Nick Harris said: “Our latest analysis continues to show that overall, in terms of deaths or serious injuries, smart motorways remain our safest roads.”
National Highways has published its fourth and final Smart Motorways Stocktake Progress Report, outlining the completion of key safety initiatives and providing updated analysis on smart motorway performance.
The report confirmed that all 2020 stocktake actions have been implemented, including the installation of radar-based Stopped Vehicle Detection (SVD) technology on all All Lane Running (ALR) motorways. More than 700 additional signs have been placed to inform drivers of emergency stopping points, and enforcement cameras have been upgraded to improve compliance with Red X lane closures.
As a result, traffic officer response times have improved, and automated systems can now detect stopped vehicles and close lanes more rapidly.
National Highways Chief Executive, Nick Harris said: “Our latest analysis continues to show that overall, in terms of deaths or serious injuries, smart motorways remain our safest roads.”
However, he acknowledged ongoing public concerns regarding motorways without a hard shoulder and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to driver confidence and safety.
The report highlighted that no new smart motorways will be built following the UK Government’s 2023 decision to halt further expansion. However, £900m in additional safety enhancements is being delivered on existing smart motorways, including the construction of over 150 new emergency stopping areas by March 2025.
Updated safety data in the report indicates that smart motorways continue to perform better than conventional motorways in key safety metrics. Between 2018 and 2022, smart motorways had lower fatal and serious injury rates than conventional motorways, with 37 out of 39 schemes showing reductions in these incidents after implementation. The report also notes that motorway collisions involving stopped vehicles accounted for just 4% of all incidents, with the highest risks occurring on A-roads rather than smart motorways.
As part of future monitoring, smart motorway safety performance will now be incorporated into the broader annual Road Safety Performance Overview Report, rather than being reported separately. National Highways will continue to assess long-term safety trends and invest in new technologies to improve driver experience and road safety.
The findings reinforce that while smart motorways remain a debated issue, ongoing safety measures and infrastructure improvements are helping to enhance their performance and reliability for road users.
IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards Nicholas Lyes said: “After the many billions of pounds that have been spent on smart motorways, the metrics do not show a safer network compared to what it replaced. It also reveals that on those stretches of all lane running smart motorways without a hard shoulder, the rate of fatal and serious collisions involving stopped vehicles is almost double that of both a conventional motorway and those with a dynamic hard shoulder.
“Given the public’s hostility towards all lane running smart motorways, they will be relieved to know there are no plans to construct any more. However, question marks remain over what to do with existing stretches and how the Government proceeds with future capacity expansion.”
However, perceived continued failures by National Highways to meet safe operational standards for its Stopped Vehicle Detection system has led to motoring organisation the AA to call for the reinstatement of hard shoulders on all motorways.
"Data released by National Highways shows that several sections of all-lane running on the M1 have a higher KSI rate now than before the loss of the hard shoulder,” says AA president Edmund King. “At the same time, a third of radar detection schemes tested failed to meet the standard - two of which failed and worsened in a 12-month period,” he says.
“Shockingly, the M62 J10-12 had a system failure for almost a month,” he added. “This loss of safety technology, which drivers have been asked to put their trust in, meant they were put in unnecessary danger.”
According to King, it’s no surprise that AA polling suggests a third of drivers feel less safe on motorways today, than they did three years ago. He says it’s time to accept that smart motorways have failed, and to side with the majority of drivers, who want to see hard shoulders reinstated everywhere.
The UK roads regulator is the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), and it says that while National Highways appears on track to complete a package of safety improvements by its 2025 deadline, it looks “unlikely to meet its target of halving KSIs on the strategic road network”.
Commentaires