Drivers are 'twice as likely to die on smart highways' if they break down

Smart highways turn the shoulder into a life lane during busy periods. Photo: Richard Fitzwater/Alamy. Stock Photo

Stopped car collisions Smart highways are twice as likely to be seriously injured or killed than normal highways, according to a letter from the Minister of Transportation.

In a letter to the community transportation committee, Mark Harper reported that the rate of fatal or serious injuries caused by collisions with stopped vehicles was 0.19 per hundred million vehicle miles on all-lane smart highways, compared to 0.09 for conventional highways.

Four years to 2020 data also found a 0.05 stop-over-vehicle collision rate on these roads compared to 0.03 on conventional highways.

Smart All-Lane Highways are the latest form of smart highways that permanently use a paved shoulder as an additional lane.

Drivers who break down are instructed to stay on the road in their stationary vehicle while the lane closes and speeds around them slow down.

Mark Harper, Secretary of State for Transport, said stop-and-go vehicle collisions are one in 20 crashes on multi-lane smart highways. Credit: Lucy North/PA Wire

Rishi Sunak announced last month that he would drop any future plans, saying the public had lost confidence in them.

This comes after widespread road safety concerns that resulted in at least 38 deaths. in these areas. Among them are several victims who were injured after they broke down on the track and were unable to pull over to a paved shoulder.

Despite the cancellation of future schemes, there are approximately 235 miles of smart highways without a shoulder on the network. AA called for them to be abandoned, saying the drivers who broke down were «sitting ducks».

In his letter, Mr. Harper said that collisions with stopped vehicles represent a small proportion of collisions on all roads. and accounted for one in 20 collisions on smart highways with all lanes.

Road improvement map

He added that the level of safety for moving vehicles on smart highways was higher, with the number of deaths or serious injuries on all 1, 38 lanes per 100,000,000 vehicle miles, compared to 1.17 on conventional roads.

The Telegraph reported that the government has spent more than £62 million on smart highway schemes with all lanes, which are now were cancelled.

The figures from Richard Holden, Minister for Roads, showed that more than £59.3 million had been spent on 14 schemes slated for implementation over the next five years, while £3 million had been is spent on planning three other futures schemes.