivers plainly see it as stupid, and ignore it until it is necessary - practically, as dictated by the traffic flow - to start filtering over. The situation therefore polices itself.

And as for the situation where all the overhead signs light up, often restricting speed and closing lanes unnecessarily for a couple of miles or more, the moment the works are scheduled to start, despite the fact that the lorry with the cones crew is still stationary on the hard shoulder, that really gets my goat.

Dippo's post above is a perfect example of this. Had I been there, I would have been one of the drivers going past him. Could somebody not actually watch what is going on on the cameras, and start the restrictions when and where they are actually needed?

By all means nail the idiots who go tearing up to a closure and push in at the last moment, but unless the smart motorway lane closure system is a good deal smarter than the people who manually control the overhead gantry lights on the M25 and M40, all it will achieve is to either raise revenue, or increase the length of the tailback.

 

[SW18]

Could somebody not actually watch what is going on on the cameras, and start the restrictions when and where they are actually needed?

... smarter than the people who manually control the overhead gantry lights on the M25 and M40...

I’m fairly sure it’s all automated, and there isn’t anyone watching any given bit of road all the time: there are probably only a few people for the whole motorway network. Hence the rather un-smart decisions made by the system.

My recent example was miles of gradually reducing speed limits accompanied by ‘accident reported’ on the signs, which turned out to be just a couple of cars on the hard shoulder. Given that it was late at night there was zero impact on the traffic flow (other then from the ‘smart’ signs slowing everyone down).

 

[Dryce]

If, as often happens on the M25, you have lane closures signed for a mile or more before the actual start of the cones, that's a bit stupid too, and increases the size of the tailback. Many drivers plainly see it as stupid, and ignore it until it is necessary - practically, as dictated by the traffic flow - to start filtering over. The situation therefore polices itself.

You're right.

It does seem that those operating these signage systems undermine the credibility by setting limits and lane closures that tend to leave drivers thinking that there isn't any obvious reason for the limit (or how low it is ) or a closure.

However it is also pretty clear that when drivers are faced with averaging cameras or actial variable limits then they do generally obey them. Part of that is drivers understanding the difference in enforcement - and part of it is group behaviour - once you get a reasonable % of drivers to conform with an instruction the rest follow suit.

 

[E55BOF]

Depends on the circumstances; sometimes I'm a sheep too...

 

[m80]

Since the traffic easing policy of making the hard shoulder available 'at times' I see more drivers, darn sarf usually, using the hard shoulder, that hasn't been made available, but for their own conveniece. Often it's for the last couple o' hundred yard as they're leaving the m'way but still.

 

[Alfie]

Since the traffic easing policy of making the hard shoulder available 'at times' I see more drivers, darn sarf usually, using the hard shoulder, that hasn't been made available, but for their own conveniece. Often it's for the last couple o' hundred yard as they're leaving the m'way but still.

That will and does attract a fine and points if spotted by the numerous cameras.

 

[Yex]

Make a thing of reminding drivers what the Red Cross above a lane means, reinforce the the message via media and advertising and then back it up with figures of drivers caught along with, hopefully, confirmation of improvement of traffic flow through the area impacted by the need to close a lane.

It has always been a bit of a bugbear with me that these rules exist, are put in place and then completely ignored by drivers.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Those that ignore them have probably done so many times before.

 

[Dryce]

Make a thing of reminding drivers what the Red Cross above a lane means,

I've seen 'RED X IS MANDATORY' up on the yellow traffic information signs in Scotland. (They like putting useful advice like 'DONT DRINK AND DRIVE' or about soft tyres increasing fuel consumption or about weather forecasts or seat belts along with the occasional bit of information about traffic conditions possibly with a crypic location you don't recognise).

The few people I have tested the 'RED X ..' message find it non-obvious - they often need it explained.

Back in the 70s and early 80s we used to get public information adverts about road signage and systems. Including the overhead motorway signs. These seem to have died out. IMO they should be reintroduced.

 

[c63chris]

On the other hand....

If, as often happens on the M25, you have lane closures signed for a mile or more before the actual start of the cones, that's a bit stupid too, and increases the size of the tailback. Many drivers plainly see it as stupid, and ignore it until it is necessary - practically, as dictated by the traffic flow - to start filtering over. The situation therefore polices itself.

And as for the situation where all the overhead signs light up, often restricting speed and closing lanes unnecessarily for a couple of miles or more, the moment the works are scheduled to start, despite the fact that the lorry with the cones crew is still stationary on the hard shoulder, that really gets my goat.

Dippo's post above is a perfect example of this. Had I been there, I would have been one of the drivers going past him. Could somebody not actually watch what is going on on the cameras, and start the restrictions when and where they are actually needed?

By all means nail the idiots who go tearing up to a closure and push in at the last moment, but unless the smart motorway lane closure system is a good deal smarter than the people who manually control the overhead gantry lights on the M25 and M40, all it will achieve is to either raise revenue, or increase the length of the tailback.

Thing is you get what i saw the other day at the M25/M3 intersection, about an 8 car pile up so the three M25 lanes closed and traffic directed onto the M3 lanes. people were ignoring this and coming right up to the scene of the accident and driving over the debris. Madness and all for the sake of 'saving time'. Luckily the occupants were out of their cars and safe. I don't know if some drivers think they know better, dont care or even don't notice but its scary to see. Sadly a regular occurence on the M25 where it seems some drivers see a closed lane as an opportunity to 'make progress'.

 

[BTB 500]

Make a thing of reminding drivers what the Red Cross above a lane means, reinforce the the message via media and advertising and then back it up with figures of drivers caught along with, hopefully, confirmation of improvement of traffic flow through the area impacted by the need to close a lane.

It has always been a bit of a bugbear with me that these rules exist, are put in place and then completely ignored by drivers.

They should do the same with red traffic lights - it's so bad round here that you wouldn't want to risk going through a green without first checking for someone coming across from the side. They should stick cameras on all new traffic lights IMO - they just spent a year and over £3 million turning a roundabout into a crossroads on the A322 ... no idea why they didn't include a few red light cameras while they were at it.

 

[Alfie]

They should do the same with red traffic lights - it's so bad round here that you wouldn't want to risk going through a green without first checking for someone coming across from the side. They should stick cameras on all new traffic lights IMO - they just spent a year and over £3 million turning a roundabout into a crossroads on the A322 ... no idea why they didn't include a few red light cameras while they were at it.

I agree. One of the worst places is the A322 from the Gordons roundabout towards the M3. Numerous motorcyclists have been killed at the Lightwater turn off by motorists crossing the dual carriageway not seeing a biker. the road needs a 30mph limit with a camera on the junction then revert to NSL. Have the council done anything about it? Have they heck.