Smart motorway signs

Never drive in a lane closed by a Red X. Keep to the speed limits shown on the signs. In an emergency or breakdown. If your vehicle is damaged or appears to have problems,. A Red X sign indicates that a lane is closed to traffic. Different types of smart motorways have different ERA spacing, but the furthest you will be away from one is around 1. This includes the use of variable speed limits and access to the hard shoulder at peak times.

Smart motorways are popping up all over the UK in high traffic areas. They have electronic signs overhead to direct traffic, which can be changed from a central Highways Agency control room. What is a smart motorway ? A smart motorway is a section of motorway which uses technology to control the flow of traffic. Motorway signs are often in place from as much as one mile to provide traffic with sufficient warning to change to an appropriate lane if necessary.

The below motorway signs are the most common found and are similar to those found on many dual carriageways in the UK. Unlike the blue signs found on motorways however, dual carriageway signs are green in colour. She oversees the smart section of the Mand the southern half of the M25’s signage , as well as other road signals , queues and congestion issues. Early systems used dot matrix signs on gantries to display short text messages, with smaller variable signs above each lane and to the sides of the carriageway. Depending on the traffic circumstances, the electronic signs can be changed in order to manage speed limits and lane layout.

A new study suggests more than a fifth of drivers have ignored red X signs on smart motorways. DRIVERS who ignore warnings on smart motorways will be fined £1and issued with three penalty points from next week. Motorway advisory and mandatory speed limit signs and signals. Certain motorways use a system called Active Traffic Management (ATM). In these locations motorway light signals placed at the side of the carriageway or overhead.

Variable speed limits that are contained in a red ring are mandatory. However, the sequence and look of digital signals used remains consistent regardless of whether you see them on a. They display open and closed lanes as well as variable speed limits. It is common knowledge that you can land a fine if you breach the variable speed limit displayed on the gantry,.

Helpline with Current. FWO SMART MOTORWAY APPLICATION. In the instance of the Msmart motorway section in Kent, the speed limit is normally set to 70mph.

However when the hard shoulder lane is in use, the speed limit can reduce down to 40mph, 50mph or 60mph. Any change in the speed limit is clearly communicated to motorists via overhead gantry signs. While standard motorways simply have a fixed speed limit and lanes, smart motorways have signalling that can control the speed limit based on the current conditions and close lanes if there is an issue. This system is known as Active Traffic Management (ATM) and usually involves turning the hard shoulder into an additional lane of traffic to help ease the burden.

These are to ordinary speed cameras what triffids were to nasturtiums. Redflex Hadecs3s are being called out as stealth cameras. They’ll get you when you’re doing 71. And they’re painted grey, sitting on the overhead gantries like bored owls.

Signs on primary routes - green backgrounds Blue panels indicate that the motorway starts at the junction ahead. Motorways shown in brackets can also be reached along the route indicated. White panels indicate local or non-primary routes leading from the junction ahead. Brown panels show the route to tourist attractions. England’s motorways connect people to families and friends, workers to jobs and businesses to their customers, which helps our nation thrive.

Thousands of UK drivers are being caught out and fined on smart motorways. Some of these include those when the speed limit has been reduced from mph to 50mph on clear roads by the active traffic management system. During peak times the hard shoulder on a Smart Motorway is also used as an additional lane to increase the capacity of the motorway.

Pictured below Smart Motorway - with congestion and use of the hard shoulder for motorists.