Greater than 53,000 motorists have been caught by police enforcement cameras disobeying Crimson X indicators on sensible motorways since 2021, in keeping with new analysis performed by the UK’s main highway security charity IAM RoadSmart.
Analysed knowledge gathered by means of a Freedom of Info (FOI) request to police forces in England reveals that in 2021, 9 police forces had been implementing towards Crimson X infringements, with 4,393 drivers caught. An additional eleven forces started prosecuting towards the contravention in 2022 leading to 20,773 motorists being captured by cameras. In 2023, a complete of 21 forces used enforcement cameras to catch 28,231 drivers breaking the regulation. Nearly all police forces with sensible motorways inside their boundary areas at the moment are actively pursuing this sort of criminality.
The Crimson X is commonly used to shut lanes on a sensible motorway when an obstruction resembling a broken-down automobile is detected within the highway forward. Closed lanes are additionally utilized by the emergency providers attending those that may want pressing help on the incident in query. Enforcement cameras mechanically detect automobiles passing illegally below a Crimson X, which may end up in a hard and fast penalty discover of as much as £100 and three factors or, in some circumstances, extra extreme penalties or a courtroom look.
Between 2021-23 inclusive, Surrey Police topped the desk with 11,360 drivers caught committing Crimson X offences alongside stretches of the M3, M23 and M25 – the latter being Britain’s busiest motorway. Thames Valley Police had the second highest quantity with 9,957 motorists being snapped by cameras over the identical interval. Additional north, Better Manchester Police had the third highest nationwide variety of meant prosecutions with 6,120 drivers committing Crimson X offences on motorways.
Bedfordshire Police didn’t start enforcement till 2023, that means solely 28 drivers had been caught ignoring the Crimson X signal by the police on this county stretch of the M1.
Current sensible motorway schemes had been designed to ease congestion by turning the arduous shoulder right into a dwell lane. The primary motorway to transform the arduous shoulder into part-time working lane was the M42 in 2006. In 2013, the M25 was the primary motorway to have stretches of arduous shoulder eliminated altogether and changed with a working lane. As of April 2024, there are 396 miles of sensible motorways in England, which incorporates all-lane working (arduous shoulder completely eliminated); managed (arduous shoulder retained and variable velocity limits); and dynamic (arduous shoulder generally open to site visitors) configurations. Drivers encountering issues on an all-lane working motorway ought to head for emergency refuge areas (ERAs), nevertheless not all make it.
Knowledge suggests there have been 24 fatalities on a sensible motorway in 2022, of which 14 occurred on motorways with no arduous shoulder. Issues have additionally been raised about whether or not radar know-how to detect stranded automobiles is dependable. Current IAM RoadSmart analysis revealed that nearly 89 % of two,000 motorists surveyed believed that the arduous shoulder on sensible motorways must be reinstated instantly, indicating continued public hostility to the schemes.
Impartial highway security campaigner, Meera Naran MBE, whose 8-year-old son Dev died in a sensible motorway collision on the M6 in 2018, stated: “In an emergency, each second counts. The Crimson X supplies a layer of security for the general public, emergency providers, restoration operators, and highway staff. An incident can happen on any lane of the motorway and lanes are closed for numerous causes. When in operation and abided by, this might save numerous lives, together with your individual.”
IAM RoadSmart Director of Coverage and Requirements, Nicholas Lyes stated: “Ignoring a Crimson X signal on a sensible motorway is harmful as a result of it dangers a severe collision and for that reason, we welcome police forces clamping down on those that break the regulation.
“If a lane is closed on sensible motorway, it often signifies there may be both a stranded automobile forward, persons are working within the highway, or there was a collision. Disobeying the signal places the lives of these within the automobile in addition to these forward at risk. Should you see a Crimson X signal, it is best to decelerate and transfer into an open lane when there may be adequate area to take action.
“The vast majority of drivers have severe reservations in regards to the security of sensible motorways the place the arduous shoulder has been eliminated, and these figures are unlikely to steer them they’re protected. We all know that no new all-lane working sensible motorways will likely be constructed but it surely does beg the query of what we do with the prevailing stretches which are in operation? That is one thing the brand new authorities wants to present some severe thought to.”
