One third of drivers feel smart motorways ‘incredibly dangerous’

A third of motorists are feeling a lot less secure on any type of smart motorway compared to their sentiments three years ago, an AA survey has revealed. Drivers have slammed the routes as "incredibly dangerous and anxiety-inducing", with two-thirds expressing they felt more at ease on traditional motorways. This comes in the wake of the tragic incident where eight year old Dev Naran was killed when a lorry hit his granddad's car on the M6[1].

The smash occurred on May 31, 2018, after they had stopped on a smart motorway section where the hard shoulder was being used as a live lane, following a visit to Dev's disabled brother in a Birmingham hospital. Despite expectations, the fourth annual safety Stocktake report, which was due last year, remains unpublished, prompting the AA to demand its urgent release. The survey, which gathered opinions from over 13,500 drivers, indicated that motorways with a hard shoulder that can be turned on or off during busy times to provide an extra lane were particularly concerning for many respondents.

One driver told the AA: "I believe smart motorways are incredibly dangerous." Another expressed: "I do not think I would feel safe if I broke down on one" while another stated: "They are anxiety-inducing.", reports Birmingham Live[3]. Some also criticised the Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling system - sensors meant to inform motorway control about traffic conditions and speeds - claiming they failed to work effectively, and argued that removing the hard shoulder was a mistake. According to the AA, these findings highlight the widespread apprehension people have about driving on smart motorways.

An alarming 60 per cent of drivers have voiced their preference for reverting the existing smart motorway network back to traditional three-lane carriageways with a permanent hard shoulder. A mere 11 per cent are in favour of maintaining the status quo, while nine per cent support transitioning to "dynamic hard shoulder" systems and 14 per cent advocate for them becoming "controlled motorways". These figures align closely with those from a similar AA survey conducted in 2023, following the then-Tory Government's halt on new smart motorway developments in England.

Since the introduction of smart motorways in 2010, the AA has been vocal about their dangers and is calling for their complete abolition. The grim tally stands at no fewer than 79 people losing their lives on these 'smart' motorways between 2010 and 2024. Disturbing stats reveal that if a driver breaks down on a smart motorway without a hard shoulder, the risk of death or serious injury is tripled compared to a motorway with a safe shoulder spot.

In the run-up to the elections, the AA's Motoring Manifesto gave us a snapshot of the dissatisfaction its members feel towards smart motorways. To bring home the level of concern, it was previously disclosed that over a third of drivers dodge the left lane, spooked by the potential hazard of stranded vehicles. As an olive branch aimed at pacifying fears and enhancing safety on these contentious stretches of road, almost GBP1bn was promised in 2020 by the outgoing government for improvements--a measure met with scepticism among many motorists.

The government has announced plans to build 150 additional emergency areas along smart motorways, aiming to reduce the distance between them from 1.5 miles to just 0.75 miles. With around half of these projects already finished and the rest underway, including on stretches of the M1, M3, M4, M5, M20, and M25, the move comes amidst ongoing safety concerns. Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, commented: "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."

References

1. ^ the M6 (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
2. ^ Twycross Zoo announces new animal encounter in time for Easter (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
3. ^ Birmingham Live (www.birminghammail.co.uk)