Smart motorways are a system that first came into use in 2006, in order to try and reduce congestion in busy motorway areas. They utilise methods such as dynamic hard shoulders and variable speed limits to accommodate for more traffic and prevent potential jams. However, smart motorways are a controversial topic, with many people suggesting that they’re too dangerous and not worth the benefit of a quicker journey.
What exactly are smart motorways?
Smart motorways are sections of motorways that use a range of traffic management methods in order to reduce congestion and allow for greater capacity in busier areas and time periods.
They use at least one of three main methods in order to achieve this:
- All Lane Running – sections of motorway that don’t have any hard shoulder at all, and instead use every lane for traffic.
- Dynamic Hard Shoulders – sections of motorway that change the use of the hard shoulder depending on how busy it is. They can switch from hard shoulder to a normal lane at any time.
- Variable Speed Limits – sections of the motorway that have differing speed limits set to maintain a constant flow of traffic. They have 3 lanes and always a hard shoulder.
What are the benefits of them?
Smart motorways do improve traffic congestion as they allow for a greater capacity and a more even flow of vehicles. According to the government, they have also helped us to deal with a 23% rise in motorway traffic since 2000, suggesting that without them, our roads would be far more congested. Journey reliability has also improved by 22% on smart motorways, making them especially useful to logistics and transport companies who have tight deadlines to meet.
Why they’re not so great
Unfortunately, that’s where the benefits end. There hasn’t been much conclusive evidence on the safety of them, and in fact, many people suggest that they have a drastic adverse effect on motorway safety.
Firstly, there are the variable speed limit sections that constantly require drivers to keep an eye out for new speed limits in order to avoid hefty fines. The issue with this, many drivers argue, is that they often force you to brake sharply in order to comply and avoid the next camera – and with a potential maximum fine of £2,500 it’s easy to see why drivers are urgent in adhering to the limits. Quick braking is dangerous, especially if you’re driving in front of a large vehicle or HGV which is unable to adjust its speed as quickly.
The other issue caused by smart motorways is the lack of hard shoulder in those areas. With no hard shoulder, it becomes extremely dangerous to break down. The government’s advice is to get out if you’re in the left lane and climb over the barrier, however if you are in any other lane, you should put your hazards on, remain in your vehicle and call 999. With the average wait time at around 35 minutes, that’s a long time to be sat in an extremely dangerous position – especially when you consider that in some stretches, there has been a 20-fold increase in the number of near misses.
What do you think?
So there are (some) positives and (more worrying) negatives that smart motorways bring about. Although they open up congested areas and make logistics transport more reliable and often quicker, they are considered to be extremely dangerous. With 300 more miles planned to be opened by 2025, do you think the government should look to prevent this, or continue to provide for our inevitable traffic expansion?