"The latest changes from the Department of Transport are hoped to improve safety and confidence in smart motorways, with £390 million designated for additional emergency areas.
In line with the Transport Committee’s most recent recommendations, the rollout of new ALR smart motorways will be paused until a full five years’ worth of safety data becomes available for schemes introduced before 2020. After this point, the Government will reassess the data and decide on the next steps.
Government changes to existing smart motorways include the creation of 150 additional Emergency Areas so drivers have more places to stop.
The Department for Transport welcomed the Transport Committee’s report, backing how it focused on further upgrading the safety of existing ALR smart motorways rather than reinstating the hard shoulder.
The Committee report said evidence suggests hard shoulders do not always provide a safe place to stop, and by reducing motorway capacity, they could put more drivers and passengers at risk of death or serious injury if they were to divert onto less safe local roads.
Despite this, at the inquest for Jason Mercer and Alexandru Murgeanu, Sheffield coroner David Urpeth said “a lack of hard shoulder contributed to this tragedy” and that smart motorways “present an ongoing risk of future deaths”.
Grant Schapps said >>>
“Pausing schemes yet to start construction and making multi-million-pound improvements to existing schemes will give drivers confidence and provide the data we need to inform our next steps. I want thank safety campaigners, including those who have lost loved ones, for rightly striving for higher standards on our roads. I share their concerns.”
So the driving public will die over the next five years acting as as the Government's"guinea pigs? Your thoughts?
Joss @Joss Malden
Malden
One day...
Badges Earned
-
1
-
1
-
1
- 5 Friends
- 202 Posts
- 3771 Comments
- 1702 Reactions
- 5186 Points
-
-
See 7 comments...Marks and Sparks are going to change the name of a traditional and popular sweetie from [ guess the name ] to Mini-Gems - due to pressure from the Petty Concern movement. As there are many thousands of MG Midget [oops] sports cars one wonders how this problem will be solved? Should Bristol Harbour be prepared? Incidentally having just bought a quarter of ##### jacks, what will they be called shortly? Can you think of more brand names that deserve the notice of the woke PC?
-
See 9 comments...Had mixed success over the years, but usually blue-tits have used my bird boxes. Interested to know if you have any tips for the best boxes, where to find them - and anything else that you can suggest please.
-
See 2 comments...Trump is aiming to come back. https://www.postalley.org/2022/01/03/trump-says-jump-alaska-governor-dunleavy-says-of-course/
-
See 2 comments...Would you like nominate someone who should be recognised for service to the local community, or has earned wider public recognition.
-
See 2 comments...TWELVE ANGRY MEN. If you enjoy drama, setting, acting and resolution - one of the very best. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=twelve+angry+men&&view=detail&mid=8FD2264EBF7A3896C0CF8FD2264EBF7A3896C0CF&&FORM=VRDGAR
-
-
See 43 comments..."It now becomes an almost irrestible temptation for a school leaver to take three years off, largely paid for in the end by the state, to put off starting work to take a degree which often adds little to their employability". What do you think - and more importantly your ideas what would improve our further education system?
-
See 16 comments...If you've pulled a few crackers over Xmas, please share those corny, witty and awful jokes in your Christmas crackers this year. One at a time please, and give a thumbs up feed back if you like it... Here's a start! Q. How does Good King Wencelas like his pizzas? A. DEEP PAN CRISP AND EVEN.
-
See 3 comments...Putin is a real life Darth Varder. "The hammer and sickle was lowered for the last time on the night of Dec. 25, 1991, spinning the 15 Soviet republics overnight into independent countries. What Putin laments about the Soviet collapse is the loss of Russian dominance over the vast Communist-ruled empire, a “sphere of influence” already shrunk by then after pro-democracy revolutions in Eastern Europe and independence proclamations within the USSR. The 30th anniversary of the Soviet demise has inspired Putin’s provocative buildup of troops and tanks on Ukraine’s border as he threatens once again to retake parts of Russia’s lost empire by armed force." [Quote from article by Carol J. Williams.] Will Putin make his move over Christmas, so he can breathe more easily...
-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmore_Leonard In case you've not come across Elmore Leonard, look out for this great writer. Re-reading "Comfort to the Enemy" at present...time well spent.
