In what’s possibly the least surprising news of the week, a survey carried out by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has found UK drivers do not trust smart motorways.
In the poll of 4,500 people 85% said they would like to see a halt on smart motorway construction until more is known about how safe or otherwise they are. And 84% of people said they have little faith in the ability of smart motorways to detect them if they had broken down in a running lane.
Of the people polled, 81% said they feel less safe on a smart motorway than they do on a regular motorway, and the same number said they believe hard shoulders should be reinstated on smart motorways.
The news comes as the widow of a driver killed on a smart motorway has urged fellow victims to contribute to an official inquiry carried out by the Commons Transport Select Committee.
Claire Mercer’s husband, Jason, was killed along with another driver in 2019 when a lorry crashed into their car on a stretch of the M1 which has been turned into a smart motorway.
Of the survey results, Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “Our members include many high mileage, experienced and confident motorway users but the results of this survey are clear to see, with the vast majority having very little, or no confidence, in the safety of smart motorways.
“We would urge the Department for Transport and Highways England to listen to what smart motorway users are saying and to consider our findings, along with other in-depth research, to determine the best approach to developing the smart motorway network. Delaying decisions on smart motorways will only lead to more drivers getting stressed.
“Alongside more education for drivers, IAM RoadSmart wants to see strong leadership with clear decisions taken soon on whether the programme should be reversed, or provided with the appropriate funding that will speed up delivery of the promised refuges, CCTV and vehicle detection technology.”
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