Saw this many times on the M4 today, no idea what it meant. Lane closures apparently, but there weren't any! Let's hope we don't get fined for nothing! When was that one sneaked in, and how are you supposed to know about it?
Those signs have be around for god knows how long. As I drive for a living it never ceases to amaze me the amount of cars that drive under them at £100 a pop.
On some motorways, the highways agency have opened up the hard shoulder to ease the volume of traffic using the main lanes especially in urban areas. When the hard shoulder is closed to moving traffic is when the red X above that lane (hard shoulder) is displayed to inform drivers that the hard shoulder is currently closed as a driving lane and for emergency use only. The red X above the lane is nothing new as it has been used for several years now to indicate that the lane below is closed.
"...Lane closures apparently, but there weren't any!..."
Collapsed/torn-up/damaged road surface, oil/chemical spillage, other small but dangerous materials that may not visible until you hit it? No, carry on regardless...
"Those signs have be around for god knows how long....it never ceases to amaze me the amount of ..." drivers who do not know or choose to totally ignore signs/indicators are operating for safety reasons. It might be a false alarm - but as then again?
Oops........!!!
------------- What's the difference between a chicken?
Never seen them before, we regularly drive on motorways. As for "carrying on regardless", the signs were everywhere and everyone was driving normally. Thanks for replies....
I was on the M5 last week, four live lanes, no hard shoulder. Warning of stranded vehicle, 40 limit and inside lane closed. This was on 4-5 consecutive signs so a couple of miles warning and to be fair drivers were moving across.
Next couple of signs were then blank, so people started moving back and increasing speed to then be confronted by an HGV stranded in the inside live running lane. Thankfully it was quiet and daylight, but signs which don't warn are worse than those warning when there appears to be no problem.
I obviously didn't make myself clear, we have of course seen the X on numerous occasions. These signs stated "red X enforced" and were all along the M4 from J14 to the M25. Nobody was taking any notice of them
It will be an advisory message. If a red X does appear and drivers don't abide by the messages to move across there is now a system in place to issue tickets.
Previously it was an offence which had to be dealt with by police, they rarely did so the message was simply ignored until the last opportunity to move across.
The "red X enforced" message is just on the gantry information signs telling you they are checking for infringements. The red X to close a lane only appears above that lane, so "red X enforced" does not indicate a closed lane
Planned lane closures will have a T. Emergency lane closures on multilane and 'tidal flow' roads have a red cross.
From reading this thread maybe a new year resolution should be to read the new Highway Code. It was updated extensively last year, how many know of the significant other changes which came into force?
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Topic: Red X enforced
via mobile 01/1/2023 at 6:47pm
