The roll-out and safety of smart motorways

Transport Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 26 Feb 2021 Closed: 7 Jul 2022 Parliament page
This inquiry will look at the safety of smart motorways and public confidence in their use as well as their impact upon congestion. Concerns about the safety of smart motorways have been emphasised recently with a number of fatalities on them and criticism by coroners investigating those deaths. In 2020, … Read more
2 Recommendations
9 Conclusions
1 Report
3 Oral sessions
6 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 14 events
12 Jan
2022
Report published
2 Nov
2021
Report published
21 Oct
2021
Correspondence
22 Sep
2021
Correspondence
14 Sep
2021
Correspondence
13 Jul
2021
Correspondence
13 Jul
2021
Correspondence
30 Jun
2021
Oral evidence
30 Jun
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
16 Jun
2021
Oral evidence
16 Jun
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
15 Jun
2021
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
30 Jun 2021
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Jill Adam · Department for Transport Mike Wilson · Highways England Nick Harris · National Highways The Baroness Vere of Norbiton · Department for Transport
16 Jun 2021
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Jonathan Spruce · Institution for Civil Engineers Kate Carpenter · Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation Mike Mackinnon · MMB Associates Miss Becky Needham · Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Professor David Metz · UCL Centre for Transport Studies Sarah Simpson · Royal HaskoningDHV
19 May 2021
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Chris Todd · West Midlands Police Edmund King · The AA Elizabeth de Jong · Fuels Industry UK Mr Nicholas Lyes · RAC Motoring Services
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - Rollout and safety of smart motorways HC 26 2 Nov 2021 11 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
11 results
1 Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety …
The design of our motorways and strategic roads necessarily entails balancing competing priorities.
The design of our motorways and strategic roads necessarily entails balancing competing priorities. However, successive Administrations, together with the Department and National Highways’ predecessor, Highways England, underestimated the scale of safety measures needed effectively and reliably to mitigate the risks … Read more
Government Response
8. The Government commits to further investigating the benefits of a health and safety assessment being undertaken by ORR before changes to design or operational standards are implemented on the … Read more
Department for Transport
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2 Recommendation
Third Report - Rollout and safety …
We welcome the Department’s acceleration of safety improvements to all-lane running motorways and acknowledge that...
We welcome the Department’s acceleration of safety improvements to all-lane running motorways and acknowledge that the current Secretary of State for Transport and Minister for Roads have, upon their appointment, taken steps to address safety and delivery failures on all-lane … Read more
Department for Transport
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3 Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety …
The design of our motorways and major roads can currently be altered without any independent...
The design of our motorways and major roads can currently be altered without any independent assurance on safety by a regulatory body, which is a systemic weakness. The Department should make the introduction of changes to the design and operation … Read more
Government Response
18. The Government agrees in principle with this recommendation as we recognise that the installation of EAs at closer spacing is valued by drivers and road safety organisations. 19. The … Read more
Department for Transport
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4 Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety …
The available data on the safety of all-lane running motorways are limited and volatile.
The available data on the safety of all-lane running motorways are limited and volatile. There are only five-years of safety data available for 29 miles of all-lane running motorways. The Department and National Highways should pause the rollout of all-lane … Read more
Government Response
22. The Government agrees with this recommendation. We recognise the benefits in assessing the effectiveness and operation of SVD technology as it is important motorists have confidence in its accuracy … Read more
Department for Transport
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5 Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety …
We welcome the steps that the Department is taking through the action plan to rebuild...
We welcome the steps that the Department is taking through the action plan to rebuild trust in smart motorways and to make them safer. However, we are concerned a) that emergency refuge areas will remain too far part on existing … Read more
Government Response
25. The Government agrees in principle with this recommendation, subject to the successful outcome of research, consultation, and feasibility trials. 26. The emergency corridor rules adopted in other countries provide … Read more
Department for Transport
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6 Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety …
The Department and National Highways should: a) retrofit emergency refuge areas to existing all-lane running...
The Department and National Highways should: a) retrofit emergency refuge areas to existing all-lane running motorways to make them a maximum of 1,500 metres apart, decreasing to every 1,000 metres where physically possible; b) commission the Office of Rail and … Read more
Government Response
28. The Government agrees with this recommendation and will commit to evaluating how successful the Stocktake and Action Plan has been in relation to live lane stops, including breakdowns. 29. … Read more
Department for Transport
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7 Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety …
While we welcome the action plan, it is not clear whether the interventions that the...
While we welcome the action plan, it is not clear whether the interventions that the Government and National Highways are rolling out will effectively mitigate the specific safety risks associated with the removal of the hard shoulder. Beginning in September … Read more
Government Response
31. The Government agrees with this recommendation. Evaluating the safety and economic impact of all schemes post opening is an integral part of ensuring we are delivering the benefits expected … Read more
Department for Transport
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8 Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety …
The Government and National Highways should pause the rollout of all-lane running motorways to collect...
The Government and National Highways should pause the rollout of all-lane running motorways to collect more data, to upgrade and then evaluate the safety of existing all-lane running schemes and to consider alternative options for enhancing capacity on the Strategic … Read more
Government Response
36. The Government agrees with this recommendation and will pause the conversion of seven DHS schemes to ALR until the next Road Investment Strategy, so that alternative operating approaches can … Read more
Department for Transport
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9 Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety …
Dynamic hard shoulder motorways apparently confuse drivers, because the hard shoulder is used unpredictably to...
Dynamic hard shoulder motorways apparently confuse drivers, because the hard shoulder is used unpredictably to tackle congestion. A more consistent approach, where the hard shoulder is used at known times, could clarify the situation for drivers without physically removing the … Read more
Government Response
40. The Government agrees with this recommendation and will revisit the case for controlled motorways and how it compares with ALR motorways. We will look to publish an initial report … Read more
Department for Transport
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10 Recommendation
Third Report - Rollout and safety …
Controlled motorways, which retain the hard shoulder and have technology to regulate traffic, have the...
Controlled motorways, which retain the hard shoulder and have technology to regulate traffic, have the lowest casualty rates of all types of motorway on the Strategic Road Network. The Department and National Highways should revisit the case for controlled motorways. … Read more
Department for Transport
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11 Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety …
Examining the available evidence base, we are not convinced that reinstating the hard shoulder on...
Examining the available evidence base, we are not convinced that reinstating the hard shoulder on all all-lane running motorways will improve safety. The evidence suggests that doing so could put more drivers and passengers at risk of death and serious … Read more
Government Response
Although the hard shoulder offers a relative place of safety, it is not a safe place to stop. The Government is right to focus on upgrading the sa
Department for Transport
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Correspondence 6 letters
21 Oct 2021 Correspondence from John Larkinson, Chief Executive, Office of Rail and Road, relating to the roll-out and safety motorways, dated 17 June 2021
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22 Sep 2021 Correspondence from Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Minister for Roads, Buses and Places, relating to smart motorways and publication of Highway Code update, dated 14 September 2021
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14 Sep 2021 Correspondence from Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Minister for Roads, Buses and Places, Department for Transport, relating to the roll-out and safety of smart motorways, dated 7 September 2021
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13 Jul 2021 Correspondence from Nick Harris, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Highways England, relating to the Roll-out and safety of smart motorways, dated 8 July 2021
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13 Jul 2021 Correspondence from Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Minister for Roads, Buses and Places, Department of Transport, relating to the roll-out and safety of smart motorways, dated 9 July 2021
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15 Jun 2021 Correspondence to John Larkinson, Chief Executive, Office of Rail and Road, dated 28 May 2021
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