-
See 63 comments...Good news for the Tory old boys club! They are now very happy. Boris is showing how to work a way out of his job... "Get it done!" was his manifesto. Brexit accomplished, his severe limitations as a political leader are now obvious. Even to him? Will this Sleaze scandal see him off? It's a big step on the way to the exit door. In the smoke-filled clubs of St.James they are delighted current events have him cowering behind the sofa in his apartment decorated by rich friends [allegedly]. When will the Tory party will wheel in the candidate they really expect to win the next election? An interesting time for UK politics in the coming year.
-
See 7 comments...Has some very good write-ups. What do you think? Where is it regularly available at a sensibled price please?
-
See 47 comments...Seasonal Affective Disorder. Do you feel this coming into your life now? If so, how much does it affect yuou, and how do you cope?
-
See 1 comment...https://www.postalley.org/2021/10/30/a-new-center-right-party-shimmers-into-position/ This world has enough problems without Donald Trump or a disciple returning to the White House? Here's a recent report about political developments in the USA. Your thoughts please.
-
See 66 comments...Flu outbreak stretches NHS resources. This was the BBC headline...in 2000.http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/6/newsid_2477000/2477943.stm Office of National Statistics published these figures. Total deaths in England & Wales were 608,000 in 2020-21.Population 60 million. Total deaths in England and Wales were 538,000 in 2000-01Population 52 million This shows that the pandemic wasn't the huge prpblem the press and policians would have you believe? In fact the death rate was worse in 2000-01. Your thoughts please.
-
See 2 comments...https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/15/new-zealand-council-ends-contract-with-wizard-after-two-decades-of-service What do you think he might do in retirement, or can you think of another job he should go for?
-
See 33 comments..."The secondary school system in Italy, not unlike some other European countries, offers options to students when they are about to enter high school. Eventually attending a university and making a plan to do so is one option. But there is another, equally good one. That is to enter a high school that specializes in specific talents and skills. There are a several types. They include technical, pre-professional, and cultural tracks" Your comments invited. Please address your thoughts to the present and future value of our education system.
-
See 6 comments...Where are your favourite walks within 10 miles of Old / New Malden please? A good description, degree of difficulty, and whether it's wheel-chair friendly would be helpful. And parking + loo facilities much appreciated.
-
See 10 comments...“Newcastle has sold its name and reputation to a brutal government with a brutal ruler,” Your thoughts please?
-
See 3 comments...Imagine a country where the [male] leaders decide families should only have one child. Imagine the tradition is every family [husband] wants a male heir. Reality. As a consequence there are many more adult males than females. Reality. The feminist movement has gained huge popularity since the introduction of social media. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-55744860 Your thoughts please...
-
See 2 comments...REVIEW: "A Gentleman in Moscow immerses us in another elegantly drawn era with the story of Count Alexander Rostov. When, in 1922, he is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the count is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room …" AUTHOR: Amor Towles Fine writing that draws you directly into a different world a hundred years ago.
-
See 35 comments...McDonalds runs out of milkshakes amid disruption to supply chain. When the milk, tea or spuds run out is time to worry? What would you miss most from your shopping list?
-
See 5 comments...More than half of Covid hospitalisations are patients who only tested positive after admission, leaked data reveal.... The newspapers are full of headlines to distrust data...over a year late. What do you think, and who do you believe? Journalists or politicians?
-
See 73 comments...Below are nine letters - from those make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "E" MUST appear in every word. P I O V L L T U are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "E". There is definitely a nine letter word to be found. TARGET 25 or more words. [ this target includes place and river names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome - likewise obscure locations! GAME ENDS IN 48 HOURS APPROX.
-
See 46 comments...Below are nine letters - from those make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "U" MUST appear in every word. E A D T I P L T are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "U" There is definitely a nine letter word to be found. TARGET 25 or more words. [ this target includes place and river names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome - likewise obscure locations! GAME ENDS IN 48 Hours. [ so only two sleepless nights ahead ]
-
See 12 comments...Critics have voiced concerns over the NHS Digital plans, which would put the medical histories of more than 55 million patients into a database available to academic and commercial third parties for research and planning purposes. Privacy campaigners have already spoken out against the proposals, which include sharing anonymised mental and sexual health data, criminal records, and more sensitive information. The records would be scraped from every patient in England registered to a GP clinic by NHS Digital, which runs the country’s healthcare IT systems. SOURCES: various newspaper reports from all politcal viewpoints.
