Rush hour on the roadside

The British may be allowed to drive in Russian

UK transport authorities are seriously considering a small change in traffic rules. It is possible that in the future motorists will be given a little more freedom and will be allowed to drive on the sides of highways during rush hour. This, according to officials, will help relieve congestion on the country's roads and reduce traffic jams.

Before coming up with this radical idea, the British, according to the Daily Telegraph website, conducted an experiment. Last fall, in September, a section of the M42 highway in the Birmingham area was allocated for these purposes. This is one of the main routes in central England, stretching for almost 90 km from northeast to southwest. Video cameras were installed at the experimental site, with the help of which dispatchers could turn on or off the “roadside traffic is allowed” mode. Moreover, entry into this lane could be allowed not only during rush hours, but also in cases where colliding cars blocked or greatly narrowed the highway.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the British Ministry of Transport considered the experiment successful and was so “inspired” by its results that it was ready to extend this rule (or rather, an exception to the rule) to other highways. This is naturally opposed by activists from various organizations involved in road safety issues. In particular, they believe that the actual elimination of roadsides will lead to emergency services getting stuck in traffic jams like ordinary motorists. Now ambulances, firefighters, etc. can bypass the clogged highway in the side lanes that law-abiding Britons leave free.

It is curious that in our not so law-abiding country, the “Birmingham experiment” has been carried out for many years, however, on a voluntary basis - without any approval from the authorities and, of course, without video cameras and dispatch services. Any person who, for example, left the capital of our Motherland on a Friday evening, more than once observed in action that same driving along the roadsides and dividing strips of highways near Moscow. Let us note that in his eternal struggle with traffic jams, the domestic motorist is ready to do anything - not only to bypass traffic on the side of the road, but also to climb onto the sidewalk and even push through roadside bushes. In Britain, however, they have not yet decided on such a rampant transport liberalism and are unlikely to dare: there, if they allow driving on the side of the road, it will only be on those with a hard surface.

Looking at how the flow of thousands of cars is trying to squeeze into the narrow confines of the roads, even our traffic police in the last century took a position of common sense and came to terms with this malicious violation of traffic rules. Moreover, sometimes traffic cops turn a blind eye even to those impudent people who drive around Friday or Sunday traffic jams in the oncoming lane. However, it is unknown to what extent this informal agreement between the authorities and the people helps to cope with traffic jams: we have not conducted such studies.

The only thing we can say with complete confidence is that the fears of British social activists will inevitably come true. Neither firefighters nor ambulances can get through our traffic jams, which have expanded due to roadsides and median strips. However, it is possible that the British will be able to solve this problem: either with the help of the same video cameras and dispatch services, or through the high consciousness of citizens. Since they don’t drive there without permission and don’t drive on the side of the road, that means they can let the emergency service car go ahead.

Mikhail MANSKOY