A Quick Guide To Using Smart Motorways

What is a Smart motorway?

This is a new concept put into place by the government to respond to increasing congestions on UK motorways. Smart motorways use cameras and speed signs to monitor the flow of traffic and they even allow cars to be driven on the hard shoulder either all or some of the time depending on the flow of traffic.

How do we benefit from Smart motorways?

Smart motorways add an extra average of 33% of capacity to our motorway network at a fraction of the cost. It also improves the flow of traffic, which is great for the economy. So far there are about twenty sections of smart motorway on seven different motorways in England, plus 24 in the process of being constructed.

Are there any new rules to using the Smart motorway?

The rules are the same as the current standards but we do suggest the two main points to remember are that the ERAs (emergency refuge areas) on a smart motorway are for emergency use only, so you should never stop in them. If you have stopped there then you shouldn’t pull back onto the motorway until the authorities tell you it’s safe to do so.

Secondly, remember that it is an offence to drive in a lane with a red X on the gantry above it. Doing this may result in a warning letter from the police at present, however, there are future plans to introduce fixed penalty fines.

Beware of the Cameras!

At the beginning of this year, the police officers in Derbyshire confirmed that cameras on the M1 motorway can catch drivers both breaching variable speed limits as well as those exceeding 70mph. Recent news from local authorities revealed that cameras on certain stretches of the M1 were catching drivers even when no variable limit was in place.

To get more advice and tips on car related subjects then visit our blog page and keep up to date with the latest news.