-
See 56 comments...Below are nine letters - from those make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "P" MUST appear in every word. R C S I S O O B are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "P" There is definitely a nine letter word to be found. TARGET 36 or more words. [ this target includes place and river names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome - likewise obscure locations! GAME ENDS MONDAY. [ just when you thought it was a Bank Holiday ]
-
See 11 comments...Would you admire and support a politician who admits they were wrong? Any examples gratefully received.
-
See 14 comments...The BBC's has a grim struggle to cover up it's appalling management record, after the recently uncovered the Bashir scandal. Who was responsible for the decision to hound the innocent Cliff Richard for example? Did heads roll? What do you think is the Beeb's role in the future?
-
See 74 comments...Below are nine letters - from those make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "C" MUST appear in every word. R A E T R F A E are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "C" There is definitely a nine letter word to be found. TARGET 35 or more words. [ this target includes place and river names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome - likewise obscure locations! GAME ENDS MONDAY. [ish] (less)
-
See 37 comments...Below are nine letters - from those make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "T" MUST appear in every word. E X D P E E R C are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "T" There is definitely a nine letter word to be found. TARGET 30 or more words. [ this target includes place and river names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome - likewise obscure locations! GAME ENDS SUNDAY. [ish]
-
See 25 comments..."Charity shops are the ultimate place to bag a bargain sustainably and a new online marketplace, Thriftify, is hoping to make this easier by “connecting” well-known retailers with consumers. The company, which has just launched in the UK, lets shopaholics browse second-hand products online, meaning they can enjoy some retail therapy and save the planet at the same time. Users can buy books, music, games, gifts and accessories via the platform, which boasts partnerships with stores including Oxfam, St Vincent De Paul, Sue Ryder and Wessex Cancer Trust. Bosses of the social enterprise, which was founded in Ireland in 2018, said it is also integrated into eBay, Google Shopping, Facebook Marketplace and Amazon, giving charities “access to millions of shoppers across the world”. Announcing the UK launch, founder Rónán Ó Dálaigh said: “Fashion is the second most polluting industry after oil but thankfully, consumers are becoming aware of the damaging effects of ‘fast fashion’ on our planet and are looking for alternatives. “Instead of buying new, we can lower our impact significantly by opting for used items, making the most of products already out there and discouraging further unnecessary manufacturing.” Info found in "THE BIG ISSUE" Hope this is of interest.
-
See 4 comments...Look up "Bookfinder" on the net. It's free and easy to use and let's you see what that item is selling for on Amazon, eBay, and bookshops all over the place. A Giles Annual #2 is in good nick, and worth well over £100. An older "Strube" annual is valued at over £60. My beloved "Second Century of Detective Stories" and Eagle Annual #1 held pleasant surprises too.
-
See 67 comments...Below are nine letters - from those make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "E" MUST appear in every word. U L E N I N G F are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "E" There is definitely a nine letter word to be found! TARGET 30 or more words. [ this target includes place names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome! ## PLACE NAMES ARE ALLOWED IN THIS PUZZLE, please give location if obscure! GAME ENDS TUESDAY.
-
See 55 comments...Below are nine letters - from those make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "A" MUST appear in every word. U M N D E E D N are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "A" There is definitely a nine letter word to be found! TARGET 45 or more words. [ this target includes place names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome! ## PLACE NAMES ARE ALLOWED IN THIS PUZZLE, please give location if obscure! GAME ENDS FRIDAY.
-
See 43 comments..."In the EU referendum and again in 2017 age was a new dividing line in British politics. The data indicates that little has changed on this front over the past two years, with Labour still winning a majority of younger voters and the Conservatives miles ahead among older Britons. In fact, for every 10 years older a voter is, their chance of voting Tory increases by around nine points, and the chance of them voting Labour decreases by eight points. The tipping point - the age at which a voter is more likely to have voted Conservative than Labour - is now 39, down from 47 at the last election." SOURCE > YOUGOV POLL. Are you infected, diseased or don't care? What about the Lib-Dems, Greens and Plaid and SNP?
-
See 15 comments...Swiss women can now vote in federal elections and stand for parliament after a national referendum. The official result shows 621,403 of the all-male electorate supported the vote for women and 323,596 were against. The poll was almost a complete reversal of a previous referendum, when women were refused the federal vote by a 2-1 majority. 'Children, Church and Kitchen' This time round, political pundits were expecting a repeat performance with the rural and traditionally more conservative German-speaking cantons resisting the proposal. Even one women's group had argued against change. The Swiss Women Against Voting Rights Association campaigned on the grounds that women's responsibilities lie in the household." Guess the year, and any comments welcome!
