Motorists find smart motorways ‘confusing’

The country’s first ‘all-lane running’ motorway opened this time last year on 2.5km of road to the north of the M25, but the IAM believes that many drivers find it confusing. The routes manage congestion through lane control and overhead signalling, limiting, and in some cases ridding, the need for a hard shoulder.

Highways England have plans for 15 smart motorway projects covering 480 lane miles by 2020, indicating an increase in smart motorway deployment, covering Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol and London.

A 2014 AIM survey revealed that 71 per cent of drivers felt less comfortable and safe on a motorway that did not have a hard shoulder compared to one that has. The survey also showed that two in five respondents were sceptical that smart motorway systems would provide protection if they broke down.

Sarah Sillars, chief executive of IAM, said many drivers were confused, nervous and in some cases unaware of smart motorways. She commented: “Highways England must analyse incident data on a continuous basis and ensure that any lessons learned from the real world use of smart motorways are implemented quickly.”

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