A third of drivers feel ‘less safe’ on smart motorways than three years ago

A third of drivers feel 'a lot less safe' on smart motorways than they did three years ago, according to a new AA survey.

While just 2 per cent of the panel of 13,500 UK licence holders said they feel more at risk on conventional motorways than they did in 2022, 34 per cent said they are more anxious driving on sections of smart motorway with dynamic hard shoulders, which can be turned into active lanes to ease congestion when traffic levels rise.

Drivers generally feel more unsafe on any stretch of smart motorway where there is no hard shoulder, the study found.

As such, three in five of the nation's motorists want smart motorways scrapped entirely.

The report comes as drivers and policy makers await National Highway's fourth annual 'safety stocktake' on smart motorways, which was due to be published last year but has still yet to surface.

The AA says this needs to be released as a matter of urgency with 79 lives already lost on these roads between 2010 and 2024.

A third of drivers feel 'a lot less safe' on smart motorways than they did three years ago, a new AA report has revealed as the majority of motorists now want they scrapped entirely

Construction of any new smart motorways was axed in 2023[1] by Rishi Sunak's government due to financial pressures and a lack of public confidence.

The decision came after a number of high-profile deaths on smart motorways, which led to probes into their safety.

This included the Daily Mail's 2021/22 campaign to have them axed after a reporter went undercover at a National Highways control room for six weeks and uncovered a number of alarming issues[2].

The 2023 decision meant any smart motorways planned into the Road Investment Strategy for 2025 to 2030 - and all previously paused schemes - were cancelled with immediate effect.

Ministers also promised GBP900million to make safety improvements to existing 'smart' stretches.

However, the AA's report found three-fifths of drivers want the 400 miles of smart motorway making up our network scrapped completely and these sections to be converted back to traditional three running lanes with a permanent hard shoulder.

Just 11 per cent of the panel said the network should be left in its current state, and only nine per cent said that all-lane running (ALR) motorways with no hard shoulders to be converted to DHS schemes.

Meanwhile, 14 per cent saidthey should be turned into 'controlled motorways', which have a permanent hard shoulder but variable speed limits to allow for traffic slowing measures to prevent jams forming on when there has been an accident up ahead.

A third (34%) of the AA panel said they are more anxious driving on sections of smart motorway with dynamic hard shoulders (pictured), which can be turn the emergency lane into an active lane to ease congestion when traffic levels rise

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Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, said: 'Given the choice between smart motorways relying on technology or motorways with a hard shoulder, drivers are clear which they prefer.

'In the last few years, there have been numerous reports of signal outages and CCTV failures across the network.

'It is vital the overdue stocktake is released so we can understand the impact of these technical failures.

'More emergency areas will help, but drivers are frustrated with the perceived lack of urgency to complete the work.

'While many upgrades have been completed, there are several major motorways that only began work last year.

'Both The AA and drivers say this experiment has failed and urge for the reinstatement of a permanent hard shoulder.'

One respondent told the AA: 'I believe smart motorways are incredibly dangerous.'

Others felt equally unsafe with one member adding: 'I do not think I would feel safe if I broke down on one'.

A licence holder described driving on a smart motorway as 'anxiety inducing' while another turned to profanity to describe the failings of Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling (MIDAS) used on these stretches of road to alert.

Smart motorways - why were they introduced and how dangerous are they?

The first dynamic smart motorway was trialled on the M42 in 2006, with the opening of the hard shoulder to traffic at times of peak congestion.

However, the first ALR stretch with no hard shoulder whatsoever opened on a 1.5-mile section between junctions 23 and 25 of the M25 in Hertfordshire some eight years later in April 2014.

The AA has been raising concerns about them ever since their initial introduction.

And it's not alone.

Safety organisations including the RAC also campaign hard against their use, as do protesters such as those who carried a coffin across Westminster Bridge in 2021 to condemn smart motorway deaths.

As early as June 2016, a Transport Committee report advised the Government against proceeding with all-lane-running due to 'major safety concerns'.

This chart shows how much of the hard shoulder has been removed from England's motorway network in the last decade or so

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In 2024, This is Money exclusively revealed in conjunction with road safety charity IAM RoadSmart that 13 per cent of the nation's 1,916 miles of motorway network has no hard shoulder[3] at any time.

Analysis of official data showed that almost 250 miles (249.5) has been converted to ALR motorways without a hard shoulder.

The revelation came just weeks after National Highways publishing a report in December 2023 showing smart motorways without a hard shoulder were three times more dangerous to break down on than those with an emergency lane[4].

The rate of 'killed and serious injury' (KSI) incidents during breakdowns on smart motorways with no permanent hard shoulder has increased by 10 per cent.

KSI tragedies increased for three out of five schemes since having their hard shoulder removed.

What are the three types of 'smart' motorways and how do they work?

ALL LANE RUNNING (ALR)

All lane running schemes permanently remove the hard shoulder and convert it into a running lane.

On these types of motorway, lane one (formerly the hard shoulder) is only closed to traffic in the event of an incident.

In this case a lane closure will be signalled by a red X on the gantry above, meaning you must exit the lane as soon as possible.

All running lane motorways also have overhead gantry signs that display the mandatory speed limit.

Should drivers break down or be involved in an accident there are emergency refuge areas at the side of the carriageway for them to use.

Miles in total: 249.5 miles

Percentage of smart motorways in England: 55.1%

Percentage of all motorways in England: 13%

CONTROLLED MOTORWAY

Controlled motorways have three or more lanes with variable speed limits, but retains a hard shoulder. The hard shoulder should only be used in a genuine emergency.

These variable speed limits are displayed on overhead gantry signs - if no speed limit is displayed the national speed limit is in place. Speed cameras are used to enforce these.

Miles in total: 140.2 miles

Percentage of smart motorways in England: 31.0%

Percentage of all motorways in England: 7.3%

DYNAMIC HARD SHOULDER (DHS)

Originally referred to as Hard Shoulder Running smart motorways, dynamic hard shoulder running involves open the hard shoulder as a running lane to traffic at busy periods to ease congestion.

On these stretches a solid white line differentiates the hard shoulder from the normal carriageway.

Overhead signs on gantries indicate whether or not the hard shoulder is open to traffic.

The hard shoulder must not be used if the signs over it are blank or display a red X, except in the case of an emergency.

A red X on the gantry above means you must exit the lane as soon as possible.

Overhead gantries on these types of motorway also display the mandatory speed limit which varies depending on the traffic conditions.

Speed cameras are used to enforce these - no speed limit displayed indicates the national speed limit is in place.

Miles in total: 62.6 miles

Percentage of smart motorways in England: 13.8%

Percentage of all motorways in England: 3.3%

References

1. ^ Construction of any new smart motorways was axed in 2023 (www.thisismoney.co.uk)
2. ^ reporter went undercover at a National Highways control room for six weeks and uncovered a number of alarming issues (www.thisismoney.co.uk)
3. ^ 1,916 miles of motorway network has no hard shoulder (www.thisismoney.co.uk)
4. ^ smart motorways without a hard shoulder were three times more dangerous to break down on than those with an emergency lane (www.thisismoney.co.uk)