M42 Variable Speed Limits

[T16GEM]

This is a bit of a rant so be warned.....

Since the M42 between 3a and 1 think junction 9 ish has had the variable speed limit and speed cameras on it I just can't believe some of the things that I see, when the speed is down to 50mph the hard shoulder is opened up to ease the congestion and you can travel in it until about a mile before the next exit, then they put signs up which say Hard Shoulder for This Exit Only, which is fine, but when I was coming home last Friday in the rush hour I was in the inside lane as the hard shoulder wasn't switched on despite the speed limit being down to 40mph - any way the next thing I know there's a car hurtling down the inside of us all. Then just cos he had off a load of other cars went. It was blatantley obvious that the hard shoulder was not in use and these people just had absolute disregard for what could have lay ahead in that lane. Anyway at junction 6 there was a traffic officer car parked accross the hard shoulder with his lights going forcing all these idiots back into the inside lane.

Then this morning the speed limit was 70 and some complete idiot came up behind the car in front, then because he couldn't over take he decided to undertake on the hard shoulder! I just couldn't believe my eyes!

What is it with people????

Rant over!

 

[natalielongstaff]

it used to be just boy racers but these days its anyone a young girl was killed a few weeks ago near us because she was speeding.

 

[wils]

That stretch on the M42 always makes me nervous I worry about what would happen if I had to pull over to the hard shoulder in an emergency - I burst a tire once on the M25 and sitting on the hard shoulder was scary enough without the thought of being hit by a speeding car

 

[T16GEM]

Jo, they've got emergency refuge areas ever 500 yards so you should be able to get into one of those, but the other week I was going along and there was a biker stopped on the hard shoulder and people were just swerving round him. I would have thought that there should be someone watching the lanes at all times to make sure that they close it if there is an obstruction or someone stopped.

Nat, I know, we have a problem with racing in Birmingham, they are on about closing one of the main industrial parks and putting gates on it b/c of the racers there.

 

[Laurafoster]

We have the same problem here! They are widening the M1 and the things some people do really shocks me!

We get really bad traffic build up just before the roadworks which is where i want to get off. I sit in the traffic creeping along until i can get off at my junction and always some arrogant twit decides they are to good to bother queuing with the rest of us and wizzes down the hard shoulder!

What gets me is that these people never seem to get caught! I bet if i tried it i would!

 

[Goofyish]

it used to be just boy racers but these days its anyone a young girl was killed a few weeks ago near us because she was speeding.

The Hinckley bypass is a nightmare at night - so many 'boy-racer' types using it as a race track! All in their little hatchbacks, with the exhausts that make them sound 'good' , and their baseball caps on backwards - they think they are soooo cool.

I believe the girl that died was a learner driving her mates car - with no seatbelt on.

 

[T16GEM]

The thing is that is why we have tracks. I am not going to lie, both DH and I have fast cars, he drives a Mitsubishi Evo and I have a Clio Sport, although I must confess I have never worn my baseball cap backwards! But if we want to race we do it at Silverstone or Donington or somewhere like that - the cost is relatively low and you know that you are safe. I quite regularly get propositioned by little boys in crappy hatchbacks at the lights, there is no need to show them what the car can do, I am sure that they know what 400hp looks like leaving them in the distance ha ha!