Smart M-way victims’ families call for showdown with Shapps
TRANSPORT Secretary Grant Shapps was yesterday accused of “gambling with people’s lives” by continuing with Smart Motorways.
Labour’s shadow, Jim McMahon, urged him to reinstate hard shoulders claiming that at least 38 people have died on motorways – where hard shoulders are used as an extra lane.
Mr McMahon’s comments followed a virtual meeting with families of motorists who have died on the motorways, including Claire Mercer, whose husband Jason, 44, died in 2019 on a “smart” stretch of the M1 near Sheffield. After a minor collision with Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, they both pulled over onto what had been the hard shoulder but were killed when a lorry ran into them.
Four coroners have now issued “fear of future death reports” after inquests into smart motorway fatalities.
The motorways were introduced by Tony Blair’s government in 2006 and turn the hard shoulder into another lane, with refuges for motorists who break down. But it was claimed 50 motorists a month are stranded on a 14-mile stretch of the M1 in South Yorks. The motorway is being revised by police after the deaths of Mr Mercer and Mr Murgeanu.
Yesterday Mr McMahon said: “[The Transport Secretary] promised he would return to the Commons ‘soon’ to report on the progress of his safety review of smart motorways.
“That was nearly six weeks ago, and every day of inaction is gambling with people’s lives.”
He will write to Mr Shapps to ask him to meet campaigners and share up-todate data on fatalities. The Department for Transport said £500million has been committed to safety improvements and Highways England is to report by Friday.