Basingstoke ObserverTHE installation of new safety equipment on smart motorways without a permanent hard shoulder will be completed within the next five months.
National Highways said it was on course to upgrade almost 100 safety cameras to enable automatic detection of vehicles that ignore Red X lane closure signals by the end of September. This is designed to increase compliance with the Red X, helping to ensure the safety of drivers and their passengers in difficulty, or road workers and emergency services who need a safe space to work.
It was also confirmed that it will add to the more than 330 extra signs it has already installed to inform drivers of the distance to the next place to stop in the event of a mechanical problem or emergency. In addition, National Highways is on track to complete the roll-out of radar-based technology that can spot a stopped or broken-down vehicle on over 200 miles of All Lane Running (ALR) motorway by the end of September 2022.
Nick Harris, National Highways’ Chief Executive, said: “Our network is relied upon by an ever-increasing number of people to work, visit family and friends, do business and much more. It is only right that these drivers and their passengers are safe and, crucially, feel safe on our roads, including smart motorways. It is now two years since the Transport Secretary first published the smart motorway stocktake and today’s report shows that we are making good progress delivering on these ambitious recommendations. But we are not complacent.
The latest data shows that, overall, in terms of serious or fatal casualties, smart motorways are our safest roads. We are continuing our work to make them our safest roads in every way. We will continue to build on the work already undertaken and continue to put safety first to help ensure drivers have confidence in the motorway network.”
Roads Minister Baroness Vere added: “We have come a long way in the two years since the smart motorway evidence stocktake and action plan was published. We took the decision to pause the rollout of new smart motorways earlier this year to collect more data and have upgraded hundreds of miles of roads with enforcement cameras, stopped vehicle detection and better signage. This progress report shows we continue to make good progress delivering our commitments, including the installation of new safety equipment within the next five months. However, there should be no upper limit on the safety of our roads which is why I, alongside the Transport Secretary, will continue to do everything I can to ensure drivers are as safe and feel as safe as they possibly can.”
Independent road safety campaigner Meera Naran MBE concluded: “I welcome this second-year report which includes open and transparent data. It’s important that reporting of all incidents has also been taken into consideration. Even more precise data including which lane collisions occur in, would be beneficial going forward.Smart motorway safety could be enhanced further with in-vehicle technology such as compulsory autonomous emergency braking, Dev’s Law. This technology could prevent further collisions and fatalities.”
