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If you're planning a long journey, it’s likely to include motorway driving. For anyone travelling north, or using the M25, that will probably involve a stretch of ‘smart motorway’. You’ve heard that term before but are you sure you understand what it actually means? No? Neither did we.
Smart motorways use innovative technology to actively control traffic flows and improve your journey. Varying speed limits and using the hard shoulder as an extra lane during busy times, helps to avoid having to brake or be at a standstill so that drivers are more able to complete their journeys on time.
Variable mandatory speed limits displayed in a red circle mean it is the law to follow the speed limit. They are a key feature of smart motorways and are used when traffic volumes increase. Monitoring sensors activate lower speed limits to smooth congestion and keep vehicles moving. These speed limits are used along with red X signs to indicate lane closures, to slow traffic when incidents occur and to create as safe a working environment as possible for traffic officers and emergency services.
If the hard shoulder is being used as an extra lane, use the designated emergency areas for emergencies.
For more information about smart motorways, visit the Highways England website.
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