Motorway lane hogs should be warned
Campaign calls for reminders and ramp metering
Congestion can be eased by more radical traffic management measures, says the RAC Foundation. Among the measures it calls for are ramp metering (seen here in Delft, Holland, top) and signs reminding drivers not to hog the motorway middle lane (bottom).
Ramp metering is widely used in Europe and the US to control access to motorways using traffic lights, and has, say its advocates, proven to smooth and speed overall traffic flows.
The Foundation was responding to an report from the National Audit Office on the performance of the Highways Agency launched yesterday. 
The report says that the Highways Agency has been too cautious in introducing or testing out measures used more readily abroad. It also states that the Agency needs to be better prepared for events that cause congestion, including major sporting and entertainment events. Information for drivers about congested conditions could also be improved.
The RAC Foundation, believes that the Agency has done an excellent job in improving standards of road maintenance on the motorway and trunk road network but agrees that an over-cautious approach to traffic management has delayed other improvements.
The report specifically mentions the lack of use of measures used widely in other countries such as tidal flow, dedicated lanes, ramp metering and variable speed limits. The Foundation’s report "Motoring towards 2050" in May 2002 specifically called for speeding up the introduction of such measures and estimated that these could increase capacity where they are applied by 10-15 per cent.
The Foundation endorses the NAO recommendations that the trials and other initiatives - better technology, better liaison on events - should be implemented as a matter of urgency.
Commenting, Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said "Better management can make an important contribution to reducing congestion but substantial improvement needs a package of all feasible and cost effective measures in which the major component is provision of new capacity, with road pricing being added as soon as possible.
"It is also worth noting that the report is confined to the motorways and trunk roads, less than five per cent of the total network. Congestion is a major problem on local roads and for much of the more important local network the NAO proposals could move towards some relief."
The Foundation notes that a ramp metering trial was introduced successfully on the M6 back in 1986 and yet ramp metering is rarely used. During the RAC Foundation’s National Motorway Month in August the Foundation called for more chevrons on motorways to deter tailgating and greater use of VMS signs warning motorists not to "hog the middle lane". These methods have already proved to be effective yet full implementation across the network is proving to be very slow.
The RAC Foundation is increasingly concerned by the lack of urgency given to vital road improvements. Road traffic grew by 75 per cent from 1980 – 2002, while the total length of roads increased by only 10 per cent in the same period. Recent figures show that this growth in traffic levels is not slowing down with an increase in traffic of 1.8 per cent between 2002 –2003. This scale of increase cannot be sustained without major investment into the road network.
The strategic network of motorways and trunk roads is the core of the national transport system. Although it accounts for only about four per cent of the road network, it carries around 35 per cent of traffic, including more than half of all road freight movements.
The RAC Foundation recently produced a White Paper for roads with a list of ‘Urgently needed improvements to the strategic network.’ At a cost of £2bn a year over 10 years, these improvements could all be paid for out of half of one year’s motoring taxation.
King continued," Strategic roads are the core of the national transport system, but without investment substantial parts of the network will grind to a halt under the pressures of congestion.
"Roads carry 64 per cent of all freight and 92 per cent of passenger traffic. We urge the Chancellor in his pre-budget statement next week not to prop up the railways with extra expenditure from the roads budget.
"Road users currently pay £42 billion in taxes per year, of which less than £6 billion is spent on roads. We claim to be the fourth largest economy in the world, and yet we have one of the worst congestion records in Europe. Isn’t it time for a fairer deal for motorists?"
The RAC Foundation for Motoring "was established to promote the environmental, economic, mobility and safety issues relating to use of motor vehicles. It was formed in 1999, following the demutualisation and demerger and sale of RAC Motoring Services, to research and campaign on a wide variety of issues of general interest to RAC members and to responsible motorists generally."
Some firm clarification regarding the legality of undertaking may assist in this. I'm quite sure that should we be permitted to sail past those deaf/blind individuals who haven't read their Highway Code we'd all be alot happier. We might even get some of the old gimmers of the motorways too, as they'd be terrified to go onto the roads.
IMHO this is the single most fustrating thing about driving in the UK.
Gruffy
Normally I expect either no reaction or occasionally people do come to their senses and move to lane 1 too.
Not this bloke. Clear road in front of him and he moved into lane 3 blocking traffic behind
What is going through theese people's minds?!
I guess the sparrow brained mentality is 'if I pull into the 2rd lane the guy behind may get passed me!'
In situations like this I pull into the 2nd lane, enjoy not having an other car for 200m behind or in front of me and can keep pace with the 3rd lane anyway.
A public add campaign is needed to educate people on good driving practices on motorways, a new bit to cover this should be added to the driving test and then the police should enforce it, rather than targeting speeders.
PetrolTed said:
M25 this week, old Numpty in a Toyota in the middle lane. A car in front passed from lane 3 to lane 1 in front of him as did I.
That's precisely what I normally do but it's so painful to look back and see the bastard happily parked in the middle lane completely oblivious to their numpty behaviour.
How blatant can you make it? I've tried pulling up behind them in lane 1, then lane 2 and waiting for a time and then usually, getting no reaction, overtaking in lane 3 before pulling back in to lane 1 - indicating for much longer than necessary all the time. And usually... nothing.
Surely after all that we could just shoot them?
Gruffy
In the Medium term, education is definately key. But just having signs and TV ads is not enough. They are too easily ignored. I think proper education has to involve a massive overhaul of the license system. Make the driving test much much more comprehensive and have a reset after 5 years and then every 10 years until age 60, then back to 5 years. I reaslise this would put the cost of driving up, but I think this is one area that I would accept it as it would make roads better and save lifes. And, of course, the system would need to be backed up by a substantial traffic cop presence on the road stopping people for bad driving, not just speeding.
In the long term, technology will sort things out. Many systems are already in place and as they integrate better, you will find you get a system in your car that not only does traffic and maps, but knows the exact position and speed of all cars nearby and knows all the rules of the road and will tell you when to mave back in a lane or back off, etc. Beyond that, (in the quite long term) we'll end up with cars that either drive themselves, or at least prevent you from doing muppet stuff.
Edmund King said:
Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said "Better management can make an important contribution to reducing congestion but substantial improvement needs a package of all feasible and cost effective measures in which the major component is provision of new capacity, with road pricing being added as soon as possible
Traitor
or nearest scrap yard. 
However, there are usually the odd idiot who just sits in lane two or three with no one all around except you wondering whether to go from 1 to 3 to 1 to get past, or just say in one all the way past them in 2 or 3...
I usually pass them and pull infront of them very obviously, before indicating a second time back into the 1st lane. Usually no response at all, but what can you expect when they are doing what they are doing in the first place. Not paying any attention!
Dave
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