Queueing for motorway exit on hard shoulder
Discussion
I don't think enforcement is the solution, that would just make L1 gridlock and L2 will have the person crawling at 15mph trying to get into L1 for the junction. This in turn would stop traffic flow almost all together before the junction.
The hard shoulder should be an active lane in these situations that can be authorised for use depending on traffic conditions. This would also stop the situation of people getting unintentionally stuck in L1 as they will be aware that the shoulder is being used as a crawler lane to the next exit through suitable signage and they have time to get in lane.
Granted, this won't stop the cock who thinks he should be first to everything trying to nudge in just before the junction, but these clowns should be the ones facing a penalty.
The hard shoulder should be an active lane in these situations that can be authorised for use depending on traffic conditions. This would also stop the situation of people getting unintentionally stuck in L1 as they will be aware that the shoulder is being used as a crawler lane to the next exit through suitable signage and they have time to get in lane.
Granted, this won't stop the cock who thinks he should be first to everything trying to nudge in just before the junction, but these clowns should be the ones facing a penalty.
I have never seen this hard shoulder queuing. When I see traffic queuing on the motorway, speed signs are put up on the motorway well in advance of the queuing traffic, along with signs warning of queuing traffic at next junction.
What if one of those cars in the queue starts to overheat - where is it going to go? It would block the road and then all the people queuing on the hard shoulder now have to move out into the fast moving flow of traffic they have created.
Making your own rules up creates confusion and doesn't make things safer for those trying to follow the rules.
It's like cyclists jumping on and off the pavement and jumping red lights as they think it is "safer" - might be for them but possibly not for others.
What if one of those cars in the queue starts to overheat - where is it going to go? It would block the road and then all the people queuing on the hard shoulder now have to move out into the fast moving flow of traffic they have created.
Making your own rules up creates confusion and doesn't make things safer for those trying to follow the rules.
It's like cyclists jumping on and off the pavement and jumping red lights as they think it is "safer" - might be for them but possibly not for others.
Emeye said:
I have never seen this hard shoulder queuing. When I see traffic queuing on the motorway, speed signs are put up on the motorway well in advance of the queuing traffic, along with signs warning of queuing traffic at next junction.
That's not always true. At least twice I've phoned Highways England to notify them of a queue to come off the M1 North at J24 because there's no signs up, the queue in lane 1 was at least a mile long both times.Either the sensors weren't working or no one was manually checking the cameras at a very busy junction (at rush hour).
I've also only once seen the 'hard shoulder queuing', I did think it was odd but also made sense. Not sure what I'd do if I needed to join it though...
brillomaster said:
thought i'd reopen this, as it happened to me this morning... M40 southbound, J11 at banbury. turns out J12 was closed, so all the usual JLR traffic was going down to 11, and turning round.
what are you supposed to do, exactly? i thought as i approached the hill, that traffic was bad, and then, 2 miles before the junction, theres a queue on the hard shoulder, which i've now missed the start of. so my options now are cut into the queue midway down (and risk being rear ended by a lorry in L1 if i cant merge successfully) or drive down to the actual slip road and try and exit there (again, risking being rear ended by a lorry if i can't merge successfully)
really not sure what you're supposed to do here, just seems an incredibly dangerous situation.
in the end i opted for cutting into the queue midway down, since a gap appeared.
the only thing i could think to do to help was leave a big gap in front of me while i'm queuing, so other people who missed the start of the queue and were now praying for a gap could slot in relatively safely.
I know people say 'people are idiots for queuing on the hard shoulder' but when it happens to you, and your alternative is stopping dead in lane 1, i'm not sure what alternative there is?
I am guessing you were going to Gaydon JLR or Aston Martin? I have worked at Aston Martin before and found out that its "local knowledge" to queue on the hard shoulder there, first time I went through I did the same as the OP and got flashing lights and horns, stupid but what can you do, they need to look at the local infrastructure there.what are you supposed to do, exactly? i thought as i approached the hill, that traffic was bad, and then, 2 miles before the junction, theres a queue on the hard shoulder, which i've now missed the start of. so my options now are cut into the queue midway down (and risk being rear ended by a lorry in L1 if i cant merge successfully) or drive down to the actual slip road and try and exit there (again, risking being rear ended by a lorry if i can't merge successfully)
really not sure what you're supposed to do here, just seems an incredibly dangerous situation.
in the end i opted for cutting into the queue midway down, since a gap appeared.
the only thing i could think to do to help was leave a big gap in front of me while i'm queuing, so other people who missed the start of the queue and were now praying for a gap could slot in relatively safely.
I know people say 'people are idiots for queuing on the hard shoulder' but when it happens to you, and your alternative is stopping dead in lane 1, i'm not sure what alternative there is?
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