RAC Demands Return of Hard Shoulders on Smart Motorways
The RAC has slammed smart motorways and called for hard shoulders to be brought back, warning these roads remain a safety nightmare.
Sunak Halts Smart Motorway Expansion Amid Safety Fears
A year ago, Chancellor Rishi Sunak pulled the plug on all future smart motorway projects, citing tight budgets and low public confidence. Yet, many existing “all lane running” (ALR) motorways operate without hard shoulders, sparking safety alarms.
Fatal Crashes Spotlight Dangers of No Hard Shoulder
Smart motorways aimed to increase road capacity cheaply by turning hard shoulders into permanent live lanes. But stalled vehicles in these lanes have been hit multiple times, causing deadly crashes.
Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, said: “Despite investment in radar tech and emergency refuge areas, safety concerns remain. We must rethink these road layouts.”
RAC Urges Dynamic Hard Shoulders or Full Reinstatement
The motoring group wants existing ALR motorways either converted into dynamic schemes—where hard shoulders open only during rush hour—or hard shoulders fully reinstated by repainting white lines.
A December report by National Highways found smart motorways without hard shoulders are three times more dangerous for breakdowns. Worryingly, incidents causing “killed and serious injury” are 10% higher on these sections.
Several hotspots on the M1, M25, and M6 show rises in fatal accidents since hard shoulders were scrapped.
While new smart motorway builds are frozen, existing ones without hard shoulders continue to run, keeping drivers on edge. The Department for Transport insists safety is now the top priority.
Road Safety Must Come Before Capacity
As debate rages over smart motorway futures, all sides agree: boosting road capacity must not come at the cost of driver safety. The call is clear—bring back the hard shoulder before more lives are lost.
