Red X means don’t drive in that lane

[ManomayLR]

1st, when I was confirmed MS4 would use red X they only seem to on SMART motorways. Although wickets have to be used on MS1/2/3, they are sometimes used on MS4s too, mostly where they are signalling on non-SMART motorways. This is confusing as they are not used with red wigwags. Are they compulsory? If not people may think the red X is only advisory and they won't get caught for ignoring.

[Matthew]

Secondly, why don't they update the Highway Code?

It really wouldnt matter if they did. Highways England are blatently incapable of signing roadworks in a consistent manner that gives drivers a chance of complying with the letter of the law or putting them in abject danger.

That's a rather blanket criticism.

[Vierwielen]

Secondly, why don't they update the Highway Code?

It really wouldnt matter if they did. Highways England are blatently incapable of signing roadworks in a consistent manner that gives drivers a chance of complying with the letter of the law or putting them in abject danger.

That's a rather blanket criticism.

Sometimes the meaning of a red "X" is obvious - see here for example.

[Piatkow]

I am more likely to use the London Underground than drive on a managed motorway with a lane closure but from observation of people using ticket gates I think that a red X does not register as meaning "closed" with a significant minority of the population.

[Vierwielen]

There might well be a case for drivers who are not aware of this sort of offence being required to resit the theory test (at their own expense of course) and with no points on their licence unless they contest the conviction in court. If this type of remedy were used frequently, it would ensure that motorists reread the Highway Code (though in my case I had a certain degree of contempt for the Highway Code when I read it for the first time at the age of 25 - the code permitted cyclists to cycle two abreast, something that was drummed into me as a child in South Africa as being dangerous).

[ManomayLR]

Someone- I think Johnathan404- posted about the idea of a motorway simulator with red X shown to test driver responses- that's a great idea and should be shared with Highways England. A simulator will be able to test driver responsiveness to Red X and also other smart motorway signals like VSL. It might also test standard motorway advisory symbols and general practices such as the 2-second spacing rule or compliance to chevron spacers. However because this is simulated and not real there is no real danger so it is ideal for learner drivers and motorway driving tests. The simulated motorway would look similar to a particular section of UK motorway and a selection of places where there are different types of signal used such as a central reservation mounted MS1, verge mounted MS2, MS3 and MS4 (both smart with VSL and standard without VSL, both gantry and verge mounted), ALR with AMI/MS4 and DHS with AMI/MS4, the latter of which is most important because it will test compliance with hard shoulder usage messages. Compliance to both advisory and mandatory signs and adherence to the national speed limit would also be tested.

[ais523]

1st, when I was confirmed MS4 would use red X they only seem to on SMART motorways. Although wickets have to be used on MS1/2/3, they are sometimes used on MS4s too, mostly where they are signalling on non-SMART motorways. This is confusing as they are not used with red wigwags. Are they compulsory? If not people may think the red X is only advisory and they won't get caught for ignoring.

On an MS4, a wicket is advisory, a red X is mandatory.
On older signs that can't show a red X (e.g. MS1/MS2/MS3 for a lane closure, and sometimes even for a full motorway closure if the sign doesn't have red pixels), a wicket sign is advisory, a wicket sign + red wigwags is mandatory. In this situation, the red wigwags don't close the whole motorway if the sign shows one or more lanes as open (i.e. they only apply to the lanes shown as closed on the sign).
It's quite possible that people reading this may remember the rules as something different; they changed pretty recently (a few months ago, with TSRGD 2016). Really, this sort of change to the meaning of traffic signs should be communicated better, perhaps via a leaflet listing the new signs and what they mean. I'm not even sure that the Highway Code (which most drivers assume is what governs the meaning of road signs; it doesn't) has been updated.

[ManomayLR]

1st, when I was confirmed MS4 would use red X they only seem to on SMART motorways. Although wickets have to be used on MS1/2/3, they are sometimes used on MS4s too, mostly where they are signalling on non-SMART motorways. This is confusing as they are not used with red wigwags. Are they compulsory? If not people may think the red X is only advisory and they won't get caught for ignoring.

On an MS4, a wicket is advisory, a red X is mandatory.
On older signs that can't show a red X (e.g. MS1/MS2/MS3 for a lane closure, and sometimes even for a full motorway closure if the sign doesn't have red pixels), a wicket sign is advisory, a wicket sign + red wigwags is mandatory. In this situation, the red wigwags don't close the whole motorway if the sign shows one or more lanes as open (i.e. they only apply to the lanes shown as closed on the sign).
It's quite possible that people reading this may remember the rules as something different; they changed pretty recently (a few months ago, with TSRGD 2016). Really, this sort of change to the meaning of traffic signs should be communicated better, perhaps via a leaflet listing the new signs and what they mean. I'm not even sure that the Highway Code (which most drivers assume is what governs the meaning of road signs; it doesn't) has been updated.

As far as I know- it hasn't. Why, on non-SMART motorways, are wickets used for advisory closures- they should have them mandatory as far as possible- especially when there are MS4s where Red X can be used.

[Stevie D]

I am more likely to use the London Underground than drive on a managed motorway with a lane closure but from observation of people using ticket gates I think that a red X does not register as meaning "closed" with a significant minority of the population.

My guess would be that the majority of drivers who ignore the : X : do so deliberately – not because they don't understand what the sign means but because they have seen closures in the past that were apparently spurious (as far as they could see, I'm not saying that they were spurious, just that the drivers didn't see the reason for the closure) and so they come to believe that the signs are used unnecessarily and so can safely be ignored.

