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bottletop said:
Lost power on 3rd lane of a busy motorway and spent what seemed like any eternity trying to decide what to do. Hazards or indicators?
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Happened to me in L3 on the M4 east of Swindon. Was about 5pm-ish so reasonably busy for there, but I guess not compared to some other places.
I think I went for indicators. I also still had power, although very reluctant to use it as there was a horrendous clanking noise just in front of me.
(The bolt holding the water pump etc. had sheared. No real damage, apart from the excess recovery fee from Leigh Delamere to home, and the garage bill the next day.)
 
bottletop said:
Hazards or indicators? When do I drive into the slower lane - bearing in mind I'd lost propulsion and was only coasting
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Exactly. If you've gone through it in your head, preferably at regular intervals, then you start corrective actions seconds sooner, which could be the difference between making it to the shoulder or stopping in a running lane.
 
Old Blue said:
I got the impression it was aimed at smart motorway users?
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Smarts are an interesting case. When in normal mode they should be like a standard motorway with a hard shoulder, so you'd act the same ... head left if possible.

My understanding is that in 'smart' mode with the nearside lane for running and no hard shoulder, they have a 50mph limit in all lanes. (I may be wrong as I haven't been on an active one for many years.)
Since you have the same chance of getting hit at the same speed wherever you go, and the big trucks tend to be to the left as well, there is a case for not trying to change lane. (Exception if you can see or know of a refuge that you think you can reach.)

Thoughts?
 
MikeSh said:
Thoughts?
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Many times I have seen vehicles using the "smart" lane when it should not have been active. Even on a normal motorway (with permanent hard shoulder), it's a very unsafe place to be because inattentive drivers wander into it (let's make that people concentrating on a mobile phone, or dozing off). I have seen HGVs do this. There is no margin for safety at all on a smart motorway, safety having been sacrificed for the convenience of easing congestion (and yet I have been in traffic jams when the "smart" lane remains steadfastly closed!).

I was in moving solid traffic on the M4 Newport, and a woman in a car to my left was looking at and using both hands on her phone texting while "controlling" the car with just forearms in contact with the wheel. If anything had happened in front, there would have been a pile-up. I used my horn to attract her attention and was (putting it politely) told to mind my own business. Driving in Cardiff, I couldn't see the driver behind's face in my rear view mirror because she had her phone/satnav/makeup mirror stuck on the windscreen directly in front of her. There is a considerable proportion of people who are just plain idiots and should never have been given a licence (if, indeed, they actually have one).

Even on a rural road with a good one-lane-each-way width, I was following a transit-type van which drifted onto a high verge before recovering. I have very little doubt there must be significant numbers of collisions where a phone is to blame. If there is a stationary vehicle in a live lane of traffic, even a moment's distraction will make the difference between taking avoiding action and a shunt.

MikeSh said:
My understanding is that in 'smart' mode with the nearside lane for running and no hard shoulder, they have a 50mph limit in all lanes.
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I do not recall that being the case on the M4 at Bristol.
 
It isn't the case on the M42 either.

I hope the culprits were reported to the police by you, in your quest for equal justice for all.
 
Bastards! I just set about to use a picture frame sold as an album cover frame, purchased some time ago, to frame up a treasured LP, and it's about 3/8" too small in both directions. :cry: No, I'm not going to cut it down!
 
Scrat said:
I hope the culprits were reported to the police by you, in your quest for equal justice for all.
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If there had been a safe way to do that, with a reasonable prospect of anything coming of it, I would have done.

I don't generally have hands-free available, but I did once report a car chase. (I have also been subject of harassment on the motorway, having committed no sin other than to overtake a cruise.)

Scrat said:
Do you have a lathe?
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Nothing big enough to trim down 12" vinyl (as if :D)! This "album frame" would only work for the front of a cover cut down to size, which makes me think there might be a market in albums just for the covers. This wouldn't surprise me, 'cos (let's face it) the sound quality of CD is far superior, and geeks who claim linear is better are ignoring the clicks, pops, rumble, distortion...

The only solution I have for this is to start from scratch and make a frame myself (and glaze it :rolleyes:).
 
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drive.google.com

1615827883381.mp4

drive.google.com drive.google.com

Can you see that? It happens as I approach the brow of the hill, after passing a van. On the telephone? Who knows?

The accident was never reported by the driver.
 
There are 3 types of 'smart' motorway:

1. Dynamic Hard Shoulder - the hard shoulder only becomes a live lane during congested periods
2. All Lane Running - there is NO hard shoulder, overhead gantries display a red X to close the inside lane when there is a stranded vehicle
3. Controlled Motorway - essentially a normal motorway but gantries will display a variable speed limit when required

Number 2 is very dangerous, as the distance between refuges has been increased from the initial trial and the 'closure' of the lane relies on a human being monitoring a camera and acting quickly - and also motorists understanding what the red x means.
 
Black Hole said:
Even on a normal motorway (with permanent hard shoulder), it's a very unsafe place to be
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This is true and why you are advised to got remain in the vehicle when stopped there.
However, it does mean you should be able to exit the vehicle fairly safely and the chances of being hit between stopping and getting clear are small.
In a running lane ... :eek:
 
Old Blue said:
the 'closure' of the lane relies on a human being monitoring a camera
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This is the worst thing. With cost of these gantries would it really have been too much to fit radar to at least sound an alarm to the operators when a vehicle is detected at very low speed, though activating warning signs automatically as well ought not be that hard.
They fitted plenty of speed cameras with radar, but of course they provide income.
 
Scrat said:
One time I sent the police a link to a video, they said they weren't allowed to view video. I had to extract a still, and they accepted that.
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I think that's out of date. Certainly the Welsh police have an upload facility, in preference to uploading it to social media.
 
Scrat said:
On the telephone? Who knows?
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Could have been simply inattentional blindness. Another variation to be aware of is that the brain shuts down visual processing when turning the head, so a quick look side to side at a junction won't necessarily register a cyclist.

Once you know about these things, you can consciously combat them.

That said, years ago a cyclist went over a close friend's bonnet when pulled up at a tee junction, and picked himself up and left without complaint - so I suspect it was him who was being inattentive!
 
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