-
See 63 comments...Below are nine letters - from those make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "Y" MUST appear in every word. S L G C A T O O are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "Y" There is definitely a nine letter word to be found! TARGET 30 or more words. [ this target includes place names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome! ## PLACE NAMES ARE ALLOWED IN THIS PUZZLE, please give location if obscure! GAME ENDS MONDAY.
-
See 47 comments...Below are nine letters - from those make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "L" MUST appear in every word. O G O M U E N O are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "L" There is definitely a nine letter word to be found! TARGET 40 or more words. [ this target includes place names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome! ## PLACE NAMES ARE ALLOWED IN THIS PUZZLE, please give location if obscure! GAME ENDS MONDAY.
-
See 54 comments...Below are nine letters - from those make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "H" MUST appear in every word. S E E T W A V A are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "H" There is definitely a nine letter word to be found!. TARGET 45 or more words. [ this target includes place names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome! ## PLACE NAMES ARE ALLOWED IN THIS PUZZLE, please give location if obscure! GAME ENDS FRIDAY.
-
See 10 comments...http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/i-opened-book/ Hope the link works!
-
See 63 comments...Below are nine letters - from those make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "N" MUST appear in every word. O C T E M P N O are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "JN" There is definitely a nine letter word to be found!. TARGET 42 or more words. [ this target includes place names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome! ## PLACE NAMES ARE ALLOWED IN THIS PUZZLE, please give location if obscure! GAME ENDS MONDAY.
-
See 10 comments...If press reports are accurate, EU politicians have approached Russia for potential vaccine supply? Would you like a shot in the arm from there?
-
See 3 comments..."Today marks the start of the whaling season in Norway, one of the world’s richest countries and often championed for its political correctness. And yet again this oil and gas rich nation will ignore its growing number of critics worldwide to hunt and kill hundreds of minke whales" In case you are looking at the calendar, please check the truth.
-
See 27 comments...From Daily Mail "Abattoirs across France will undergo emergency inspections after latest shocking secret footage shows workers throwing sheep against a wall and quartering one while it is still alive. Hidden camera caught abattoir abusing animals in south west France. Footage filmed just before Easter sees cow's throats cut while still alive." Also please note: "It is an offence to sell or to supply to another person, meat that has not been slaughtered and health marked in a licensed abattoir. The owner of an animal may slaughter his animal on-farm, but it is an offence to supply the meat to any other person." Isn't it common practice in rural communities for "home-killed" meat to be readily available? Your views and information please.
-
See 61 comments...Below are nine letters - from those nine make as many words as you can of four letters or more:- "L" MUST appear in every word. E E F R E Z A B are the other 8 letters you can use. Tip - put the eight letters in a circle round "L" There is definitely a nine letter word to be found!. TARGET 45 or more words. [ this target includes place names ] Please enter one word in turn with other players. Definitions of unusual words are most welcome! ## PLACE NAMES ARE ALLOWED IN THIS PUZZLE, please give location if obscure! GAME ENDS THURSDAY.
-
See 10 comments...This was a thread a little while ago, and having written to those in power to review the concerns of SL members, here is the political response. Grant Shapps, our transport minister hasn't replied, as yet. Ed Davey of the LibDems is my local MP and has sent his thoughts, so please read on. Dear Jocelyn, Thank you for your email. I am sceptical about the safety of smart motorways – and believe you raise some valid points. I raised my concerns about smart motorways with the Transport Secretary, Grant Schapps, last year. I have copied my letter to Grant Schapps below and attach a copy of his response as a PDF. As you may be aware, the Government commissioned a review of the evidence regarding smart motorways which you can view here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/936811/smart-motorway-safety-evidence-stocktake-and-action-plan.pdf The review made a number of recommendations to improve public confidence and safety and my party has been pressing the Government about the progress towards implementing these recommendations. I believe these recommendations are a step forward – but I’m concerned that they still may leave people vulnerable in certain circumstances. My party and I will continue to scrutinise the Government on this. Yours sincerely, Ed Davey Rt Hon Sir Edward Davey MP Kingston & Surbiton (Liberal Democrats) House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA Dear Grant, I have been contacted by a number of my constituents who are extremely concerned at the safety implications of introducing smart motorways without a hard shoulder. I have held back on sending this e mail due to the priority which it has been necessary to give to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, but feel that I cannot leave this matter any longer. I appreciate that you had already announced a review into driver safety on smart motorways last October as concerns had already been raised then, and that you said then that none of the smart motorways currently proposed would be rolled out until that review had taken place. Now that the action plan to boost smart motorway safety has been published, I should be grateful for your clarification on a number of points. 