Statement from Sarah Champion on the Publication of the Transport Committee’s Report on the Rollout and Safety of Smart Motorways

“I welcome the publication of the Transport Committee’s report. Its findings confirm what I have been saying for years: the Government rushed All Lanes Running schemes through, without proper scrutiny or adequate safety data. Sadly, they have been more concerned by motorway capacity than by the safety of motorists.’

‘The report states that the Number of live-lane breakdowns per mile per year is 62 on an all-lane running motorway compared with 16 on a conventional motorway. The RAC recently found that 49% of people are unclear about what to do if they breakdown on a smart motorway and cannot reach a refuge. Therefore, I fully support the Committee’s recommendation that the rollout of new schemes be paused. These projects should never have been given the green light in the absence of comprehensive evidence on safety. This evidence still does not exist and to push ahead now in the face of repeated warnings would be reckless in the extreme.’

‘I disagree with the Committee’s conclusion that hard shoulders should not be reinstated on existing smart motorway schemes. As the Committee rightly points out, controlled motorways, which have the safety features of smart motorways, whilst retaining a permanent hard shoulder, are the safest type of motorways. If the Government is truly serious when it says that safety is its foremost priority, this is the only viable option.” 

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The Committee’s report will be published at 00:01, 2/11/21, and will be available here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/153/transport-committee/publications/