As of October 2019, it was announced by Highways England that 300 miles of smart motorway will be added, with no hard shoulder. Many drivers don't understand what these are, and have a lot of questions, so we are here to help!
What is a smart motorway?
A smart motorway used traffic management methods which are used to increase capacity, but also reduce congestion in busy areas at peak times. This is done by using the hard shoulder and variable speed limits, which change based on the traffic situation. Highway England developed this in order to control traffic in a way that has a minimal effect on our environment.
What are the different types?
There are three types of smart motorways, these are controlled motorways, all running lanes and dynamic hard shoulder.
All running lanes are where there are no hard shoulders, as they turn it into a running lane. If there is an accident, they will then close lane one and an X will appear it - meaning you can not be in the lane. Signage is used above head, to advise drivers of the speedlimit, but where there is no speed displayed, this will suggest it is the national speed limit. Cameras are used for these part the motorways to enforce these speed limits.
Dynamic hard shoulders work by opening up the hard shoulder only when it is busy to ease the congestion. There is a solid white line which defines where the hard shoulder begins. There will be overhead signage to indicate if the hard shoulder is open or not. If the signage shows an 'X' you must not drive within the hard shoulder. The overhead signage also shows speed limits and if no speed is show, then you can use the national speed limit.
A Controlled motorway has three or more lanes which have variable speed limits, but has a traditional hard shoulder which can only be used during emergencies. There is overhead signage which shows the variable speed limits, with speed cameras to enforce the speed limits.
Are they dangerous?
There are lots of people who believe a smart motorway is more dangerous than a traditional motorway. This is because they believe that the lack of hard shoulder will cause more congestion and traffic build up. Highways England have created many campaigns to reinforce the important of obeying the overhead signage.
What fines can i get?
There are two different types of fines you can get from a smart motorway. One type of fine you can get is for speeding. You will be caught speeding by the speed cameras that are placed sporadically on smart motorways. They are placed in a way so there is a 'buffer' after the overhead signage so you can change your speed in a timely manner. You will receive a fine if you are driving through a lane that has been signed with an 'X'.