The AA is pushing for the return of hard shoulders on ‘smart motorways’ after new data from National Highways revealed that some of these roads now have higher accident rates than before hard shoulders were removed.
Smart motorways, which use all lanes for traffic instead of keeping a dedicated emergency lane, have been controversial since their introduction in 2014. Many drivers worry about breaking down on high-speed, congested roads with nowhere safe to pull over.
In 2020, the government tried to improve safety by scrapping ‘dynamic hard shoulder’ motorways (where the hard shoulder was only used part-time) and speeding up the rollout of radar-based Stopped Vehicle Detection (SVD) systems. These were meant to help traffic control centres quickly close lanes in case of breakdowns or crashes.
However, the system isn’t meeting safety standards. AA president Edmund King pointed out that "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."
“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 continued.
In one case, a section of the M62 had no working detection system for nearly a month, putting drivers at risk. “Shockingly, the M62 J10-12 had a system failure for almost a month. This loss of safety technology, which drivers have been asked to put their trust in, meant they were put in unnecessary danger,” says King.
King says it’s clear that smart motorways aren’t working, and that most drivers want hard shoulders back. AA polling shows that a third of drivers feel less safe on motorways now than they did three years ago.
Meanwhile, the UK roads regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), says that although National Highways is making progress on safety upgrades, it’s unlikely to hit its goal of halving serious accidents by 2025. While SVD systems do offer some safety benefits, the ORR found that seven out of 36 key performance targets were missed across 12 test sites.
The debate over smart motorways isn’t going away anytime soon—but with growing concerns from drivers and safety experts, the push to bring back hard shoulders is gaining momentum.
