Government Announcement 

The Transport Select Committee report on, 2 November 2021, called to pause the roll out of All Lane Running (ALR) motorways for five years, with conditions to change and upgrade ALR motorways, collect safety date and evaluate current successes of the scheme. This followed the Transport Select Committee's inquiry into smart motorways, which CIHT responded to and provided evidence within the Transport Select Committee hearing. 

Within our response, CIHT mentioned:

"Analysis of incidents should consider the various factors to determine the aspects of SM which might have contributed to an incident or affected its outcome – beneficially and adversely. This should include driver and passenger behaviour in the event of an emergency: whether drivers may choose to stop in a live lane rather than continue to an emergency refuge, or to stand in lane rather than move to a place behind the barrier where that is possible for example.

This analysis can then inform evaluation of the benefits of changes to design standards for new or altered schemes. It should assess the current evidence base for closer refuges being better in actual risk terms is not yet clear. There is clear public support but what percentage can limp 500m but not 800m or 1000m for example? We don’t seem to know, and additional refuges many encourage discretionary stops which increase risk"

In light of the Transport Select Committee report, the Department for Transport have announced:

• rollout of new all lane running smart motorway schemes will be paused until 5 years of safety data is available
• current stretches of smart motorway to be further upgraded with best-in-class technology and resources
• £900 million commitment to ensure drivers feel safe and confident, including extra £390 million to install additional emergency areas

Alongside this decision, National Highways will also ramp up communications so drivers have better information about how to drive on smart motorways.

While further data is being collected, National Highways will continue work to complete schemes that are currently in construction, which will all open with technology in place to detect stopped vehicles. These schemes are all more than 50% completed and halting progress on them now would cause significant disruption for drivers.

Design work will also continue on those schemes already being planned, so they are ready to be constructed depending on the outcome of the pause. No preparatory construction work will take place.

Also, in line with the committee’s recommendations, National Highways will pause the conversion of dynamic hard shoulder (DHS) motorways – where the hard shoulder is open at busy times – into all lane running motorways while it investigates alternative ways of operating them to make things simpler for drivers. National Highways will also install technology to detect stopped vehicles on these sections.

CIHT Position

Andrew Hugill, Director of Policy and Technical Affairs, CIHT said:

"CIHT notes the government response to the select committee report to which we contributed evidence and welcomes the recognition that evidence must play a strong part in reaching significant decisions on how infrastructure is developed.

There is, quite rightly, a significant focus on the safety records of smart motorways but it should be recognised that our motorway network is the safest part of our overall highway network and the development of evidence based investment should be applied across all our networks.

CIHT will support National Highways and DfT in developing that evidence. We also welcome the commitment to more communication with users of our motorways on how they can be used safely."

CIHT’s position on smart motorways has maintained that improving road safety should be based around engineering, enforcement and education.

CIHT recognises that many drivers do not feel safe on smart motorways, despite that their safety performance is better than conventional motorways, and that is something National Highways needs to address now and in any future schemes. 

CIHT believe that driver communication and understanding needs to be addressed.

CIHT support the provision to monitor all incidents and collisions to understand what is happening, to inform ongoing design, operation and public information.  

Further Reading

Smart motorway roll-out should be paused until safety can be assured, say MPs. (ciht.org.uk)

CIHT response on smart Motorways to Transport Select Committee

CIHT Fellow Kate Carpenter evidence to Transport Select Committee 

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To join in on further conversations on smart motorways, click here.

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