Investigation Reveals England's Smart Motorways Faced 22 System Outages Last Year

An investigation by GMB has found that the technology that runs most of England's so-called smart motorways experienced 22 system outages last year.
Ana Borges suffered life-changing injuries after she was in a car crash on a smart motorway. She joins GMB to discuss the crash and says that if she had been on a motorway with a hard shoulder, she wouldn't have been in a car crash.
Campaigner Claire Mercer, who's husband died on a smart motorway tells Susanna and Richard that it would be 'quick and simple' to turn the first lane off on a smart motorway so that it can be a hard shoulder.
Broadcast on 22/04/24
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[@AnubisX1]

These smart lanes are the stupidest thing ever, they should be removed and hard shoulders returned.

[@chrisrevill8717]

Agreed, it's easy to revert back as the hard shoulder would already be there, just need to rearrange the paint markings.

[@MC-yi3zp]

Totally agree. We need the hard shoulders back.

[@monipenny408]

The object is not to make life easier for motorists, the idea is to see how best to extract more taxes, so UK can fund forever wars abroad!

[@pjl8119]

Well said. Couldn't agree more.

[@MrBrasserie]

bet the same people fitting them, get paid to revert them and who gets the contract? hmmm

[@andrewblundall5475]

Hard shoulders have worked for 50 years, if it ain't broke don't fix it...

[@911HRW]

Have they? 100 people a year die on the hard shoulder.

[@ursman3ify]

Useless. Should have never changed it. Another Tory failure as usual.

[@nothingsurprisesmeanymore]

These people could have died just as easily on the hard shoulder if the drivers that hit them were busy doing something other than looking where they were going. The motorway is an excuse.

[@andrewblundall5475]

@@nothingsurprisesmeanymore the hard shoulder isn't a live lane, these unfortunate people were stuck in a broken down vehicle in a live lane...

[@simoncox9689]

@@nothingsurprisesmeanymore but the odds go down ..again this is proven ..thats what the hard shulder is for if you break down or get a flat..an not only that you can get over the barrior or grass an get away from the car you cant do that in a live lane

[@darkdonzaloog]

ban smart motorways they are just simply unsafe.

[@francelinetaylor1158]

They have been, but they are not reinstating the hard shoulders they’ve removed! It’s a disgrace.

[@nothingsurprisesmeanymore]

Ultimately it's the drivers fault who crashed into these people, if you look at the video evidence they never even tried to avoid them as they were probably distracted. These people could have been on the hard shoulder and hit by these people driving like they were. There's blame in so many directions on these crashes that just pinning it on the motorway design even if it contributed is just scapegoating the real truth which is people are bad at driving full stop.

[@cptlatency428]

Ban unsafe drivers who blame accidents caused by tailgating on the infrastructure, next you'll want motorways scrapped in total because the cars go too fast

[@jimcowley330]

I expect the speed cameras are working just fine 😂

[@mrsp2042]

They are the only thing working right, out to penalise motorists . As that seems to be the only thing the police are bothered about these days . It’s getting crazy with all the speed limits changing sometimes every five minutes it definitely catches you out .

[@standbanger2]

Absolutely spot on, got to make sure the motorists cash cow stays working, can't have that out of action for more than 5 mins they will lose approximately £500 in revenue in that time!

[@sarpongKyei]

For shizzle Jimmy 😂

[@emelmestanoglu1485]

This is so dangerous i dont know how these smart motorways were agreed to! Sue the government for negligence!!!

[@oki_0074]

Definitely......

[@PorkysNewTeeth]

Some MP's pockets being lined HEAVILY

[@lonalxaia]

Anything with the word smart beware.

[@cptlatency428]

​@@lonalxaiaIs that the advice you live by?

[@dunravin]

@@lonalxaia smart (adj.) Middle English smert, from late Old English smeart, in reference to hits, blows, etc., "stinging; causing a sharp pain," related to smeortan "be painful"

[@misfit2022]

Who knew a motorway without a hard shoulder and reliant on technology was less safe than a motorway with a hard shoulder and no technology

[@cptlatency428]

It's more like drivers are less safe than they should be

[@misfit2022]

@CP I was flippant of course I agree which is why I prefer to avoid motorways now preferring to add to town centre and b road traffic instead.