[ManomayLR]

I am more likely to use the London Underground than drive on a managed motorway with a lane closure but from observation of people using ticket gates I think that a red X does not register as meaning "closed" with a significant minority of the population.

My guess would be that the majority of drivers who ignore the : X : do so deliberately – not because they don't understand what the sign means but because they have seen closures in the past that were apparently spurious (as far as they could see, I'm not saying that they were spurious, just that the drivers didn't see the reason for the closure) and so they come to believe that the signs are used unnecessarily and so can safely be ignored.

The reason may not be imminently visible, but usually Highways England close lanes with the red X for safety reasons. It may not be convenient but there is probably a reason for the lanes/motorway to be closed. It's important that drivers do not sail past the red X as they may only find the reason for the X when it's too late to stop damage from being done. Drivers should just follow the red X without question.

[AndyB]

I am as guilty as anyone of ignoring advisory speed limits and driving within what I can see to be clear (typically: if the advisory limit is 30, expect a queue. If it's 50, expect the queue in the lanes marked 30 or ahead of a following gantry in your own lane) but I treat red signals and VSLs as mandatory - fear of the unmarked police car being bigger than that of the German car behind me.

In my experience, to get back to the point, most drivers appear to take absolutely no notice of red motorway signals unless there are cones or a police car to force you to go another way - they might as well not be there.

[Johnathan404]

Yes, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking compliance isn't alarmingly low when you have cones and HATOs too.

[AndyB]

Yeah, but while they can drive round cars and cones, they have a harder time if the car is across all lanes of the sliproad or a proper taper is laid across lane 3.

On Monday, wickets and red wigwags were lit at M2 J4 Belfast-bound (incorrectly as it happens - it was supposed to be closed the other direction to lay a proper taper at J4 for an accident between J4 and J5 requiring both carriageways to be closed) and as we took the diversion, we saw cars on the mainline, having clearly ignored it.

Incorrect use of signals doesn't help, but another example is a few months ago when the contractors had reopened the M5 Belfast-bound after weekend resurfacing works. The wickets and wigwags were still lit.

It's not much wonder that the lane signals approaching the M3 on the M2 at weekends in August and September were ignored because the TM contractors hadn't got the cones out just yet. Similarly, the last gantry before tapers tends to have wigwags and a red X, even though at that point the downwards left arrow would still be appropriate - and they're ignored. No police to pull drivers over.

Critically, though, I suspect that this ignorance of the signals is the reason for them - and for that matter, the length of the safe zone between the taper and the work zone - drivers cannot be relied upon to anticipate tapers and respond safely regardless of signage, and are therefore being compulsorily signalled out of the affected lane with red X and wigwags long before it is absolutely necessary.

[Big L]

Yesterday morning, this overhead sign was displaying :TTT: which was visible well before the slip diverge - I made it up the sliproad from lane 3 quite comfortably. The two previous signs were "40/incident ahead" and "20/incident". Everyone ignored the 40, most people slowed a bit for the 20, majority of people ignored the closure warning. Motorway was closed for an hour apparently. That will (might, but probably not) teach people.

[darkcape]

Yesterday morning, this overhead sign was displaying :TTT: which was visible well before the slip diverge - I made it up the sliproad from lane 3 quite comfortably. The two previous signs were "40/incident ahead" and "20/incident". Everyone ignored the 40, most people slowed a bit for the 20, majority of people ignored the closure warning. Motorway was closed for an hour apparently. That will (might, but probably not) teach people.

That's probably so rarely used no one knew what it meant (yes anything with red wigwags should be obvious). Not all MS3s have red wigwags and not all are situated after diverges. Really the approaching gantry should have had the left arrow on with "MOTORWAY CLOSED - LEAVE AT EXIT" etc that I've seen before.

[xfield]

I wonder if there is all X how many would actually come to a complete stop on the motorway? I would be reluctant both because someone may run into me and the high likelihood of it being a mistake.

I was once travelling along the M60 clockwise late at night towards Bredbury, I was the only car on the motorway and the signs progressively changed from 50, 40, all red x. I knew I was supposed to stop, but I couldn't see anything ahead to stop for, so continued slowly. I went to pull off at Bredbury, and discovered a police car reversing very fast down on to the motorway - he waved me to continue on down the motorway. As I continued I could see a car further up the slip road on its roof - it was one of the fatal accidents that occurred in a short period that resulted in the permanent 50 limit now at this location.

I was reluctant to stop, on the off chance a lorry or something would come thundering along and crash into me - I have seen in the past lorry drivers at night weaving all over the place as they read their newspapers. I guess now they'd be on their mobile instead. Perhaps now with addition of the message signs it'd work better - at the time all I had to go off was the lane signs.

[darkcape]

Twitter is a good way of seeing police enforcing the red x

[ManomayLR]

Lol!! Very funny how some think not only can you drive in the red X lane,but also without the speed limit! My

[djw1981]

Yes - that's why the practice is avoided now wherever possible.

What do they do now?

It varies according to the work needed - but where contra-flow is needed they try to get a wider separation between oncoming traffic - there's probably some 2-lane motorway with un-strengthened hard shoulder which will be a PITA when major work is needed - but if it's that under-used to survive this long without a rebuild it would probably justify complete closure during the works.

M8 / M9 works as a 2+1 on the unaffected carriageway normally with only a line of cones between. Speeds reduced to 40mph normally. So no more dangerous than an S2 I guess.

[ManomayLR]

If a patch of motorway is no longer as effective as it should be, or as safe for that matter, then there is a problem.