Penalties for Misuse of Smart Motorways

Drive Personnel previously wrote an article on Smart Motorways and as an HGV driver working on jobs for the many clients of Drive Personnel you may encounter Smart Motorways as you travel beyond the Southampton and Eastleigh area. For example there are now smart motorways in operation on the M25, M42, M40, M1 and M4. Smart Motorways were first introduced just over 11 years ago and they use technology to keep traffic flowing and reduce congestion.

On Smart Motorways the hard shoulder is used to allow traffic to flow but if an incident occurs, the red X sign is put into operation, which tells the driver that the lane is closed. As of March this year driving on the hard shoulder or any lane when signs clearly state that it is closed could lead to a whopping fine for the driver.

80,000 letters have been sent by Highways England to those who have chosen to ignore the signs on Smart Motorways and a third of these were related to drivers continuing to use a closed lane despite being told to stay out.

Highways England can capture footage of those who drive in lanes marked with a red X sign, despite it being closed, on the advanced smart cameras. If you are caught there will be a £100 fine as well as 3 points on your licence as punishment.

Parts of the M1, M4, M5, M6 and M42 have already had smart technology put in place to monitor the roads. Please help to keep yourself safe, other drivers safe and avoid any penalties by being vigilant and adhering to the signs on the overhead gantry’s.