[@geordiecanuck2696]

Ridiculous waste of money, resources and lives.

[@911HRW]

Do some research, building a new lane is 4 times as expensive

[@faithblyth2522]

It has nothing to do with research, you may feel differently if your child died because of no hard shoulder FACT

[@neuralwarp]

As a computer science academic I was against SMs from Day 1. Dangerous. People need simplicity.

[@voice.of.reason]

Me too and you don't need a degree to work that out, even a 9 year old could

[@marcellodelira5601]

​​I 10:54 think a 9 year old could but yeah, you're right. ​@@voice.of.reason

[@rakalu9994]

Data and modelling disagree with you. They are safe.

[@briand2253]

Even if the warning signs were on… you are still relying on drivers to be paying attention. BAN SMART MOTORWAYS

[@911HRW]

🤣🤣🤣. That’s like saying even if you locked the doors a burglar would still get in. BAN LOCKS.

[@andy_xtr3861]

Smart motorways are extremely dangerous , I've worked as an hgv driver and have had near misses with broken down vehicles in a live lane with no warning signs. When hgvs are in convoy you can't see the road ahead, then all of a sudden the hgv Infront moves into the right lane and there's a static broken down vehicle right Infront of you.🤬

[@neuralwarp]

If you can't see ahead, stop.

[@davidm6957]

No. Sorry. You are too close to the lorry in front. Keep your distance. Then this would not happen.

[@andy_xtr3861]

In reality if you leave a safe distance another vehicle will take it​. Btw I'm a safe driver @@davidm6957

[@thomasshepard6030]

@@davidm6957bollocks have you ever driven an HGV

[@23lnp]

@@neuralwarpyea that makes sense. Just stop in free moving traffic !

[@bonjovi1612]

Smart and UK are oxymorons.

[@melmorrison1400]

Survaliance Monitoring And Recording Technology. It ain’t about safety and protecting you. It’s about unlawfully being spied on by authorities

[@nothingsurprisesmeanymore]

The equivalent is if you stop in a zebra crossing to tie your shoelaces and a car comes down the road at 30mph and isn't looking at the road and kills you. Then who is to blame? The zebra crossing, the guy on it tying his shoelace or the driver not looking at the road? I know where I would blame and it's not the zebra crossing.

[@simoncox9689]

@@nothingsurprisesmeanymore it does not change the fact a hard shulder is safer

[@Archemeial]

When i heard how "smart" motorways worked i laughed and said, NOPE!

[@aemansky8113]

Britian is going in reverse gear

[@alexnelson9512]

_Yes, in the last 50-odd years!_

[@AppleyardAndy]

Getting rid of the hard shoulder was a major mistake. Nowhere for you to stop in case you breakdown. No easy route for emergency services to get to incidents. Given how much money has been wasted on dumb motorways the could have widened quite a few of them.

[@911HRW]

Except all the grassed areas and all the parking bays right?

[@TobStonk]

@@911HRW Many smart motorways block access to the grassed areas with barriers, so you have nowhere to go before the refuge area

[@911HRW]

@@TobStonkThere are ample places where there are no barrier. There are also ample ways to reduce the chances of breaking down but worries about that.

[@AppleyardAndy]

@@911HRW you have barriers separating the motorway from the grassed areas on smart motorways but not on non smart motorways. The simple reason being that it gives a safe place for people to stay. Parking bays are every mile or so if you have a major issue with your vehicle you won't make it. And I've not seen any emergency service vehicles built like grasshoppers to jump from breakdown refuge to breakdown refuge as that's what would be needed. And while maintaining and servicing your vehicle will reduce the chances of a breakdown you can't guarantee not hitting debris or potholes that can damage your vehicle and cause a breakdown.

