YP Letters: Not so smart if you fail to inform motorists

Smart motorways without a hard shoulder for broken down vehicles have prompted a safety debate.

WITH regard to the report ‘Motorists still left in ignorance about smart motorways’ (The Yorkshire Post, May 22), have I missed something?

I cannot recall that Highways England or anyone else has published a guide to using these roads at all. What happened to the ‘hogging the middle and outside lane rule’? I seem to think there was a recent law passed which involves fines for offenders who creep along a motorway in an inappropriate lane causing other road users to slow down and congest that lane, and the more rash (bad) drivers to undertake them on the left.

A taxi driver I spoke to recently thought it safer, in the unlucky predicament of a break down, to stay in the ‘overtaking’ lane as lorries can’t use that  one.

The possible consequences of a huge lorry thundering towards a broken-down vehicle which couldn’t reach the refuge area and is stationary in a live running lane, just doesn’t bear thinking about.

Cutting across all the lanes, while coasting along with no engine power, isn’t a great idea either.

I’m aware that these smart motorways have cameras all over the place and hopefully, help would swiftly be on the scene but please, has anyone any advice?