Hard Times Create Strong Men, Strong Men Create Good Times, Good Times Create Weak Men, Weak Men Create Hard Times.

Generational dynamics...same concept as "the first generation makes it the second generation spends it and the third generation blows it"

A tired cliché with no relation to reality.

Sure, none whatsoever.

seems not very different to today

every time I see a red X over a lane on a motorway gantry (meaning: lane closed) there's people driving in it at full speed

which is why "smart" motorways are so dangerous

An automatic driving ban for passing under (being generous) the second red cross on a lane would weed out the arseholes. Just enforcing the existing law would help. The cameras and anpr are in place so it should be cheap to implement. But whenever such a thing is suggested motorists claim it's a conspiracy to empty their pockets.

A recent development is that the red x is now enforced with a penalty notice, alas not so severe as necessary to eliminate the behaviour entirely.

This reminds me of a tweet last year of a driver claiming a cyclist with a camera caught his dad using his phone while driving, leading to him being barred from driving and losing his job.

When someone highlighted that the 6 point penalty meant this was at least his 2nd road traffic offence, he replied “yes but that’s not the point.”

I honestly believe some people are incapable of learning and banning them for their offences is really the only answer to make the roads safe.

An automated driving ban for many things would considerably improve road safety.

Smart motorways/Dumb drivers

There is also a temporary speed limit that 99% of drivers simply can not obey and that is 40 MPH, it's as if there is some external force at play?

Sometimes there are speed limits - with red circles. Most obey that IME

Then there's the advisory limits, without the red circuits, which tend to be ignored

Because they’re enforced by cameras ;-)

I do find it amusing watching people slam their brakes on for school safety zones… at 8pm.

Problem is that most of the time the signs are wrong.

People are still happy when new motorways open, but they're used to them and expect them to be around, so it's not quite as much of a carnival atmosphere anymore as with the first one.