[@simoncox9689]

@@911HRW guess you dont drive

[@kimallen4132]

I was delivering a Mini convertible which broke down and was a split second from being crushed by a truck. I coasted to a stop in the inside lane but could not pull off the live lane due to the safety barrier. I managed to chug the car 20 yards using the starter motor to get past the barrier to safety just before an artic truck blasted past in the live lane. I still get the shakes thinking about how close I was to being a red smear on the "Smart" motorway. 💀

[@bush_wookie_9606]

Funny how the speed cameras never fail on these motorways, yet I've seen the speeds change from 60 to 40 back up to 70 and back down to 40 again all in the space of a few gantries.

[@23lnp]

I know its true mate. Its all part of the depopulation agenda

[@maxkendal5152]

The hard shoulder was designed into motorways for a reason. Why can't Highways England just paint a solid line and create a hard shoulder?

[@911HRW]

If it happens, don’t ever complain there is congestion and they should add a lane.

[@maxkendal5152]

@@911HRW Strangely enough, many times I've seen congestion, it's either a result of changed speed limits because of the speed limits set for the "congestion", or lane closures to protect broken down vehicles (which sometimes aren't even there!) 40mph for queuing traffic at 4am? Give me 3 lanes plus a hard shoulder.

[@badgerfruit4170]

​@911HRW more lanes doesn't solve the problem. It encourages more people to drive, thus, congestion returns.

[@911HRW]

@@maxkendal5152Many, I’m Sure you don’t travel the sort of miles I do this see an odd snap shot and feel you are aware of everything, this is part of the problem. You don’t, you assume.

[@911HRW]

@@badgerfruit4170Does it. So when they build a new lane, do you instantly want to go out and drive on it? Or is it a natural increase in traffic that you don’t realise?

[@Edmund-King]

As a part-time HGV driver I can testify that these 'Smart' motorways are potential death traps. Lorry's normally HAVE to go flat out at 56 MPH (speed governed and where limits allow) to be able to make their drops to a very strict schedule. If not, the driver is sacked. At 56 MPH weighing above 35 tons it takes around +10 seconds to do an emergency stop at 56 MPH, on a gentle bend (much more if downhill, wet conditions etc). Breaking to hard, and the articulated HGV will simply jackknife and roll on its side, killing all in its path. You can ONLY see around 5-7 seconds ahead in the dark, especially on 'left hand' bends where the opposite lanes oncoming traffic dazzles the lane ahead. So do the maths, 56 MPH equates to around 10 seconds stopping time, minus 28% = 7.2 seconds stopping time total. 56 MPH - 28% = 40.3 MPH! To drive safely in the dark the HGV driver can either stick to the far left lane at 40 MPH and face the sack within the week, or reman in the second lane and be potentially fined? These 'smart' motorways have never been properly risk assessed by someone smart, or even having the intelligence of an HGV driver...

[@pjl8119]

I bet any money it was the haulage lobby that pressured government to increase motorway capacity. Because we don't have a functional democracy and we have the worse and most corrupt politicians in British history - they tried to increase motorway capacity on the cheap with a total disregard to basic safety and human life. Smart motorways were the 'solution'.

[@newton18311]

Its Part time HGHV drivers that are the Most Dangerous. How do you do that part time with your Drivers card.

[@marklanahan7289]

This has all the makings of another 'Horizon' scandal.

[@jbentley2579]

As a motorcyclists and car driver I never use the former hard shoulder, but apparently I can be fined for doing so. My heart goes out to the family and friends of the victims of this ludicrous idea.

[@911HRW]

You never use the inside lane because? For fear of slamming into a stationary vehicle you failed to see?

[@cptlatency428]

Yea, Lane hogging tends to make accidents more likely

[@poptart144000]

This is absolutely terrifying that we don't have proper hard shoulders for breakdowns! So many poor people have suffered the consequences of so called smart technology. Cheaper & safer to have a permanent lane to help people in crisis.

[@cptlatency428]

I say just get rid of all motorways, that'll fix the problem

[@evanssarpong5310]

@@cptlatency428so how are people going to get to and from work? How are HGV drivers supposed to deliver food etc from the warehouse to the suppliers??

