"Smart" Motorway Speed Question

[jthompson]

As for your point around the new car tech, this is a million pound idea, sadly someone is now likely in process of taking this idea and making millions hahaha

 

I'd sue them if I didn't actually want them to succeed!

[LeMarchand]

With all the gadgetry making its way into cars nowadays, I do wonder if a combination of adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection could be developed a little further to make a "lane return" suggestion after passing a vehicle, or of the lane to the left is clear.

 

As a "YOU ARE OVER THE SPEED LIMIT. PLEASE SLOW DOWN" warning would be simple to implement with existing tech, but be seen as an invasion of privacy/threat to many driver's self esteem, I wouldn't hold your breath!

[JStocksy]

As a couple of people mentioned Wales - I thought I'd point out that the default speed limit on all current 30mph Welsh roads in dropping from 20mph from September (with some exceptions). That is going to catch out a lot of non-Welsh drivers.

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

As a couple of people mentioned Wales - I thought I'd point out that the default speed limit on all current 30mph Welsh roads in dropping from 20mph from September (with some exceptions). That is going to catch out a lot of non-Welsh drivers.

 

oh wow, i didnt know this, so the default speed limit will be 20MPH in wales

[jmak]

As a "YOU ARE OVER THE SPEED LIMIT. PLEASE SLOW DOWN" warning would be simple to implement with existing tech, but be seen as an invasion of privacy/threat to many driver's self esteem, I wouldn't hold your breath!

You're way behind [emoji16]

 

Already mandatory for all cars gaining type approval after July last year and for all new cars sold from next year:

 

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/mandatory-speed-limiters/

 

More intrusive than your suggestion too. You'll get a notification and/or a warning which could be an alarm, haptic feedback and a visual alert directly in front of the driver if you're exceeding the speed limit *and* if you're accelerating you'll be automatically limited to the speed limit! You can override it - apparently by leading the accelerator all the way down and holding it, but the method isn't specified - but presumably it'll be easy to access records that show you did that.

[LeMarchand]

You're way behind [emoji16]

 

Already mandatory for all cars gaining type approval after July last year and for all new cars sold from next year:

 

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/mandatory-speed-limiters/

 

More intrusive than your suggestion too. You'll get a notification and/or a warning which could be an alarm, haptic feedback and a visual alert directly in front of the driver if you're exceeding the speed limit *and* if you're accelerating you'll be automatically limited to the speed limit! You can override it - apparently by leading the accelerator all the way down and holding it, but the method isn't specified - but presumably it'll be easy to access records that show you did that.

 

Wow! Jeremy Clarkson's head must be exploding.

 

I can see pre-limiter "fast" car prices holding their value for a few years...

[HarryMonkey]

I have a manual speed limiter in my Insignia. I use it all the time (well, most of the time). It's more useful to me than cruise control.

[jthompson]

I have a manual speed limiter in my Insignia. I use it all the time (well, most of the time). It's more useful to me than cruise control.

 

That's interesting. I've never got on with the speed limiter button in my Ford, but I use the cruise control all lot, from 20mph zones all the way up.

 

Something else that interests me is the "real criminals" criticism of police speed traps. Encountering a "30mph is for other people" driver is pretty much an everyday occurrance, so I wouldn't be surprised if downward pressure on habitual speeders is totally worth all of the resources being put into it.

[LeMarchand]

Something else that interests me is the "real criminals" criticism of police speed traps. Encountering a "30mph is for other people" driver is pretty much an everyday occurrance, so I wouldn't be surprised if downward pressure on habitual speeders is totally worth all of the resources being put into it.

 

One of my schools is off a stretch of road that has those "either side of the road" square "humps" with the limit going down to 20mph near the shops/school. The vast majority of drivers just steam up the gap between the humps (unless there is oncoming traffic) at 40mph.

[Andrew_C]

Wow! Jeremy Clarkson's head must be exploding.

I wonder if we could sell the television rights to that?

[HarryMonkey]

That's interesting. I've never got on with the speed limiter button in my Ford, but I use the cruise control all lot, from 20mph zones all the way up.

 

 

Mine's brilliant. I can set it to 30 before I set off and then I can increase or decrease in 5mph increments by pushing the switch so stops me exceeding the limit. I find with cruise control I'm forever having to adjust it based on the driver in front who never seems to be able to maintain a constant speed.

[LeMarchand]

I find with cruise control I'm forever having to adjust it based on the driver in front who never seems to be able to maintain a constant speed.

 

I find that frustrating, especially when you decide that you'll overtake as they're mainly doing a few mph below the limit and it wakes them up and they decide to speed up while you're trying to pass.

