Current consideration being given to increase the use of 'hard shoulders' as 'running lanes'. Apologies if I've missed a previous thread on this. My thoughts:

As a new 'old bill' 40 years ago my patch included the A1 in Cambs. A dangerous road with many junctions. I wasn't Traffic Dept, so just had a 'panda' car with minimal lights and signs. I was taught (and learned for myself) the dangers and the need for advanced signage etc. I later moved to a more rural force and had to (or tried to) educate personnel about this.

Traffic moving at 60 mph covers 88 feet (5 or 6 car lengths) a second. Given the degree of isolation in a modern vehicle - soundproofing, aircon, music, etc. - I would suggest that reaction times (i.e. between noticing a problem and reacting to it) are at least as great as they ever were or greater. I don't find it difficult to understand the number of 'accidents' where vehicles plough into others in front of them, even when a stationary vehicle is 'off carriageway' on the hard shoulder, let alone in a 'running lane'.

Having had a car run into the back of me in the past, I may be a little bit OCD about this, but:

1. I think any move to do away with hard shoulders should be resisted

2. If I need to use the hard shoulder, I angle my car towards the nearside. I believe that by the car being at an 'unusal angle' approaching traffic may be more likely to notice it

3. I invested £20 in an emergency amber LED magnetic beacon - very bright, doesn't drain the battery - and put on the hi-vis. Anything to help the 'zombie' drivers see me and keep clear.