[@cptlatency428]

@@evanssarpong5310 I'm being sarcastic, I'm mocking the people complaining about no hard shoulder and not complaining about terrible driving standards If you bring the hard shoulder back congestion will skyrocket, lorries won't be able to deliver goods cause they'll be sitting in traffic and people will start crying about the new traffic problem they just caused

[@cptlatency428]

@@evanssarpong5310 Also no motorways isn't such a bad idea now that I think of it, ever heard of trains and regular roads before, with actual good methods of public transportation to stop people having to commute in cars

[@jean_mollycutpurse_winchester]

Absolutely disgusting

[@user-bu9nb8wr6e]

This is corruption before our very eyes. Why would an agency that is responsible for safety remove the safe haven of the hard shoulder. Only someone who has something to gain.

[@brummierabbitman9637]

For the same reason they put up signs saying ‘speed limit for air quality’ when the first thing a driving instructor tells you is that you use more fuel in lower gears. They are fully on board with NGO agendas.

[@mjproductions7224]

I watched Panorama regarding this, and I wanted to cry. This is pure evil, and as always The Government get away with it.

[@milo2324]

​@@mjproductions7224 well, they make their policies the way that sufferring must be guaranteed outcome.

[@newforestpony9567]

The heavier the lorry, the LONGER, to slow down, especially in wet weather. So the lorry may not have had time between the hazard lights going on and hitting the breaks to stop in time. Since the heavier vehicles use the left lane more, the chances of being caught in front of them are higher.

[@neuralwarp]

HGV drivers still need to look out of the windows, and keep safe distances.

[@user-xx5nl3jj5q]

One of the main reasons I quit HGV driving is Smart Motorways. I came close to running over an unlit car which was stopped in lane one. The truck in front pulled out suddenly to avoid it, thankfully I wasn’t being overtaken at the time so had an empty lane to dive into.

[@newforestpony9567]

@@neuralwarp I live near major ports and have been cut up numerous times with HGV's with foreign plates. Our drivers are highly regulated and tracked. Theirs, not so much.

[@newforestpony9567]

@@neuralwarp We're talking about unanticipated circumstances, such as flat tyres, with relation to time to respond.

[@incognito96]

​@@neuralwarpthat comment is from someone who doesn't drive them, it is not as easy as that , that's from a non HGV driver.

[@Neil-qf6df]

Go back to hard shoulders until technology is better.

[@neuralwarp]

No matter how good the tech, people are bad drivers.

[@RichMcc]

​@neuralwarp drivers in the UK arnt that bad . But most drivers would agree sm are and always have been a joke

[@seewhatifound]

Our road systems have increased little in size in the last 20 years yet the budgets for "roadworks" must have grown hugely on fancy and wasteful schemes like this . Someone has built an ever increasing empire. Roads closed everywhere week after week. We have lost all sense of perspective.

[@dunravin]

So if the highways agency knocked on your door and said we need you to move because we want to build a motorway through your house to increase the road system what do you think your response would be? I worked on one of the widening schemes, the negotiations and purchase orders for just fractionally widening existing stretches of motorways took years and lots of money and caused the least displacement and disruption as possible. The point is what you deem to be a fancy and wasteful scheme was the only real valid solution to adapt for ever increasing volumes of traffic.

[@seewhatifound]

@@dunravin From what you describe they certainly have made their empire larger, grander, more domineering , can't even get the simple basics right showing "road closure" warnings along the motorway ,take a detour, when the road in question is actually open and not beeen closed for a week. Pathetically useless from a bloated organisation.

[@endlessglizzys_.0233]

Rename them 'Dumb Motorways' they are far from Smart. Death traps, i avoid the M1 rather go the A roads at least they are safer.

[@911HRW]

That’s factually incorrect.

