In a previous life, I spent many frustrating hours backed up and stationary on the car park that is the M25.

This misery is now being repeated on motorways and dual carriageways right around Kent as our county is increasingly blighted by gridlocked traffic.

The levels of new development around Canterbury, Ashford, Faversham and Maidstone, to name but a few, is obviously a major factor and, as more and more bland boxes fill green space, the problem will only get worse. Each home has 2/3 cars and developers chasing easy money obviously aren’t interested in creating any sort of infrastructure to support the flood of new homeowners moving in.

This though is only part of the problem and I believe there is another major reason behind the increase in traffic chaos which has us all pulling our hair out.

Whichever bright spark came up with the notion of so-called smart motorways should be locked into their vehicle and prevented from using an exit lane. Having been forced to drive around the M25 continuously it wouldn’t be too long before they saw the error of their ways and begged for the reinstatement of a hard shoulder.

But, there are in fact three different types of these idiotic new road schemes classed as ‘smart’ – each employing slightly crazier tactics to infuriate drivers.

However, it is not just these new-fangled road schemes themselves causing extra traffic headaches, as their introduction also seems to have created a whole new army of overly cautious and zealous traffic officers determined to stamp their authority on any situation.

“Even the most minor of bumps, or just a breakdown, can lead to snarl-ups which delay everyone for hours on end...”

When there are serious incidents I fully understand the authorities have no choice but to close lanes, or even whole roads, to tend to the injured and ensure the carriageway is safe again. Equally, I realise that when there’s a fatality, as there was last Saturday when I was travelling along the A249, there will be a considerable delay as investigation officers need time to secure the area and gather evidence – in this case, leading to an arrest.

But, have you noticed how even the most minor of bumps, or just a breakdown, can lead to snarl-ups which delay everyone for hours on end? The ludicrous design of smart motorways obviously leads to far more stranded vehicles in live lanes but even when drivers make it to the emergency refuge areas the traffic is still forced to slow down until it begins to pile up and the inside lane is also closed needlessly.

You get miles of reduced speed because of a report of animals or pedestrians where there is nothing (or maybe there was, and the signs are still showing). Worse still is when the reduction and signs continue for miles after the obstruction or broken down vehicle.

The only response I’ve ever been able to get from officers, or their communications teams, has basically been a ‘it’s better to be safe than sorry’ message. I get this desire for safety, but surely it has to be balanced by common sense traffic controls? Otherwise we’ll end up with 20mph limits everywhere and everyone going nowhere.