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

Mine's brilliant. I can set it to 30 before I set off and then I can increase or decrease in 5mph increments by pushing the switch so stops me exceeding the limit. I find with cruise control I'm forever having to adjust it based on the driver in front who never seems to be able to maintain a constant speed.

 

Adjustable cruise control fixes this issue perfect in my opinion,

my car will brake for me if the car infront slows down, if i indicate to overtake it will also speed upto whatever speed i have it set at. Crusie control is so underrated, it allows the driver to concentrate more of whats happening rather than the speedo.

 

I also have lane assist but i will say i dont ever use that and find it pretty useless, maybe its me doing something wrong.

[Andrew_C]

"Adaptive" cruise control - try driving a car you don't know has it. Very confusing when someone pulls into your "thinking/breaking" gap, and your car slows down.

[RedwayNetworks_Michael]

"Adaptive" cruise control - try driving a car you don't know has it. Very confusing when someone pulls into your "thinking/breaking" gap, and your car slows down.

 

Thats the one Adaptive cruise control haha head went blank for a moment.

 

i must admit i have had the odd occasion where ive felt the car brake hard when i didnt see any reason for it to do so.

It is a nice feature i think though once you get used to it haha.

 

It can be annoying when someone overtakes and pulls infront too close which then causes the car to slow down,

Edited May 24, 2023 by RedwayNetworks_Michael

[Ironside]

Not so Smart | Roads.org.uk

 

Pretty good article about how smart motorways have issues but they could be solved

[LeMarchand]

That article reminded me of another of my pet hates on Smart Motorways: The way people ignore the "lane closed" notice. The sort of people whose favoured lane is #4 will often be seen speeding up lane 1 as it's empty because everyone else is following the signage.

[LeMarchand]

So...

 

Drive home yesterday: Sign 1 - 50mph, report of accident; Sign 2 - blank; Sign 3 - 50mph, report of accident; Sign 4 - blank; Sign 5 - blank. Got off then, but as the on slip was showing 50mph...

 

To work today: Sign 1 - Blank, Blank, 50mph, 50mph; Sign 2 - Blank; Sign 3 - 50mph; Sign 4 - blank; Sign 5 - blank; Sign 6 - restriction ends.

 

Is it any wonder people drive at whatever speed they want? How difficult can it be to maintain continuity?

[MartinT]

Already mandatory for all cars gaining type approval after July last year and for all new cars sold from next year

 

Which is why I'll never be buying a car made past this year.

[LeMarchand]

One of my schools is off a stretch of road that has those "either side of the road" square "humps" with the limit going down to 20mph near the shops/school. The vast majority of drivers just steam up the gap between the humps (unless there is oncoming traffic) at 40mph.

 

Took a few walks near my house over 1/2 Term. A similar road setup on one road, but everyone stayed on "their" side. Admittedly it's not as busy and it may be that the humps aren't as high and don't have such a large gap in the centre of the road.

 

Anyway, back to the original question: I've been trialling a new car launcher and using Waze as the satnav. It may be crowdsourced and possibly inaccurate data, but it does state 50mph through the roadworks. There is also a lane closure just after the signs, which means going into Lane 2 is fun: Too early and it's tailgate city as you're doing the limit, but too late and good luck that someone will let you in!

[MartinT]

One of my schools is off a stretch of road that has those "either side of the road" square "humps" with the limit going down to 20mph near the shops/school.

 

The square humps around my school are so angular and high that my, admittedly low slung, car grounds on many of them despite my best efforts to exactly centre it.

[Dos_Box]

The square humps around my school are so angular and high that my, admittedly low slung, car grounds on many of them despite my best efforts to exactly centre it.

 

We have some in my neighbourhood. Whilst most are ok to go over putting the wheels either side, there is one that is stupidly high (and the only one to be covered in scrape marks). Not helped that my Superb is 1.5cm lower than standard models.

[LeMarchand]

Not helped that my Superb is 1.5cm lower than standard models.

 

So not as superb at going over humps?

[Dos_Box]

So not as superb at going over humps?

 

Your coat is over there I belive --->

[Sheridan]

Personally I think smart motorways are the exact opposite, I understand the concept and it makes sense but in my experience all you end up with is a yo-yo of traffic, if it shows 40 everyone is stopped, if it shows 60 everyone is doing 30 because they've just come out of the 40...

 

I was caught by the cameras a couple of years ago around Nottingham - and although I know its my fault the whole stretch flipped from 40-50-60 on an utterly random basis and I got caught doing 57 in the 50 bit (I was convinced I was still in the 60 zone and I was matching the traffic speed around me but hey, you can't argue with this lot)

 

Ditch them and use the gantry signs for actual useable information.

 

On a side note, I did the obligatory cash raiser/speed awareness course and the guy who ran it was such a smart motorway evangelist it was a little disturbing! It made it feel more like I was joining a cult.