[@dark_baphomet]

​@@911HRWtrue but they also do seem a lot less safe than they were, and dunno what the deal is with everyone on motorways tailgating each other at 70 either

[@911HRW]

@@dark_baphometExactly, if you break down the indoctrination and media bias, you’d note the real issue is driver behaviour. Smart = Bad, doing 90 in fog with front fog lights on it tailgating at high speed = fine. The things I see out around the country is shocking but people are so isolated, they only see what they want and have limited experience yet feel they know all the answers.

[@simoncox9689]

@@911HRW since there intruduction an the small area they cover they have been shown as very unsafe this was warned to the GOV by RAC an AA an they know alot more about it then you do

[@martingajdos6902]

Smart motorways are over sophisticated waste of money…… just make it the traffic more complicated

[@redrooster5444]

Smart motorways removed the safety of hard shoulders whilst billing the taxpayers £Billions and untold delays which cost businesses more untold £billions

[@911HRW]

100 people are year die on the hard shoulder. There is no safety there.

[@simoncox9689]

@@911HRW yes there is an that is a fact also it is a place for paramedics an police to get to places faster .

[@meelodeshmeeelo2034]

The lane closure signs are so often not switched off when there is no longer a need that people begin to ignore them also

[@911HRW]

Oh, so we have drivers ignoring signs as they think they know better? Hmmm, I think there is the answer

[@Vanadeo]

I can vouch for this, engine exploded on the van I was driving on M1 600 yards away from refuge. I had to pull up in lane one as I had no chance going uphill. 2 wagons behind me 1st one moved out of the way but the second one close behind nearly took me out.. It's deadly and quite frankly getting rid of hard shoulder was the dumbest move. Something definitely needs to be done.

[@manxusa]

death traps

[@cathygee5733]

What is the reason for introducing smart motorways?

[@jeevangill2041]

Self-driving vehicles

[@endlessglizzys_.0233]

The roads are so congested one would say that's the Govs fault for allowing a small Island to be so overpopulated.😮

[@badgerfruit4170]

Population has nothing to so with it. It is the over reliance on cars and terrible public transport infrastructure.

[@911HRW]

@@badgerfruit4170Population has everything to do with it. But I agree about your other points.

[@pjl8119]

Trying to expand road capacity to satisfy the road haulage lobby on the cheap with a total disregard for basic safety and human life.

[@ooo4616]

Imagine it is night and you get a flat?

[@Lookarms2000]

Police need to do something so people don’t drive reckless even I am a new driver and I experience that people drive really reckless they don’t care about other people safety

[@911HRW]

Drivers are the issue, plain and simple

[@NaturalBornToka]

Keep left.

[@23lnp]

@@911HRWsheep

[@iatanassov6687]

Everything around is smart, except the people around us. What's the point. Smart motorways are the most dangerous routes on the planet...yet they still exist only in UK.

[@kevinthacker8349]

As A ex vehicle recovery driver, Smart moterways are one of the most dangerous places on Earth , to breakdown. Working on the hard shoulder is difficult, and need eyes in the back of your head( some recovery drives have been killed).

[@lisagreenway8410]

I am a disabled driver who dreads breaking down in my car because it takes me 10 minutes to just get in my car let alone out of my car, and the junction I get off at has turned the hard shoulder section into a slip road and people are easily doing 70mph + speeds. It is junction 10A of the M6 of the Cannock/Wolverhampton Road (M54), and it scares me to death!!!. The worst thing they ever did was to get rid of the hard shoulder, it was there to protect people and workers!! 🤬🤬🤬

[@itsmelampoi]

Why would you slow traffic down approaching slip roads? Creating bottle neck traffic, Plus no hard shoulder??

[@itsmelampoi]

@@geraldinebricis2129 yeah create that negative energy thats food . Not to mention accidents.

[@itsmelampoi]

@@geraldinebricis2129 in the original matrix everyone was happy,but the program didn't take ....

[@victorvelasquez3719]

8:28 😮 this woman saved her life by the grace of God. 9:04 smart motorways are the dumbest "idea" of the national highways office!👎🏻 Yet anyone of us are vulnerable to suffer a fatal accident due to smart motorways software errors!? 12:24

[@Dragonaut111]

That stretch of the M6 between Brum and Liverpool has become very dangerous the last few years.

