A recent study conducted by the AA has shown that the number of drivers feeling uneasy or stressed while driving on modern “smart” motorways has doubled in the last year. These highways, utilizing the hard shoulder as an additional lane to improve traffic flow, cover 396 miles in England as of April 2024.
Despite their intention to enhance road efficiency, smart motorways have faced criticism for being inherently flawed, with a reported 79 fatalities occurring on them between 2010 and 2024. Analysis indicates that breakdowns on motorways lacking a hard shoulder lead to a threefold increased risk of fatalities or severe injuries compared to traditional roads with a continuously available hard shoulder.
A survey involving 12,705 AA members revealed a significant rise in feelings of nervousness or anxiety among drivers on smart motorways without a hard shoulder, utilizing emergency refuge areas spaced approximately every three-quarters of a mile. The reported anxiety levels on motorways with part-time hard shoulder usage also surged, increasing from 30% to 47% over the past year.
In April 2023, the Conservative government announced the cancellation of future smart motorway projects due to a lack of driver confidence and financial constraints. According to Edmund King, the president of the AA, reinstating controlled motorway hard shoulders is crucial to regain public trust in smart motorways.
The AA emphasized the importance of transparent and consistent safety assessments for motorways. It highlighted the confusion among drivers following the project cancellation and urged the prompt release of safety performance reports for existing smart motorway segments.
The Department for Transport defended smart motorways as the safest road network in terms of fatalities and serious injuries. It assured ongoing monitoring and significant investments to enhance safety, including the addition of over 150 emergency areas for user reassurance.
With a commitment to elevate road safety standards, the government introduced the Road Safety Strategy, marking the first such initiative in over a decade.