Motorists Worried About Safety On Smart Motorways

THE IAM is calling for more information and advice on ‘smart’ motorways for drivers. The call comes after a poll conducted by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) discovered that seventy-one per cent of drivers said they would feel less safe on a motorway with no hard shoulder than a motorway with one.

One of the main concerns of respondents is the plan to increase the distance between safety refuges with forty-eight per cent believing that safety refuges should be no more than 500 yards apart.

Furthermore, forty per cent of respondents were said to be sceptical that new monitoring systems on the motorways, such as electronic signs, could protect them in the event of stopping in a running lane.

Other issues highlighted by the survey included concerns over the lack of publicity about what to do when driving on a ‘smart’ motorway and an interest in making undertaking legal.

Despite the negative views, the poll revealed that forty-two per cent believed the motorways have reduced congestion and forty-three per cent of respondents said it has improved their journey times.

Commenting on the survey, IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Smart motorways are being rolled out across England but our survey shows that drivers want more reassurance and information on how safe they will be and how to use them. The IAM has been supportive of hard shoulder running but we have always said that the Highways Agency must be quick to learn and implement any real world lessons as more schemes come into use.”

By Press Association reporters