[@MileyPit]

I understand that they feel they need the 4th lane due to heavy traffic flow, but the problem is the responsiveness of the software. There are 1000's of cameras all along the inside lane. They should pick up stalled vehicles instantly. No excuses.

[@pjl8119]

No the problem is trying to expand motorway capacity, largely on behalf of the road haulage lobby, on the cheap with a total disregard for basic safety and human life. It's insane to put any one piece of technology under such constant immense strain in a life or death scenario. It's an abuse of the technology as well common sense and basic human decency.

[@williamwimbourne856]

Richard, get on to it mate.

[@mjtransport]

Instead of the government cancelling people for speaking their mind, maybe they should cancel smart motorways

[@Displays.1234.]

People in government should be jailed for allowing these smart motorways...

[@faithblyth2522]

There's nothing smart about a smart motorway, anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that it's a ticking time bomb, so many people are and have lost there lives or permanently damaged because of the outrageous design, I think the person who thought this would be a great idea needs a psychological assessment and of course the sack and accountability for the deaths and injuries caused by there decisions, it just seems to me they've just had to get rid of the billions of pounds it's cost to build this unsafe roadway, what a total waste of money shocking 🤯🙄😡

[@user-io7yk7qb1k]

Absolutely death traps. It’s outrageous there is no duty of care to motorists who suffer breakdowns or medical emergencies while driving. These dumb motorways must be banned.

[@John-pp2jr]

No hard shoulder. Then don’t drive in the left hand lane.

[@911HRW]

Smart, so if you have an issue you stop in lane 2, 3 or 4. Great logic.

[@RickGuitarPRS]

It's unsafe, they know it's unsafe and they must be made safe. If these systems are critical to the safe operation they should be duplicated and use separate, battery backed, power supplies and alternative data networks.

[@helenmiles3866]

Shocking. How very sad. X keep our hard shoulders pls.

[@rodkennedy9800]

It would be interesting to know how many speed cameras went down at the same time as these other issues. No doubt they are on a different/separate ‘system’!!! 🤔

[@Aloh-od3ef]

Talking about something that was discussed over 5 years ago! Top quality morning television…. Know wonder morning television is failing 🤦‍♂️

[@UberAlphaSirus]

LOL, exactly

[@cptlatency428]

The abysmal driving standards are the real problem

[@karlv2876]

They were warned about this idea of smart motorways by experienced traffic officers , but chose to disregard their information and advice .I wonder why ???

[@gavla3550]

"Simple is pure" - Eddie Izzard. Just like a mini roundabout, a simple bit of paint on the road and 99% of people know what to do. Thick white line for hard shoulders and drivers know not to drive in them. These so called Smart Motorways, are anything but. Smart would mean the motorway is self aware, but they are not. Remove them, put them back to hard shoulder and emergency area. Not only for break downs, but if an accident or something happens on the regular lanes and emergency vehicles need to come through, at least they have the hard shoulder to drive up.

[@mjproductions7224]

I can't help but believe that this is deliberate and intended to put us in harms way. This is so dangerous, are you telling me that these people who implemented this, cannot see that. They know exactly what they're doing. Pure evil and getting away with it as always

[@shahmahmoednabi6995]

Smart Motor Way is the most dangerous road in the world .I believe the person who designed smart Motor Ways has never been a driver and never had a driving licence course.

[@Mr_Ashley]

What you mean planning to expand this system, they’ve already said no more smart motorways are to be built…..

[@mrsp2042]

I always thought that they were mainly to catch people speeding ,as I don’t live anywhere near a motorway and don’t often use them. This has definitely made me aware of how dangerous they actually are technology is only good if it works but surely if it goes down they should really close that one lane and make it a hard shoulder while it’s being fixed it’s killing people when it’s not working.

[@lesleywhibley]

Why has the hard shoulders been taken out they are needed not only if you breakdown but for emergency vehicles to get through traffic.

[@xrpdave9507]

YOU HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT!

