The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has welcomed The Department for Transport’s decision to pause the roll-out of all-lane smart motorways in the UK.

The move sees new schemes paused until there is a full five years of safety data on current projects. The Department has also announced an additional £900m to support safety measures for existing all-lane running motorways along with £390 million to create 150 additional emergency refuge areas by 2025.

Commenting, RHA Executive Director, Policy and Public Affairs, Rod McKenzie said, “The RHA supports smart motorways as they reduce congestion and pollution by keeping traffic moving. But the advantages of all-lane running must never outweigh safety.”

“It’s vital that safety comes first so this pause is welcome as is additional funding for upgrading safety measures on existing all-lane running motorways,” he added. “It is also crucial that these safety measures include better education about the use of smart motorways for all road users. Motorways are the UK’s safest roads, and we want them to stay that way.”

Announcing the news, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said, “One of my first actions as Transport Secretary was to order a stocktake of smart motorways and since then, I have worked consistently to raise the bar on their safety. I am grateful to the Transport Committee and to all those who provided evidence for its work. While our initial data shows that smart motorways are among the safest roads in the UK, it’s crucial that we go further to ensure people feel safer using them.”

National Highways has produced a video, hosted by Suzi Perry and Ortis Deley, about driving on smart motorways, which can be viewed here.

Photo:  Grant Shapps.