Tragedies and near misses with no hard shoulder
■ Dev Naran died when his grandad’s stationary car was hit by a lorry on the hard shoulder of the M6 between J6 and 5 in May 2018.
He was on his way home to Leicester from visiting his sick brother at Birmingham Children’s Hospital when the tragedy happened.
■ Tattooist Jack Gallowtree, 34, from Wolverhampton, was left battling constant pain after a terrifying crash on another section of M6 smart motorway, southbound from Manchester, in April 2021. A sudden fault on his motorcycle forced Jack to stop. But two lorries were heading towards him in the left lane that would otherwise have been a hard shoulder.
As Jack attempted to pull out of the way, his machine slid. He explained: “My front tyre slipped off the one foot of tarmac I had left, on to the dirt. The bike went haywire and smashed me into the barrier.
“If you remove the hard shoulders the lorries are still going to have to be in the left lane.
“It’s weaponising lorries – the most lethal form of vehicle. Anyone with half a brain can see these roads are far more lethal by taking away a consistent lifeline.”
■ Mohammed Bhaimia’s best friend Zahir Ahmed died while returning from Birmingham after a lorry ploughed into their vehicle on the M1 near Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Mohammed, 20, suffered serious injuries after the HGV rammed into the back of the people carrier in which the five friends were passengers. Zahir, 19, was killed in the smash.
At the time of the collision the hard shoulder was being used as an active lane.