[@avacadman2155]

I said from the start they are dangerous! Whoever thought this to be a good idea must have been crazy! You break down and you have nowhere to go? Many would not use them, especially if they have children in their vehicles! So, all those once quiet hamlets will experience high volumes of traffic as many wish to avoid the potential death threat.

[@flybobbie1449]

Some years ago was nearly hit by lorries swerving to avoid two lorries stopped in nearside lane, leaving Aston expressway north onto M6. I was on M6. Lorries should be restricted to lane 1 and 2 when all 4 active. I was in 4 moving into 3 as per Highway code tells you to. I didn't expect a lorry to shoot straight out to 3, because it didn't want to be bulked by lorry lane 2 swerving out from 1..

[@jhonson7079]

Someone somewhere is making a lot of money out of death

[@BionicRusty]

As someone who drives on them regularly, I conclude that they are manned by muppets or not manned at all. A typical stretch on the ‘Smart’ motorway ⬇️ Gantry 1 - 40mph Gantry 2 - 70mph Gantry 3 - OFF Gantry 4 - 40mph Gantry 5 - 70mph These things are dangerous, slow traffic for zero reason and cause mayhem. The people running them just mess around for fun and should be in prison, imo.

[@real-eyes-realise-real-lies]

Computers control the gantries. I thought the speed limits were set by human decisions but they aren't.

[@dark_baphomet]

Yeah I've been stuck at 40 for miles for no reason whatsoever, slowing traffic down more than it usually would anyway, would make more sense for them to be manned so they can be adjusted in real time

[@911HRW]

@@dark_baphometYou say no reason but how would you know? I often see reports of debris and 50, there isn’t any debris but doesn’t mean there wasn’t something there. I shouldn’t assume and ignore as there may be and I might crash into it. Then it’d be my fault but some would probably try and find someone else to blame as that’s what the British people do.

[@stayhumble1778]

Hard Shoulder needs to return

[@rosswootton8825]

The only smart motorway is one with a hard shoulder.

[@ArjunGhag-ix7te]

Top scoop by richard Madeley- ITVs top presenter by far. He deserves a better side kick than Reid

[@user-sb9qn4xw7c]

The smart motorway's are very dangerous if you break down you are a sitting duck for a lorry and if you have a accident how can the emergency services get to you with no hard shoulder and all the lanes blocked with traffic behind you the government's blatant attempt to do the roads on the cheap and not bothered about people's safety

[@newton18311]

Just retired after 50 years of HGV driving, I have never seen so many death's Due to So called Smart Motorways.

[@nogas-electricsociety2017]

As sad as it is the woman got into the accident. I don’t know why she would drive 20mph and below in the left lane when there’s no hard shoulder

[@johnmoncrieff3034]

There is nothing SMART about converting the hard shoulder (designed as a safety feature for breakdowns) into an active lane for traffic. Thereby cutting off the safety for those unfortunate to have some form of breakdown! There is not sufficient time or vigilance given if anyone has the misfortune to breakdown on these so-called smart motorways! The whole purpose of building motorways as they were originally planned was for safety combined with high speed travel! If due to the increased volume of traffic some thing has to be sacrificed, out of the two Safety & high speed the one that must be maintained is safety! If all these roads are covered in cameras then they should be looking to pickup all those who are committing moving traffic violations, particularly those using mobile phones, texting or looking at other forms of information, while traveling at speed!

[@chloehood6355]

Smart they are not. If you get a puncture on a smart motorway it backs traffic for miles

[@911HRW]

Not if you drive into a giant lay-by built for it you won’t.

[@NaturalBornToka]

Or periodically checking your tyres for potential issues. What percentage of motorists would you think completed this simple precautionary measure?

[@clairefoxgloves4824]

@@911HRW If there is one there!!! Have you been listening!! Flat tyre could mean death!!!!!

[@AKR088]

My front tire blew up and could not stop my van on time, then I reversed on the motorway left lane back to the "smart stopping area". Taxes well spent on this genius design.

