Bring back the hard shoulder: ‘safety stocktake’ prompts new calls to scrap smart motorways

The AA is campaigning for the return of hard shoulders to so-called ‘smart motorways’ with all-lane running, following the release of National Highways data pointing to some roads having higher ‘killed and seriously injured’ (KSI) accident rates than before the hard shoulder was removed.

All-lane running was introduced on British motorways in 2014 and has been highly controversial ever since, with drivers fearing the consequences of breaking down on fast-moving, crowded roads with nowhere to escape the traffic.

The Department for Transport under then secretary of state Grant Shapps introduced an ‘action plan’ in 2020 that was supposed to “raise the bar” on motorway safety. It eliminated ‘dynamic hard shoulder’ motorways where all-lane running was part time, and included measures to speed up the deployment of radar-based Stopped Vehicle Detection (SVD) tech designed to help National Highways control centres close lanes promptly in the event of breakdowns or collisions.

However, 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”.

According to the ORR, available data shows that at a national level, Stopped Vehicle Detection continues to meet the performance requirements set by National Highways. Worryingly though, it also says some individual schemes missed targets, with seven out of 36 metrics below target across 12 tested sites. 

“Despite this, the SVD system continues to deliver safety benefits for road users,” the ORR says.

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