RAC statement on the Government's reaction to reinstating the hard shoulder

The RAC have responded to comments today from the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson, following calls for the reinstatement of the hard shoulder on smart motorways.

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: “With the decision made to scrap all new smart motorways, drivers are simply not going to buy the Government’s line that reinstating the hard shoulder would be too disruptive and costly. After all, they have already had to endure years of disruption while these controversial motorways were installed, so we’d imagine most will be very happy to endure a little more, especially if it means they will have safer motorways as a result. 

“As for the cost, while the Government had already committed £900m to retrofitting emergency refuge areas, it will now be making savings of more than £1bn by not going ahead with any new schemes in the future. Painting around 235 miles of white lines will surely cost a fraction of what has been spent on these schemes overall.

“The public has made it clear it wants the hard shoulder back, and that’s what the Government should do. Anything else will be a very unsatisfactory half measure which could lead to more avoidable deaths.”