M25 No hard shoulder!

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fatboy18

Original Poster:

18,930 posts

210 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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I had the misfortune today to getting caught in traffic on the M25 between Godstone and Clackets lane, there had been an accident where an Air Ambulance had been called and CPR was being given (found this out a bit later). After sitting in slow moving /stopped traffic for best part of an hour my top radiator hose decided to let go cry

I managed to get the car to the edge of lane 1 but there was no Hard shoulder yikes Highways were alerted as well as the Police (via AA) The lane closed red X markers were then deployed on the overhead gantries. After waiting about 40mins Highways towed me off the motorway to the service station and I was then recovered home.

If you have had the misfortune to break down on the motorway with no hard shoulder you have my sympathy, its seriously scary.
TO THE HUNDREDS of drivers who ignored the RED X Saying lane closed, I hope you all get penalty points and a Ban, to the Irish registered lorry and the driver chatting on his phone and nearly taking out the side of my car. I hope your balls fester! To the Driver of the Silver ford focus who again ignored the lane closed signs and then shouted at me and stuck his fingers up for breaking down, Again I have some nice thoughts for you mate!

I would like to thank the Police and Highways for doing a Great Job getting me safely off the road.

And Finally the AA for calling out their fantastic recovery truck. Brilliant.

Now that's what you call a recovery truck! Brilliant

I would love to know at what stage any of these drivers get penalty points? Do the cameras record the drivers in the lanes with the red X and issue ANPR Fixed penalties? I really hope so.



Edited by fatboy18 on Sunday 29th May 18:33

Geekman

2,863 posts

145 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
quotequote all
fatboy18 said:
I would love to know at what stage any of these drivers get penalty points? Do the cameras record the drivers in the lanes with the red X and issue ANPR Fixed penalties? I really hope so.


Edited by fatboy18 on Sunday 29th May 17:51
The gantry mounted speed cameras do not record drivers in lanes with a red X. There have been cases where police officers present at the scene have noted registrations and sent out FPNs, and I have heard rumours that on very rare occasions CCTV cameras are used to catch offenders. Obviously for any foreign registered vehicles, unless they're stopped t the time of the offence there's no way of catching them.

Basically, it's unlikely any action will be taken.

Riley Blue

20,912 posts

225 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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You might want to read some of the comments here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

As far as I'm concerned, hard shoulder running is the most idiotic 'improvement' to have been introduced since the motorways first appeared.

BossHogg

5,971 posts

177 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Thank god I work on the top end of the M6 where we still have continuous hard shoulder. wink

fatboy18

Original Poster:

18,930 posts

210 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
quotequote all
Here are just a couple of the offenders
Well done Thames Water nono


And another Merc Vito van REG No RK62 OFN

Just two of hundreds!

MrBarry123

6,025 posts

120 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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You have my sympathy OP, not a nice situation.

However... The hard shoulder running is a great idea if you're heading southbound on the M42 and wanting to exit at J3A (M40 junction) without wanting to sit in the M5 traffic.

V8 Fettler

7,019 posts

131 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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fatboy18 said:
Great car for the M25! smokin

CoolHands

18,496 posts

194 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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To be fair that doesn't look like a hard shoulder. I thought they normally had a continuous line even when used in high heavy traffic times. Can you link to a google link streetview of the area?

Riley Blue

20,912 posts

225 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
quotequote all
CoolHands said:
To be fair that doesn't look like a hard shoulder. I thought they normally had a continuous line even when used in high heavy traffic times. Can you link to a google link streetview of the area?
It isn't and no one has said it was. OP mentioned drivers ignoring the red X denoting a closed lane and I linked to another thread.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Riley Blue said:
As far as I'mconcerned, hard shoulder running is the most idiotic 'improvement' to have been introduced since the motorways first appeared.
Do you drive on dual/triple carriageways ? How many of them have hard shoulders ?
What sort of technology do they have on them?
The biggest problem on most roads is the idiots using them I refer you to the OP's post.

OP if it happens again and you cannot get fully off the carriageway I would suggest "FILL THE LANE" with your car it will help cause congestion and slow the traffic.

The other month a dopeyhead ran out of fuel on the M25 live lane and was smacked by a truck whilst stationary, DEAD.
Several years ago another one ran out of fuel on the hard shoulder and was smacked by a truck DEAD.
On both occasions I see a line of people ahead of highways in the firing line for the consequences of both of those.
IMHO it should be a minimum £100 fine and 3 points for running out of fuel to focus the mind.


Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 29th May 19:21

Elroy Blue

8,686 posts

191 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Hard shoulder running was devised by an idiot and is truly dangerous. As demonstrated, the amount of people who ignore red 'X's is staggering. It hasn't eased congestion on the M6 or M42 whatsoever.