[@dgallagher7029]

Complete lack of common sense. There’s nothing smart about these motorways

[@anneroberts15]

Another government fiddle

[@TheGhost-gx5vd]

I'M a retired electrician and glad I have smart motorways should be reinstated back to what they where before

[@user-hx1dm5kz3f]

The only safe thing to do is never drive in lane 1 on a smart motorway

[@user-jc3td1ph9e]

Strange I actually believed that public safety was paramount.......Ban the SMs.

[@OfficialTKKH]

Tech soo smart it breaks down 22 times in a year, they're giving arriva a run for their money with the number of issues

[@binoybhattacharyya4677]

Even hard shoulder is not always how the planner could imagine this will be any better. I saddened to the two sad news. I totally support to open hard shoulder on smart lane.

[@gregwoodward4991]

SMART... Yes ,, At making MONEY

[@od4482]

This is what happens when you have knitwitts incharge..

[@pemj7360]

Smart motorways a money making scam . Dangerous. And complete waste of money .

[@leer774]

the speed cameras and computers issuing the fines don't break down you can guarantee that... just another way to steal money from motorists, we're easy targets that always pay up

[@nigellacey559]

Not very smart motorways

[@mark8544]

How about telling us how many people have died on them.

[@standbanger2]

As with your own technology at home we all know it prone to fail, in any technology, it can & will fail at some point, you need a failsafe you have full control of with everything, it's the same with car not having a spare wheel, sometimes the temporary repair kit just simply won't work, it's all about making/saving money not saving lives! Lives before the economy now please??????

[@leer774]

whenever you hear "smart" think smart at taking money out your pocket and putting it into someone else's

[@darkzim3872]

if feels like they just do smart motorways the wrong way around when traffic is moving fast then you should have a hard shoulder when their is high congestion and traffic moving slowly like under 20 mph then they should open up the hard shoulder but having cars moving along over 60mph with no where to stop if they break down this a accident waiting to happen

[@paulfielding5190]

Please ban these smart lanes, worst idea ever, hard shoulder was our saftey lane, no electronics work 100% all of the time, glitches etc, we need the hard shoulder, it saves lives, poor choice for congestion, I'd rather be late in traffic than dying in a smart lane. Total madness, ban them before more deaths!

[@MaryMclare-sp6vx]

Its sll about control and not safety 😢

[@incognito96]

If ppl drove properly on motorways they wouldn't need to widen them. And we wouldn't need smart motorways.

[@jaywalker3087]

Saving money costs innocent lives.... This is Not Logical.... Why can't they see that

[@stripybread3715]

Why dont people hate dual carrigeways then??

[@davidm6957]

Well there is usually somewhere to get off it. With no metal barrier to stop you.

[@911HRW]

@@davidm6957Is there. So a 70 mph road with no shoulder is bad yet a 70 mph road with no hard shoulder is fine. Makes perfect sense

[@TobStonk]

@@911HRW Most dual carriageways at least have a grass area you can pull onto. Not ideal, but better than a barrier blocking you from getting out of the live lane

[@911HRW]

@@TobStonkAgain, many many places you can stop where there isn’t barrier. Looking at risk, dual carriageway has no cameras, so signs, no patrols, no police, nothing. Motorways have all of those things but no one seems scared of a dual carriageway. It’s indoctrination and lack of knowledge.

[@UberAlphaSirus]

Soft shoulders is why.

[@joprocter4573]

No wonder cancer on rise .i took a course for some occasion not known .dvla missed out on lots of revenue by not retesting all non uk drivers for safety.

[@jaywalker3087]

Smart Government ?. Dmart Roads Minister ? Smart Motorways !!!😮😮😮😮

[@brummierabbitman9637]

Sounds more like the lorry driver was at fault

[@avacadman2155]

I thought they had ditched these smart motorway’s?! But we’re to retain those in existence (Which I thought why keep those?)

[@user-lz3cm2mu7x]

Wonder how that much have cost the british tax payer and who got a bonus for inventing the smart .otorway😮😢😢😢😢