Brexit: Shapps hails removal of Vnuk law from UK
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the Commons Transport Select Committee the stopped vehicle detection system “should have been part of the plan from the outset”. He added that “good progress is being made” on improving the safety of smart motorways but he is “impatient” for more action.
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National Highways has committed to ensuring every stretch of motorway where the hard shoulder has been permanently removed will have radar technology fitted by the end of September.
There have been several incidents of people being killed after being hit from behind while stopped in live traffic lanes on smart motorways.
And that sparked safety fears and debate over the future of the digitally monitored motorways.
Despite those incidents, Mr Shapps said National Highways will soon publish new data showing the roads “remain among the safest in the country, notwithstanding the concerns that we all have”.
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Back in January, the Department for Transport halted the development of new smart motorways without a hard shoulder until five years of safety data has been collected for schemes introduced before 2020.
That followed a report by the Transport Select Committee in November 2021 which said there was not enough information to justify continuing with new projects.
Smart motorways feature various methods to manage the flow of traffic, including using the hard shoulder as a live running lane and variable speed limits.
They remove the hard shoulder to create an extra lane of traffic and with the aid of modern tech help to ease congestion.
In addition to informing drivers of speed limits - which are regulated using speed cameras - the overhead signs can also alert people to accidents or other hazards ahead.
There are about 375 miles of smart motorway in England, including 235 miles without a hard shoulder.
London, the West Midlands and the North West are the three main areas in the UK where smart motorways can be found.
Currently, almost the entire M25 is a smart motorway, as well as long stretches of the M1.
Another 100 miles of all-lane running smart motorway that is currently under construction will be completed, while 57 miles of planned routes are being put on pause.
In total, 235 miles of operational smart motorways in the UK do not have a hard shoulder.
Indeed, it’s this element which has generated the most criticism, with Tory MP Chris Loder labelling it a “national disgrace” that the motorways were opened without the right life-saving measures installed.
Other politicians have echoed Mr Loder’s comments, having revealed worrying stories about constituents killed or marooned in live traffic on the roads.
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Government figures show 38 people were killed on smart motorways between 2014 and 2019.
Meanwhile, current stretches of smart motorway schemes will be given “multi-million-pound improvements”.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has committed an extra £900million to the schemes to ensure drivers feel safe and confident
In total, an extra £390million will be used to install an extra 150 emergency areas on the controversial roads.