I want to moan about Red X's
Discussion
k!Motorway lane closures are put in place taking into account the lowest common demoninator.
Having spent many years stood on a motorway at RTCs, the utter stupidity, fecklessness, incompetence and arrogance of many UK drivers has to be seen to be believed.
In order to ensure we went home alive, closures are unfortunately a necessary evil
Having spent many years stood on a motorway at RTCs, the utter stupidity, fecklessness, incompetence and arrogance of many UK drivers has to be seen to be believed.
In order to ensure we went home alive, closures are unfortunately a necessary evil
I follow NW Motorway Police on Facebook. They regularly post about catching people driving through red X's and state they'll be followed up later. Presumably a NIP or something in the post. They do get caught and how often can you honestly say that you've seen someone repeat breaching a red X on 2 separate occasions?
One person above suggested that they change the speed of that lane to 0mph and it'll tag everyone going through. That's an option, depending upon how accurate the cameras are.
As far as a red X changing to "move over" signage goes, don't argue it. Just move over. The best that happens is you end up in court arguing the toss about why you didn't move over when it was obvious the lanes were closed and might get off on a technicality. The worst that happens is you have a massive accident that costs peoples lives. Either way, you've cost yourself a lot more time than you've saved skipping a slightly slower queue.
One person above suggested that they change the speed of that lane to 0mph and it'll tag everyone going through. That's an option, depending upon how accurate the cameras are.
As far as a red X changing to "move over" signage goes, don't argue it. Just move over. The best that happens is you end up in court arguing the toss about why you didn't move over when it was obvious the lanes were closed and might get off on a technicality. The worst that happens is you have a massive accident that costs peoples lives. Either way, you've cost yourself a lot more time than you've saved skipping a slightly slower queue.
I would agree with Elroy here, sadly the sheer cretinous driving, idiocy and disregard for even the most basic rules doesn't shock me at all, it is every person for themselves out there, and I don't care about others as long as I am doing the right thing.
Most road users are selfish feckless idiots on the roads, so you might aswell be the same in most circumstances, as they will never change, they are always in the right remember.
Most road users are selfish feckless idiots on the roads, so you might aswell be the same in most circumstances, as they will never change, they are always in the right remember.
The smart motorway cameras *can* now (legally) be used to detect drivers travelling in lanes with the red X after a change in the law was made in June 2019.
Unfortunately the cameras need to be upgraded for it to happen and that won't be complete until July 2023 https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/hal...
Unfortunately the cameras need to be upgraded for it to happen and that won't be complete until July 2023 https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/hal...
Was driving the other way along the M3 at about the same time. Really did not understand the need for lane 4 to be closed for such a long stretch. Did see a few flashes from cameras when it was not obvious that anyone was speeding/driving in the closed lane. Can;t remember seeing anyone driving in the closed lanes, but took me a while to realise that it was closed.
ValleyRed said:
Can't remember the last time I put a shot of RedeX in my tank. Must have been 50 years ago.
Well if we are reminiscing about Redex... in the mid 80s I was out driving my summer job employer's mini van. A mini which my colleague (an apprentice mechanic who hadn't yet passed his test) had pulled the crankcase breather off the crank and threaded it up through the speedo binnacle (knocking out one of the big white plastic grommets.
He then attached a large oil can filled with Redex and as we drove around he would give it a squirt of Redex and a large cloud of white smoke would fill the road behind us. How we laughed.
It was all going laughingly until driving through Newquay on Manor Road (a sort of concrete canyon with backs of shops one side and a 3-4m concrete wall the other) the blighter pumps possible twenty strokes of RedEx whilst I was holding the engine on the rev limiter in second (appreciate it didn't have an actual rev limiter but we've all held an A series at point of valve bounce or whatever stop them revving more). 200m of thick dense white smoke filling the canyon and on to where the 'old' bus station was on the main street. All with our company logo on the side of the van.
It did smell nice - not Castrol R nice but nice.
Cliftonite said:
GasEngineer said:
anonymous said:
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Why is this? Wouldn't it be just like a bus lane camera? Had it on the M1 a few weeks back but it was 3 lanes with X's so only 1 lane open.
Traffic at a standstill with a steady flow of traffic using the closed lanes, particularly HGVs, which seems extra annoying when you have to listen to them telling anyone that'll listen how professional they are as drivers.
Traffic at a standstill with a steady flow of traffic using the closed lanes, particularly HGVs, which seems extra annoying when you have to listen to them telling anyone that'll listen how professional they are as drivers.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I agree. 36 in a 30 gets treated like a war crime by our police's Facebook page, but the technology to enforce red Xs is severely lacking.I'll caveat it to say going back to the "good old days" of motorway police traffic range rovers just isn't feasible/affordable.
They'd be better off reclassifying hatos (or whatever their name is this week) as "bounty hunters", who keep any fine they can make stick on the motorway and are fully funded by that fine income.
They would become hated instantly of course. In the same way council apnr "spy cars" were banned, because it turns out actually enforcing parking rules around schools is unpopular with parents who like to ignore parking rules..
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