1) As I understand it, there are currently around 200 miles of smart motorway currently in operation which continued to be in use while the review was in progress. Very few of the proposals set out in the review appear to have timescales set and, where they are, they appear to be unacceptably lengthy. For example, whilst the installation of signs within emergency areas giving information on what to do in an emergency "by the end of spring 2020" is helpful, a period of 36 months to install “stopped vehicle detection” technology is simply too long - we cannot have another three years of unsafe operation and the Government should return these stretches of road to hard shoulders again until radar is installed. Will the "end of spring 2020" deadline be met? Please explain what immediate steps you are taking to ensure the safety of drivers using the sections of smart motorway currently in operation. 2) My understanding is that safety lay-bys were originally envisaged to be every 600 metres, but you are now saying that they will be up to a maximum of one mile apart. Please explain the change in thinking on this. 3) A number of the commitments in the action plan are vague in the extreme; please would you clarify, for example, what actual action is to be taken when you say you are "considering a national programme", "investigating M6 Bromford viaduct …. we will look to make changes". 4) Please confirm that any new sections of smart motorway will only be rolled out after the targeted communication campaigns that you identify as being necessary have taken place and that these new sections will incorporate all the safety features identified in your action plan from the start. 5) At a time when we are increasingly looking to turn to electric cars as the cleaner option, what allowance is being made for the way in which they operate? In particular, as my colleague Baroness Randerson, Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson in the Lords pointed out in debate earlier this year: "when an electric vehicle ceases to function, it stops; it does not coast in the way that other vehicles do. Smart motorways are supposed to be the future, but the future is electric. Those vehicles stop very suddenly. They also cannot be towed; they have to be put on a low-loader, which is a much more complex and longer process that will put rescue teams in greater danger." You state that "Overall, what the evidence shows is that in most ways, smart motorways are as safe as, or safer than, the conventional ones. But not in every way" and I am sure that you will have been aware of the allegations made in the Paronama programme at the end of January and the subsequent report by the all-party parliamentary group on roadside rescue and recovery, led by the former roads minister Mike Penning in preparing your action plan. That report accused Highways England of “casually ignoring commitments” on safety and failing to implement the Stopped Vehicle Detection system. I and my constituents are alarmed at the failings there have been and I should like your assurance that you will personally be ensuring that Highways England will be required to take full account of the Panorama allegations and the all-party parliamentary group's findings in executing your action plan. Steps need to be taken as a matter of urgency to ensure that no more lives are endangered on the existing smart motorways and that no more sections of motorway will be opened until the problems there have been have been fully resolved and the public can be completely satisfied that the removal of the hard shoulder is not creating any danger to road users. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Ed Sent: 16 March 2021 10:37 To: DAVEY, Edward Subject: Smart Motorways Dear Mr. Davey, please advise your thoughts on "Smart Motorways". From what I can find, it appears they are marginally safer than the motorways they are replacing. This is hard to believe. I'd invite any MP to park on the inside lane of the M3, 2miles south of the M25 junction. The night will be dark, wet and windy, and that section is unlit. Any pet travelling with the driver must be left inside the vehicle, as instructed. Then he/she driver will stand behind the crash barrier, for their own safety and observe what happens. In which instance the common sense policy will swiftly become apparent. Would it be more sensible for Motorways to retain a hard shoulder, and the maximum speed limit to be reduced to 60mph. it that means slower journeys and more congestion, so be it. Please note the following statement. Transport Minister Baroness Vere said that she was ‘astonished’ to learn that electric cars slow to a stop comparatively quickly, rather than coasting to a stop like a normal car. There are also concerns that electric cars are more difficult, and therefore slower, to remove. Smart motorways are supposed to be the future, but the future is electric. Those vehicles stop very suddenly. They also cannot be towed; they have to be put on a low-loader, which is a much more complex and longer process that will put rescue teams in greater danger." I look forward to your reply.
-
See 68 comments...The corrupt military have taken power back into their own hands, They have vested interests in controlling the country and economy. They protect this by the massacre of anyone who protests. [we can see it, however hard they try to prevent it] What should the free world be doing to end this barbarism?
