Smart Motorway Safety Concerns Fuel Growing Demands for Hard Shoulder Return
Safety concerns over smart motorways in England are intensifying, leading to increased calls for the reinstatement of hard shoulders on major roads. While overall road safety continues to improve, National Highways is struggling to meet its target of halving fatalities and serious injuries by 2025.
Despite a 2.2% traffic increase from 2022 to 2023, death and serious injury rates remain at historic lows. However, the effectiveness of smart motorways, which convert hard shoulders into traffic lanes during peak times, is under scrutiny.
Multiple lane UK motorway
Key Concerns with Smart Motorways:
- Removal of hard shoulders increases risk during emergencies
- Technology failures compromise safety systems
- Underperforming Stopped Vehicle Detection (SVD) systems
- Critical system outage on M62 lasting nearly a month
- Higher accident rates in some converted sections of M1
Traffic KSI trends bar graph
National Highways has implemented safety improvements, including:
- Addition of 700+ emergency signs
- Installation of SVD systems on all-lane running motorways
- National Emergency Area Retrofit (NEAR) program implementation
The AA's president, Edmund King, reports that one-third of drivers feel less safe on smart motorways compared to three years ago. With mounting evidence of safety concerns and technological failures, pressure is building for the government to reconsider its smart motorway strategy and potentially reinstate hard shoulders.
While National Highways maintains its commitment to safety improvements, the debate continues between innovative road management and ensuring driver safety. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) recommends improved data collection on technology failures to better assess system effectiveness.
Related Articles
M25 Junction 10 Set for Final Two Weekend Closures in March
