Scrap all existing smart motorways, says AA

The AA has joined campaigners successful calling for each existing astute motorways to beryllium scrapped.

It comes aft the authorities cancelled the gathering of each caller astute motorways implicit outgo and information concerns.

Smart motorways are a agelong of roadworthy wherever exertion is utilized to modulate postulation travel and easiness congestion.

They besides usage the hard enarthrosis arsenic an other lane of traffic, which critics assertion has led to roadworthy deaths.

Some 14 planned schemes, including 11 already connected intermission and 3 acceptable for construction, volition beryllium scrapped owed to finances and debased nationalist confidence.

Edmund King, president of the AA, told the BBC helium invited the government's determination but that it needed to spell further and reconstruct a imperishable hard enarthrosis to 375 miles of existing astute motorways.

"Basically drivers don't spot [smart motorways], the exertion is not fool proof, and 37% of breakdowns connected astute motorways hap successful unrecorded lines. And fundamentally those drivers are sitting ducks."

The RAC meantime said existing astute motorways - which marque up astir 10% of England's motorway web - present had to beryllium made "as harmless arsenic possible".

"The anticipation of converting each lane moving stretches to the 'dynamic hard shoulder' configuration, wherever the hard enarthrosis is unfastened and closed depending connected the levels of traffic, could beryllium 1 enactment the authorities considers," said RAC roadworthy information spokesperson Simon Williams.

Under the government's plan, existing astute motorways volition stay and acquisition a antecedently announced information refit to make 150 much exigency stopping places and improved technology.

Conservative Party Chairman Greg Hands told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg programme: "We volition not o.k. immoderate caller astute motorways, intelligibly arsenic a effect of nationalist interest and information concern. And we're going to support a adjacent oculus connected the concern with the existing astute motorways."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - who pledged to prohibition astute motorways during his enactment run - said "all drivers merit to person assurance successful the roads they usage to get astir the country".

The Department for Transport said the caller schemes would person outgo much than £1bn, and cancelling them would let clip to way nationalist spot successful astute motorways implicit a longer period.

There are 3 main types:

All 3 models usage overhead gantries to nonstop drivers. Variable velocity limits are introduced to power postulation travel erstwhile determination is congestion, oregon if determination is simply a hazard ahead. These limits are controlled by velocity cameras.

Seven of the 14 projects that person been cancelled were going to impact converting stretches of motorway into "all-lane running" roads wherever the hard enarthrosis is permanently removed.

They volition present stay arsenic "dynamic" astute motorways wherever the hard enarthrosis tin beryllium opened arsenic an other lane during engaged times.

The operation of 2 stretches of astute motorway from junctions six to 8 connected the M56, and from 21a to 26 connected the M6, volition proceed arsenic they are already much than 3 quarters complete.

Smart motorways were developed to make much capableness and chopped congestion connected roads, without spending wealth and causing disruption gathering quality ones.

However, they person been criticised by MPs and roadworthy information bodies, including the AA and RAC.

Claire Mercer, whose husband died connected a astute motorway successful South Yorkshire successful 2019, welcomed the determination but pledged to proceed campaigning for the hard enarthrosis to instrumentality connected each road.

Mrs Mercer said: "I'm peculiarly blessed that it's been confirmed that the routes that are successful planning, successful progress, person besides been cancelled. I didn't deliberation they'd bash that.

"So it's bully news, but evidently it's the existing ones that are sidesplitting us. And I'm not settling for much exigency refuge areas."

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said the scrapping of further astute motorways was "long overdue".

Louise Haigh MP, Labour's transport secretary, said: "We cognize astute motorways, coupled with inadequate information systems, are not acceptable for intent and are putting lives astatine risk", adding that ministers should "reinstate hard shoulders connected existing astute motorways".

These motorway sections volition nary longer go caller all-lane-running astute motorways:

The pursuing stretches were owed to beryllium converted to all-lane-running, but volition stay dynamic astute motorways:

Schemes for the pursuing motorways were successful the pipeline, but person been cancelled:

Meera Naran, whose eight-year-old lad was killed connected a astute motorway successful 2018 erstwhile the stationary car helium was successful was deed by a lorry, said the government's announcement was a "huge achievement" but she would proceed campaigning.

She said astute motorways and regular motorways "carry precise antithetic benefits and risks" and suggested merging some models.

Speaking connected BBC One's Breakfast programme, Ms Naran said she would run for what she called "controlled motorways" which usage the exertion of astute motorways with the benefits of a hard shoulder.