Morris Minor Owners Club

Staying off topic, I must admit since the lockdown began my local community has come together rather more than in the past, so much so that we have set up a neighbour watch/contact list and now have regular contact with all the neighbours rather than just the local few.

I tend to talk to everyone, but not everyone is the same and many neighbours seem too shy to want to talk, I don't press them but even they have begun stopping and chatting rather than just a brief nod or wave.

My neighbours tend to gather outside the garage and chat and have managed to talk me into working on the cars since lockdown, it all makes for a happier place to live.

An excellent piece in todays CCW on this subject from old friend Nick Larkin, including fairly unequivocal views from a couple of classic clubs. I'm a little disappointed that the MMOC weren't among them as I feel that such a large club as ours would add considerable gravitas to the issue, but it is still good to see that the classic movement as a whole is (in my view rightfully) not allowing the government to just steamroller it through, and perhaps by next time it comes in for some press coverage, the MMOC can be there front and centre too.

I note that the fantastic warning system will alert staff within 20 seconds of a car stopping. Great, then add some reaction time to operate the signs and traffic to switch lanes, say 10 seconds. OK, now go and stand near a smart motorway and count how many vehicles roar past you in 30 seconds. How many does it need to hit you before you are killed? So far as I can see, all lane running is potentially murder.

Perhaps the Club's position is something that should be raised at the AGM? Given a suitable proposal, I'm sure that there would be votes in favour, starting right here.

There's another article in the paper today (apologies for the source, it's the only paper I saw that covered the story today) on this issue with a couple of statements from the AA which really get to the heart of how feelings are running high https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... fears.html
I keep hearing articles, the last one was only a few weeks ago, but government seem hell-bent on carrying on regardless and not even acknowledging the relentlessly negative feedback from the public and motoring organisations. I'm getting close to the point where I'm advocating civil disobedience!

(caveat - that's me individually speaking, and definitely completely NOT the position of the club itself)

Last Monday, "The Times" carried a story that the Highways Agency could be facing charges of Corporate Manslaughter over deaths caused by Smart Motorways. Also, since the M3 smart scheme, emissions have increased significantly above expected levels.

Coincidently, also on Monday, we drove along a section of smart motorway. The gantry signs on all four lanes were showing reduced speed limits. We came to one gantry where only three lanes had a reduced limit, even though we had not seen an end of restriction sign (national speed limit). However, at the next gantry, all lanes were resricted. It appears that it was simply a faulty sign. No great worry, but if that sign was supposed to be showing a lane closure and was not working, then it could have been a very different outcome.

These motorways are bad for the environment and potentially lethal for users, and should be discontinued immediately. There is absolutely nothing to recommend them.

It is one thing to carry on with a shredded tyre but another thing entirely to carry on if your coil goes open circuit.

I vote Yes, cars are more reliable nowadays but they still break down, have punctures etc, having to stop in a live lane would be a nightmare, if you have no hard shoulder you may have no option! If you have just passed an emergency refuge area when a problem occurs you may not make it to the next area.
Larry

simmitc wrote: ↑Thu May 20, 2021 2:35 pm
These motorways are bad for the environment and potentially lethal for users, and should be discontinued immediately. There is absolutely nothing to recommend them.

I’m totally with you on that. And those responsible should be charged with manslaughter. The consequences were entirely foreseeable.

Surely 'smart' motorways have been built for driverless cars?

Surely 'smart' motorways have been built for driverless cars?

But how 'Smart' is it to create or buy something which you can't control and which could easily send you hurtling to your doom, with no way to either intervene or in any way have a chance of moderating and / or altering the outcome ......

jagnut66 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 6:59 pm But how 'Smart' is it to create or buy something which you can't control and which could easily send you hurtling to your doom, with no way to either intervene or in any way have a chance of moderating and / or altering the outcome ......

You could always try switching it off and switching it back on again?

You could always try switching it off and switching it back on again?

I wonder if that will work for an all electric car when one breaks down in the 'fast' lane of one of our (so called) 'smart' motorways??...........
Best wishes,
Mike.

Radio 4's "More or Less" (9/6/21) carried an illuminating analysis of the data on Smart Motorway incidents. Listen again on BBC Sounds.

"Smart" motorways are a dangerous money saving trick. Naming the motorways "smart" is a confidence trick worthy of 1984.

johnhannam wrote: ↑Thu Jul 29, 2021 5:10 pm "Smart" motorways are a dangerous money saving trick. Naming the motorways "smart" is a confidence trick worthy of 1984.

100% agree.

This was in the Sunday Telegraph.

Maybe the same computer system as we’ve got, however with more serious consequences.

Dun &Bradstreet.com list the following private company: (Ultimate parent)

HIGHWAYS ENGLAND COMPANY LIMITED, doing business as Highways England.

I will post a link to the site and we may have an idea of their annual revenue 2021.

I personally don't think we would receive any sort of reasonable, or fair justice from any government minister in the event of deaths or serious injuries due to Smart motorways.

When there is revenue to be earned, all common sense just flys out of the window. It's all about the money; nothing more.

At the bottom of the page, we may see the number of directors in this particular company.
It's my understanding that if men/women, are heads of companies and are sailing on the seas of commerce. They should all have a code of conduct, which should state how they are obliged to perform in their Acting Capacity.

As a private for profit company, they are like many private companies 'service providers'. We pay our tax, they provide an effective and safe level of service to us the public.
The directors, should also, have their own personal insurance liability bond.

Perhaps classic car club directors could form a strategy, to collectively write to these private company directors.

The directors would then be asked to Provide the club's with a copy of the liability insurance bond, that they are obliged to hold. Classic car clubs and associated clubs would explain that they would require this information, because in the event of a claim the man/woman would be held accountable not in their acting capacity, but as themselves. They could not wriggle out of liability.

These are just my own thoughts, right, wrong or just plain daft, it's the only thing I could think of because once apon a time we all understood that we had public bodies. They were accountable. Now of course many of these bodies are private. Accountability is a dirty word.

https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/ ... 86b9f.html

These are just my own thoughts, right, wrong or just plain daft, it's the only thing I could think of because once apon a time we all understood that we had public bodies. They were accountable. Now of course many of these bodies are private. Accountability is a dirty word.

This is the direction the world is heading in.........
Pass me the keys to the TARDIS, I'm going back to the past, for all its faults the world was on the whole a nicer place......
Best wishes,
Mike.

Room for me on the journey?