Millions of drivers risking up to £5,000 fine for ‘ignoring smart motorway lane closures’
MORE than a fifth of British drivers have risked hefty fines by ignoring red X signs on smart motorways.
Some 23 per cent of motorists admitted having driven under the lane closure signs, according to a recent RAC study.
The vast majority of this group said they disregarded red Xs "accidentally" but three per cent admitted doing so "on purpose".
Hundreds of miles of motorway across England have been converted into smart motorways, meaning the hard shoulder is used as either a permanent or part-time running lane.
Red Xs are shown on overhead gantries when a lane is closed to deal with incidents such as broken down vehicle outside of the emergency lay-bys.
It's illegal to drive in a lane closed in this way and offenders can be handed a fixed penalty of £100 and three penalty points.
How to safely drive on a smart motorway
Highways England gives the following advice when driving on a smart motorway:
- Never drive under a red “X”
- Keep to the speed limit shown on the gantries
- A solid white line indicates the hard shoulder – don’t drive in it unless directed
- A broken white line indicates a normal running lane
- Use the refuge areas for emergencies if there’s no hard shoulder
- Put your hazard lights on if you break down
The most serious cases are dealt with in court, where motorists can be charged with careless driving and slapped with a maximum £5,000 fine, nine penalty points and even a road ban.
Highways England has been working since 2016 to improve compliance with red X signs.
It has issued more than 160,000 warning letters to drivers who have either used sections of the hard shoulder when it was not designated as a running lane or failed to comply with a red X.
An amendment to legislation that will enable offenders to be punished after being caught by a remote or automated camera has not yet been completed.
But two-thirds of the 2,093 drivers surveyed by the RAC would support cameras being used to catch drivers ignoring red Xs.
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Simon Williams, RAC spokesman, said: "Red X signs are paramount in safety terms as any stricken driver who has not managed to reach an SOS area is at tremendous risk of being involved in a collision with vehicles that ignore them.
"Our research found drivers understand very clearly what red Xs mean, yet worryingly far too many appear to have driven under one, dramatically putting themselves at risk of encountering a stationary vehicle or a worker in their path and all the horrific consequences that could have.
"Highways England has been working hard to get the message across to drivers that they should not drive in lanes closed by red Xs, but there is still some way to go to ensure near total compliance."
everything you need to know about smart motorways
In October last year, a motorist was reported for careless driving after "stopping for a rest" and causing an accident on the M1.
Another car collided with the back of the vehicle in the first lane of the motorway.
The driver was confused by new smart motorway configurations, thinking the lane was a closed lane or hard shoulder despite no red X sign being displayed.