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Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly has announced a £6bn package of measures to help reduce traffic congestion in the UK, including an extension of the hard shoulder running trial that has been conducted on the M42 near Birmingham.
So called ‘Active Traffic Management’ will be introduced over some of the UK’s busiest motorways, bringing variable speed limits and allowing local traffic to use the hard shoulder between junctions. The Government plans to roll it out on the M3 and M4 near London, the ...Read the full article

Would it not be cheaper to invest in a few signs advising drivers to "keep to the left unless overtaking" - or is that an infringement of civil liberties ??

If the authorities widen our motorways, all that will happen is that drivers will move one lane to the right !

These thoughts are based on returning from Goodwood last Sunday via the M25 eatbound from the A3 and seeing lanes 3 & 4 clogged up with vehicles travelling at around 65 mph but with lanes 1 & 2 emty apart from the occasional artic. or caravan in the distance.

What he said, twice.

And i'll third that. Keep left should be plastered all over the motorways- at every available opportunity.

On topic- these sound like a reasonably sensible bunch of measures, much as I am loathe to admit it. 

Or better, dump the stupid rule about overtaking on the inside being illegal and end us good drivers' frustration.  Having lived in Oz for the last 5 years and the only fine I've ever received being in the UK for overtaking on the inside past a bunch of incompetent morons, this would be the most sensible decision the government had made in a long time.

But to give credit where it's due, good to see some decent investment in the road network.

theoriginalshoe:

theoriginalshoe wrote the following post at Jul 16, 2008 6:23 PM:

Or better, dump the stupid rule about overtaking on the inside being illegal and end us good drivers' frustration.  Having lived in Oz for the last 5 years and the only fine I've ever received being in the UK for overtaking on the inside past a bunch of incompetent morons, this would be the most sensible decision the government had made in a long time.

But to give credit where it's due, good to see some decent investment in the road network.

 

Oh no, please NEVER. Having motor bikes weave between vehicles in different lanes is bad enough, but to have cars do the same is a manic suggestion. I am in total agreement with those who want to go back to the rule of my youth "Keep to the nearside lane except when overtaking".

I also worry about the use of the hard shoulder on a motorway or dual carraigeway, as it blocks access for emergency vehicles in the case of an accident. On a single carraige way road in such event, emergency vehicles, using sirens and blue lights can carefully use the offside taking care to avoid oncoming traffic, such tactics are not available on a dual carraigeway or motorway. No, the answer is to re-train all drivers to "Keep to the nearside lane except when overtaking".

 

GD:

Oh no, please NEVER. Having motor bikes weave between vehicles in different lanes is bad enough, but to have cars do the same is a manic suggestion

Have you driven in Australia?  This is not an issue.  When it's standard practice, it works well.

GD:

No, the answer is to re-train all drivers to "Keep to the nearside lane except when overtaking".

Fair enough, but this must be legally enforced.  If not, it leaves good drivers out in the cold.

derek171:

Would it not be cheaper to invest in a few signs advising drivers to "keep to the left unless overtaking"

Bang on! 

This is a personal soap box issue for me.  It would save so much congestion in this country if everyone kept left or we were allowed to overtake on the left.

 

Is there any country besides the UK where undertaking is illegal? I've driven extensively in Europe, the US/CAN and South America and it's not an issue. And if this is scary to you, quite frankly, you're not aware enough of the traffic around you to be driving.