RAC in hard shoulder plea for smart M-ways

MINISTERS are being urged to reinstate the hard shoulder on smart motorways.

Five people have been killed on smart motorways in South Yorkshire alone after vehicles stopped in a live lane on the M1.

The RAC issued its plea exactly a year after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled all future planned smart motorway projects, citing financial pressures and a lack of public confidence in the roads.

It is ten years since the first stretch of all-lane running (ALR) smart motorway – using the hard shoulder as a permanent live traffic lane – opened on the M25.

ALR smart motorways increased capacity at a lower cost than widening roads.

There have been long-standing safety concerns after fatal incidents in which vehicles stopped in live lanes were hit from behind.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “There is a real irony when it comes to talking about cost pressures in relation to these distinctly unpopular types of motorway.

“While heralded as a cost-effective way of increasing capacity on some of our busier roads, a colossal amount of money has since gone into trying to make them safer.

“This cash needn’t have been spent. We continue to believe that the Government should either convert existing all-lane running smart motorways to dynamic ones – where the hard shoulder is only opened to traffic during busy periods – or repaint the white line and reintroduce a permanent hard shoulder on these roads.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “While smart motorways are statistically among the safest roads on our network, we recognise the need for the public to feel safe when driving, and have cancelled plans for all new smart motorway schemes.

“We are also investing £900m to make improvements on existing smart motorways, including building more emergency areas.”

A National Highways report published in December revealed that smart motorways without a hard shoulder were three times more dangerous to break down on than those with an emergency lane.