Following the publication of this report from the ORR
this morning, the RAC has responded as follows:
RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “While this
assessment shows progress with improving safety is being made we
are keen to see National Highways get on top of teething problems
they have had following the installation of stopped vehicle
detection technology. Breaking down in a live lane is terrifying
enough but drivers must have confidence that the infrastructure
is detecting them quickly so authorities can immediately close
the lane. We also urge police forces to use the equipment
provided to enforce ‘red X’ closed-lane signs as we think that
this will reduce those flouting the law and putting drivers and
roadside workers in unnecessary danger.”
“But when all is said and done, it remains to be seen whether
these changes result in drivers feeling any more confident on
motorways where the hard shoulder has been replaced with a
running lane. Research from the RAC shows a clear majority of
drivers (70%) want to see ‘all lane running’ smart motorways
scrapped in favour of schemes where a hard shoulder can be opened
and closed according to how much traffic there is. As part of the
Government’s review, we therefore encourage officials to explore
the merits of making the dynamic hard shoulder layout the default
choice for smart motorways.”