There's also the biggest issue. If you're in a collision and are trapped in your car bleeding to death, bear in mind that no emergency service can get anywhere near you because all four lanes are utterly gridlocked. We face this all the time. Nobody has an answer.

chevy55

8,248 posts

235 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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speedyguy said:
IMHO it should be a minimum £100 fine and 3 points for running out of fuel to focus the mind.
I was always under the impression that you can get fined and points for running out of fuel on a motorway. One thing that really pisses me off is the people that break down in the Blackwall tunnel, there must be at least 4 or 5 a day but you rarely see anything broken down either side of the tunnel, are cars scared of the dark in there? The other day there was white van man that entered the tunnel about three trucks in front of mine, he was slowing as he entered the tunnel and got slower and slower until he came to a standstill three quarters way through, cue tunnel closure and a 20 minute wait until police and recovery turned up.

BTW OP I love your car and the recovery truck looks fantastic.

funkyrobot

18,789 posts

227 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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OP, I think that is the nicest car I've seen on PH.

Shame you had to break down and witness the dangerous, selfish morons we have on our roads. I agree that there should be some serious punishment for disobeying closed lanes. Hell, we have to do 40 and 50 mph past roadworks with nobody actually working. These areas are littered with speed cameras. Why not get some enforcement of red x's.

In a similar situation (but not on a motorway), my fiancée's clutch went on her car near a roundabout a few years ago. Cue loads of wkers leaning on the horn as they went by, some even calling her a ! Morons, the lot of them.

fatboy18

Original Poster:

18,930 posts

210 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
quotequote all
Red Devil said:
That was bad luck getting stranded 600m past the refuge at the 36.8 marker.frown



I have been trying to remember when and where I had seen you car before.
It was a long time ago! On 12/09/12 at the Smith & Western in Blindley Heath.



Btw, do American cars not have hazard warning lights? wink
Yes and they were on, I guess the pic must have taken during the no flash bit? Both pics as well! What's the chances of that?

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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CoolHands said:
To be fair that doesn't look like a hard shoulder. I thought they normally had a continuous line even when used in high heavy traffic times.
That's because it isn't one. Managed motorways don't have them.
They have emergency refuge areas instead. See below.

CoolHands said:
Can you link to a google link streetview of the area?
The OP was stranded here - https://goo.gl/maps/Nsk8sHVBCip
About a mile and a half prior to Clacket Lane services.
The refuge is further back, here - https://goo.gl/maps/rvMqTfH2pRt

Derek Smith

45,512 posts

247 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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This morning a car broke down on the middle lane of the M4 near Bristol. In general, the driver followed orders of the two lanes closed but there were a few, no more than half a dozen, who went faster than the 40mph restricted speed limit in the lane that the car was in, even when it was in sight.

I've always let cars in the wrong lane into the one I'm in despite their idiocy. This time I thought that it was, to an extent protecting the stopped vehicle. So I kept one out by refusing to leave a gap.

To the OP, the advice to occupy the whole lane is the approved one. The logic is that if you occupy half then there will be those who believe they can get through. The empty lane to the other side being too big a temptation.


Impasse

15,099 posts

240 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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chevy55 said:
speedyguy said:
IMHO it should be a minimum £100 fine and 3 points for running out of fuel to focus the mind.
I was always under the impression that you can get fined and points for running out of fuel on a motorway.
I ran out of fuel on the M27 once. A faulty breather meant that a vacuum was formed in the tank and the bottom of the fuel tank bowed inwards lifting the fuel gauge sender up enough to show just under a quarter of a tank on the dashboard.
I'd be miffed to receive any fines or penalties for that.

MrBarry123

6,025 posts

120 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Impasse said:
I ran out of fuel on the M27 once. A faulty breather meant that a vacuum was formed in the tank and the bottom of the fuel tank bowed inwards lifting the fuel gauge sender up enough to show just under a quarter of a tank on the dashboard.
I'd be miffed to receive any fines or penalties for that.
I think there probably should be, and probably is, leniency in the system to differentiate between people who run out of fuel out of no fault of their own (as per your example) and then people who run out of fuel because they're fkwits.

Landshark

2,117 posts

180 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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Red Devil said:
CoolHands said:
To be fair that doesn't look like a hard shoulder. I thought they normally had a continuous line even when used in high heavy traffic times.
That's because it isn't one. Managed motorways don't have them.
They have emergency refuge areas instead. See below.

CoolHands said:
Can you link to a google link streetview of the area?
The OP was stranded here - https://goo.gl/maps/Nsk8sHVBCip
About a mile and a half prior to Clacket Lane services.
The refuge is further back, here - https://goo.gl/maps/rvMqTfH2pRt
Just to clarify.....

There are normal motorways;
There are managed motorways;
There are hard shoulder running motorways
And then there are All Lane Running motorways.

The Op was on a section of All Lane Running (ALR) motorway.....no hard shoulder at all just ERA's

sleepezy

1,779 posts

233 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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Glad you got out of there ok.

OP odd question, but did that recovery truck driver tell you about him owning a 600odd hp Ford Anglia and very special Capri?

I may have been with the same guy/truck not all that long ago!