Police Federation chief says ALL smart motorway projects must be suspended after it was revealed that 38 had been killed on the new roads
- Police Federation chief John Apter said the motorways needed to be suspended
- BBC found total of 38 drivers had died on smart motorways in the last five years
- Highways England set them up to cut congestion and improve the flow of traffic
A police chief has urged the government to suspend all new smart motorways ‘as a matter of urgency’ after it was revealed that 38 people had been killed on them in the last five years.
National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales John Apter said it was clear that the new roads were ‘inherently dangerous’ and it was now time for action.
It comes after MPs called the new scheme a ‘gross public policy failure’ and asked Highways England to stop the construction of the new lanes so that improvements could be made.
Weighing in on the debate over smart motorways Mr Apter took Twitter to write: ‘The Government must act as a matter of urgency and suspend all new Smart motorway builds until a review is completed.
National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales John Apter (pictured) has urged the government to suspend all new smart motorways ‘as a matter of urgency’
Taking to Twitter the Police Federation chief said the evidence was clear that smart motorways were ‘inherently dangerous’
‘From the evidence we have seen and the experience from our colleagues it’s clear that Smart motorways are inherently dangerous. Time for action @grantshapps.’
On Monday, a BBC Panorama documentary, entitled ‘Britain’s Killer Motorways?’, found a total of 38 drivers had died on smart motorways in the last five years after becoming stranded.
It also found that on one section of the M25 near misses had increased 20-fold since the hard shoulder was taken away.
Responding to the documentary Mr Apter wrote: ‘A serious issue and one @PFEW_HQ has been raising since smart motorways were introduced. This @BBCPanorama programme is well worth a watch. 8.30pm, tonight on BBC1.’
He added: ‘Did you watch #Panorama on the scandal that is Smart motorways? The Gov and public were sold a concept by @HighwaysEngland on what a Smart motorway would be.
‘That concept has been fundamentally changed (not for the better). We have been misled.’
The mother of eight-year-old Dev Naran (left with mother Meera Naran), from Leicestershire, who was killed on the M6 when his grandfather’s Toyota Yaris was struck by an HGV, said the government had to restore the hard shoulders until they could find a way to make them safe
Highways England set up the new scheme to cut congestion and improve the flow of traffic. (Stock image)
Earlier this month fresh calls were launched to ban smart motorways by members of the Broken Hearts Club, a Whatsapp group set up by the mother of eight-year-old Dev Naran, from Leicestershire, who was killed on the M6 when his grandfather’s Toyota Yaris was struck by a HGV on May 31 2018.
Dev’s grandfather had been driving along the road with him in the back and his cousin Ria Soni, 20, in the front passenger seat when he stopped on the occasional hard shoulder with his hazard lights on.
A police investigation established the car was stationary for just 45 seconds before lorry driver Paul Kiddy, 62, from Hampshire, hit the Toyota at about 56mph.
Following her son’s death Dev’s mother Meera Naran, 36, told the Sunday Times Magazine: ‘I miss him every day. I don’t want any other families to suffer like mine has suffered.
‘The government has to restore the hard shoulders on these motorways until they can find a way to make them safe.’
There are currently more than 20 sections of ‘smart motorways’ on seven different motorways
Highways England initially set up smart motorways, which allows drivers to use the hard shoulder at least some of the time, to cut congestion and improve the flow of traffic.
There are currently more than 20 sections of ‘smart motorways’ on seven different motorways and six more are under construction.
However Sir Mike Penning who approved the scheme when he was transport minister, told BBC Panorama that it ‘should never have happened.’
He said: ‘They are endangering people’s lives. There are people that are being killed and seriously injured on these roads, and it should never have happened.’
What are the three types of ‘smart’ motorways and how do they work?
All lane running schemes permanently remove the hard shoulder and convert it into a running lane.
On these types of motorway, lane one (formerly the hard shoulder) is only closed to traffic in the event of an incident.
In this case a lane closure will be signalled by a red X on the gantry above, meaning you must exit the lane as soon as possible.
All running lane motorways also have overhead gantry signs that display the mandatory speed limit.
Should drivers break down or be involved in an accident there are emergency refuge areas at the side of the carriageway for them to use.
Controlled motorways have three or more lanes with variable speed limits, but retains a hard shoulder. The hard shoulder should only be used in a genuine emergency.
These variable speed limits are displayed on overhead gantry signs – if no speed limit is displayed the national speed limit is in place. Speed cameras are used to enforce these.
‘Dynamic’ hard shoulder running involves open the hard shoulder as a running lane to traffic at busy periods to ease congestion.
On these stretches a solid white line differentiates the hard shoulder from the normal carriageway. Overhead signs on gantries indicate whether or not the hard shoulder is open to traffic.
The hard shoulder must not be used if the signs over it are blank or display a red X, except in the case of an emergency.
A red X on the gantry above means you must exit the lane as soon as possible.
Overhead gantries on these types of motorway also display the mandatory speed limit which varies depending on the traffic conditions. Speed cameras are used to enforce these – no speed limit displayed indicates the national speed limit is in place.
Source: RAC
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