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Monday, 17 January 2022

Times Online

• Times letters: Smart motorways have run out of road [subscription]Sir, Janice Turner makes an eloquent attack on so-called smart motorways (“Smart motorways were a tragic misjudgment”, Jan 15). One aspect not mentioned is that the work to turn conventional motorways into smart ones takes years. During this time the hard shoulder is taken out of use and the remaining lanes are often narrowed. The result is all the dangers of smart motorways with none of the mitigations: no refuges, no gantries to mark lanes as closed, and no technology to detect stopped vehicles.
• Broken speed cameras allow drivers free reign to break limits [subscription]Edmund King, president of the AA, said the number of broken cameras had resulted in a “postcode lottery” for whether drivers will be caught. The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points. Those drivers with a clean licence may be offered the chance to attend a speed awareness course. Drivers are disqualified for up to three years if they accumulate 12 points.