Smart M-ways see sixfold rise in serious accidents
SMART motorways have led to a rise in serious accidents – with a sixfold increase on some stretches of road, analysis of government figures shows.
The carriageways have had the hard shoulder removed to increase lane capacity and reports by Highways England showed worse accident rates.
The motorways feature intermittent emergency refuge areas, but on the M6 between junctions 10a and 13 there was one serious accident a year before the hard shoulder was removed, compared to six the following year.
Fatal
On the M1 between J39 and J42, there was an annual average of 1.3 serious crashes in the years before the introduction of smart motorways, which increased to five in the 12 months afterwards.
On the M25 between J5 and J7, serious collisions rose from an annual average of five in the three years before the upgrade, to nine in the year after.
But fatal and slight collisions were found to decrease on most stretches after the upgrade was made.
For example, on the M25 between J5 and J7, fatal collisions fell from an average of 0.7 to zero, while slight collisions also fell from 68 to 55.
The analysis of figures from Highways England, the governmentowned company that maintains motorways and A-roads in England, was conducted by New Civil Engineer magazine. It found a rise in serious collisions – in which at least one person was seriously injured – in half of the stretches analysed.
Fatal and slight collisions dropped on most stretches after the work.
Nicholas Lyes, of the RAC, said: “The findings won’t be a surprise to the majority of drivers who believe the removal of the hard shoulder compromises safety in the event of a breakdown.”
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said he was “greatly concerned” by the number of crashes on the roads.
Smart motorways use traffic management methods to boost lane capacity and reduce congestion.
Laybys are built to allow vehicles to pull off the road if necessary and red X signs are placed on overhead gantries to close a lane in the event of an accident or breakdown. Variable speed limits are also used.
Planned
The first smart motorway was introduced in 2006 and the UK now has 200 miles of them, with the introduction of another 300 miles planned for the next decade.
Last month work started on a 19-mile stretch on the M62 between Manchester and Huddersfield. The £392million project is expected to take four years to complete.
A Highways England spokesman said the company was “determined to do all we can to make our roads as safe as possible”.