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The Flame Pit / Red X on motorway - for what distance are they applicable?
« on: March 12, 2025, 03:21:05 pm »
Hello learned minds.
Strange one today and posting as I'm curious for your thoughts.
We all know that if a gantry has for example 50 displayed - that is valid until the next gantry displays anything other. If you are caught before a change by say a van on a bridge you have no legal legs.
Red X though? Usually yes - wait until the next gantry as there is a reason. Or can you move back once passed the gantry? this is the Q...
Scenario today was a lorry fire on the M1 Northbound - inside 3 lanes displaying red x and physically blocked - outside lane only available to pass directly under the gantry.
This was near Chesterfield between 28 & 29.
Key to this is that the incident happened maybe 10m before the gantry & no one could actually drive under the inside 3 lanes red X due to fire services still damping down.
I was travelling southbound slowly crawling at 0 - 5mph due to rubberneckers with a good 1/2 mile & maybe 15 mins straight visibility of the scene.
The HADECS was flashing non stop - almost every vehicle - apart I guess those who stayed in the outside lane.
Every truck, and most cars once passed the scene/gantry started slowly moving back to the inside lane of a clear motorway ahead and 'flash'
I know common sense isn't so common anymore, but the camera unit must have had several thousands today at that location - but what is the legal stance on a red X being enforced if anyone knows? I know none of the drivers physically passed under it - but the camera's were snap happy assuming they had.
Pic below from a news report where you can see the proximity to the gantry.
Cheers all
Strange one today and posting as I'm curious for your thoughts.
We all know that if a gantry has for example 50 displayed - that is valid until the next gantry displays anything other. If you are caught before a change by say a van on a bridge you have no legal legs.
Red X though? Usually yes - wait until the next gantry as there is a reason. Or can you move back once passed the gantry? this is the Q...
Scenario today was a lorry fire on the M1 Northbound - inside 3 lanes displaying red x and physically blocked - outside lane only available to pass directly under the gantry.
This was near Chesterfield between 28 & 29.
Key to this is that the incident happened maybe 10m before the gantry & no one could actually drive under the inside 3 lanes red X due to fire services still damping down.
I was travelling southbound slowly crawling at 0 - 5mph due to rubberneckers with a good 1/2 mile & maybe 15 mins straight visibility of the scene.
The HADECS was flashing non stop - almost every vehicle - apart I guess those who stayed in the outside lane.
Every truck, and most cars once passed the scene/gantry started slowly moving back to the inside lane of a clear motorway ahead and 'flash'
I know common sense isn't so common anymore, but the camera unit must have had several thousands today at that location - but what is the legal stance on a red X being enforced if anyone knows? I know none of the drivers physically passed under it - but the camera's were snap happy assuming they had.
Pic below from a news report where you can see the proximity to the gantry.
Cheers all