Road users not complying with red X signs on the motorway should face penalties, the RHA said, after a Transport Committee report highlighted low levels of compliance with the road safety measure.
The select committee’s report into all-lane running addressed a “shocking degree of non-compliance” with red X signals, after an evaluation of M25 road users showed 7% did not comply with the instruction.
RHA director of policy Jack Semple said the UK needed a “transformation in road users’ attitudes”.
A practical solution, he said, would be a camera to capture offenders’ registrations and automatically issue a fixed penalty notice. “It is already an offence to go through a red X, but the only way of imposing a penalty is for a police officer to be on the spot and witness the offence taking place. A camera-based system would allow effective remote enforcement.”
A previous report by Highways England found close to a third of motorists did not know what
red X warnings meant.
Semple added: “We do not make a habit of calling for new penalties for drivers but, in this case, the law has fallen behind what is needed to ensure our roads run smoothly and safely.”
A DfT spokesman said: “Changes to legislation to support improved compliance with red X are being considered.”
He added: “Our motorways are among the safest in the world but we are determined to reduce accidents further.
“We are working with Highways England to increase public awareness of how these lanes are used. They are in place to protect road users who may have broken down or been involved in an incident, while keeping traffic moving.”
