New AA research shows driver anxiety on smart motorways has doubled this year, with safety fears rising over hard shoulder removal
An AA survey finds driver anxiety on smart motorways has doubled in the last year, especially due to safety concerns over the removal of the hard shoulder. This growing unease signals a widening confidence gap between smart motorways and conventional routes, pushing road safety back into the spotlight.
What are smart motorways?
Smart motorways, also known as all-lane-running motorways, are sections of a motorway that use traffic management methods to increase capacity and reduce congestion in particularly busy areas. This method includes using the hard shoulder as a running lane and using variable speed limits to control traffic flow.
A survey of 12,705 drivers found that anxiety on smart motorways without a permanent hard shoulder increased from 23% to 46% in the past year. Motorists now rely on emergency refuge areas spaced about three-quarters of a mile apart.
Smart motorways, where the hard shoulder is only open during busy periods, have also seen a sharp increase in driver anxiety. In the last 12 months, the number of motorists feeling nervous or uneasy on these roads has jumped from 30% to 47%, highlighting growing concerns about road safety.
Contrastingly, confidence remains highest on conventional motorways that retain a continuous hard shoulder. The research highlights a clear confidence gap between traditional and smart motorways, with the public expressing concerns about safety, breakdown provision, and emergency access.
Call for greater transparency
The AA says these results underscore the urgent need for transparent, consistent communication on motorway safety.
The most recent safety stocktake report on the safety of smart motorways found that while all recommended safety improvements have been completed, including additional emergency refuge signs, stopped vehicle detection technology, and upgraded Red X enforcement cameras, many drivers still report feeling anxious on these roads, and public confidence has yet to match the safety upgrades.
Edmund King, AA president, said: “It’s not surprising that our members are more anxious about using ‘smart’ motorways. If you break down in a live lane, you are, in effect, a sitting duck. The failure of ‘smart’ motorway technology over the last few years has, no doubt, added to the levels of anxiety.
“What the AA and our members would like to see is the return of the hard shoulder in a controlled motorway environment. Until that concern is properly addressed, it’s hard to see confidence in ‘smart’ motorways recovering.”
King commented, “These safety reports are vital in understanding how the smart motorways experiment has fared. By continuously delaying their release, it is feared that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. Regardless of what these documents say, they need to be published immediately.”
