Category: smart motorways

Nearly 70 Percent of UK Drivers Want All Smart Motorways Axed, Poll Finds

Nearly 7 in 10 drivers want the hard shoulder reinstated on the so-called “smart motorways,” new research suggests. Around 10 percent of England’s motorway network is made up of so-called smart motorways, which were developed to increase capacity without having to add extra traffic lanes. They use technology to shut and slow lanes in response…


Government Urged to Scrap All Existing Smart Motorways Over Safety Concerns

All existing “smart motorways” should be scrapped, road safety campaigners and motoring groups have said after the UK government axed plans for any new routes. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Saturday that all plans for new smart motorways have been cancelled, citing financial pressures and safety concerns. Fourteen planned smart motorways—including 11 that are…


UK Scraps Plans for New Smart Motorways Over Safety and Cost Concerns

The UK government has decided to scrap all plans for new “smart motorways,” citing financial pressures and safety concerns. Fourteen planned smart motorways—including 11 that are already paused and 3 earmarked for construction—will be removed from the government’s road building plans, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced on Saturday. Around 10 percent of England’s motorway…


Most Drivers Want Hard Shoulder Back on UK’s Smart Motorways

Most drivers want hard shoulders reinstated on smart motorways, a new survey suggests. Some 62 percent of respondents to an RAC poll said controversial All Lane Running (ALR) motorways—which use the emergency stopping lane for live traffic—should be scrapped, but they want the technology that manages traffic flows and detects breakdowns to be retained. Concerns…


Shapps: ‘Dynamic’ Hard Shoulders on UK Smart Motorways ‘Insane’ and Confusing to Drivers

The ‘dynamic’ hard shoulders that have replaced conventional breakdown lanes on Britain’s smart motorways are unsafe and confusing to drivers, Britain’s transport secretary said. “We’ve got this dynamic hard shoulder that comes and goes,” Grant Shapps told transport committee MPs on Wednesday. “It’s just an insane way to have confusion for drivers,” he said. Drivers…