, Labour’s Shadow Transport
Secretary, responding to the news that
Highways England has admitted that it’s not possible to monitor
every camera being used on smart motorways at the same time,
said:
“News that Highways England has admitted that it’s not
possible to monitor every camera being used on smart motorways at
the same time is deeply worrying.
“Grant Shapps said he was ‘unhappy’ about their being smart
motorways, yet the trail is still ongoing. They should halt this
trail immediately and put the safety of road users first.”
Ends
Notes to editors
· The
Government has introduced a practice called “All Lane Running” on
motorways, removing the hard shoulder to use it as an additional
lane. Statistics that show 38 people have lost their lives on the
roads in five years. Data obtained from Highways England also
shows there was a 20-fold increase in the number of "near miss"
incidents after a section of motorway was converted to "smart"
running - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51236375
· The
practice has been criticised by the RAC, the AA and the Transport
Select Committee. Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "There
is much confusion and fear out there. If the Government is not
going back to the drawing board to reinstate the hard shoulder,
then the least they can do is to double the number of emergency
refuge areas to every three-quarters of a mile. The current
system is not fit for purpose and too many tragic and avoidable
deaths are occurring." Sunday times, 29 January
2020, https://www.driving.co.uk/news/mps-demand-smart-motorway-rollout-must-stopped-safety-grounds/
· Trials
of Smart Motorways (including sections of M42) had emergency
refuge areas an average of every 600 metres. This has risen to as
much as 2.5 miles upon broader roll-out. Road safety GB,
28 January 2020, https://roadsafetygb.org.uk/news/end-of-the-road-for-dynamic-smart-motorways/
