RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes
said: “In 2016, a
cross-party group of MPs called for a
halt to the roll-out of ‘all
lane running’ smart motorways. This was ignored by the government
at the time, although some positive superficial changes were made
to schemes. The fundamental issues of SOS area spacing and
stopped vehicle detection raised four years ago remain. We very
much hope the current review results in some meaningful changes
that give drivers confidence in all aspects of safety on smart
motorways.
“The type of smart motorways that have been built in
recent years differ enormously from those from those that were
first introduced in England. The original schemes like those on
the M42 and M4/M5, which the RAC was cautiously supportive of,
featured hard shoulders that were only open to traffic during
busy periods and had SOS areas and gantry signs placed much
closer together. On today’s ‘all lane running’ smart motorways,
hard shoulders have been permanently removed and SOS areas are
spaced much further apart. The decision to make ‘all lane
running’ the default type of smart motorway happened without
proper consultation, despite the concerns of the breakdown
industry and emergency services.
“Troublingly, in 2020 we now have a hotchpotch of
different schemes designed to different standards – a complicated
and ultimately unsustainable situation. Short of reintroducing
the hard shoulder, the introduction of the latest radar
technology to detect stationary vehicles automatically, together
with many more SOS areas and a large-scale public information
campaign, should help make drivers feel more confident in the
safety of the UK’s motorway network.
“A rethink in the design of smart motorways is
clearly needed to bring consistency, reduce risks in breakdowns,
and turn around plummeting public confidence. As it stands, we
are not convinced that the current ‘all lane running’ design is
working and have reservations as to whether it should be the de
facto standard going forward.”
