Honest John News Driving

Smart motorway technology requires ‘urgent’ improvement

Sarah Tooze, Consumer Editor
Thu, 15 Dec 2022
  • A third of broken-down vehicles are not being detected by smart motorway technology 
  • False detection rates of breakdowns on smart motorways are also too high
  • Transport watchdog ORR says National Highways needs to urgently improve its performance in this area 

National Highways needs to ‘urgently’ improve technology which detects when a vehicle has broken down on a smart motorway, according to transport watchdog the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). 

The Government paused the roll out of all-lane running smart motorways, which do not have a permanent hard shoulder, earlier this year and committed to installing stopped vehicle detection (SVD) technology on every existing all-lane running smart motorway by March 2023. 

Although this target has already been achieved, a new report published by the ORR has shown the actual performance of SVD is falling short of the performance requirements that National Highways set itself.

It shows that a third of broken-down vehicles are missed and that "false detection rates" of breakdowns are too high.

Warning Triangle

Conservative MP Iain Stewart, chair of the Transport Committee, which has previously highlighted concerns about smart motorways to the Government, said that the new data "will undermine trust that this system can work". 

“The statistics revealed today by the Office for Rail and Road raise considerable concerns about the performance of National Highways in protecting drivers on smart motorways. This is putting lives at risk," he said. 

“The idea that in some regions of the country less than 60 per cent of stopped vehicles were detected on smart motorways is chilling. In addition the fact that, in some areas, it took over 60 seconds for a stopped vehicle to be detected is also deeply concerning. Every second counts when cars, coaches and lorries are driving at up to 70 mph and there’s no hard shoulder."

ORR chief executive John Larkinson said: “Our previous work on smart motorway data has shown that these roads are as safe as the motorways they replaced but the number of live lane breakdowns are higher.

 M4 Motorway

“Having the SVD radar detection equipment in place sooner than planned has helped to reduce the duration of these breakdowns more quickly but it’s not working as well as it should.

“While it is still too early to have robust data, it’s clear National Highways needs to urgently improve its performance in this area.”

The ORR’s report states that National Highways is seeking rapid improvements to the SVD technology to achieve the required performance levels by the end of June 2023.

The regulator said it is scrutinising the company’s progress and will take further action should it not appear to be on track to achieve the required improvements.

What is a smart motorway?

There are three types of smart motorway:

  • All-lane running: the hard shoulder is permanently converted into a live lane and there are emergency refuge areas at regular intervals.
  • Dynamic hard shoulder: the hard shoulder is converted to a live lane at peak times of congestion.
  • Controlled: a motorway with three or more lanes, a hard shoulder and variable speed limits.

Which motorways are smart motorways?

There are around 375 miles of smart motorways on sections of the M1, M3, M4, M5, M6, M20, M23, M25, M27, the M40/M42 interchange, M56 and M62.

Ask HJ

What should we do if we break down in the live lane of a Smart motorway?

What should we do if we break down in the live lane of a Smart motorway? Should we ring 999, for example?
If you experience a problem on a Smart Motorway then you should try and exit the motorway at the next available junction or motorway services. If this isn’t possible, pull over and stop at one of the emergency lay-bys, which are marked with blue signs featuring an orange SOS telephone symbol. If you experience a sudden mechanical breakdown and cannot get to an emergency lay-by, switch on your hazard warning lights and try to steer the vehicle towards the left hand side of the road and onto the grass verge. When the vehicle stops on the verge, leave the hazard lights on and (when safe to do so) instruct everyone to exit the vehicle via the nearside (left hand side) doors and wait behind the safety barrier. You should then call Highways England on 0300 123 5000. If it’s not possible to exit your vehicle safely or you feel your life is in danger, put your hazard warning lights on, stay in your vehicle with your seat belt on and dial 999.
Answered by Dan Powell
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Ask HJ

Why don't National Highways educate drivers about motorways and the left lane?

Rather than have dangerous Smart Motorways, why don’t National Highways reduce congestion by simply educating people and enforcing the rule of driving on the left? It is SO frustrating to see drivers who constantly hog the middle and outer lanes. This would mean freeing up more space on the motorway and reducing congestion. I do appreciate that lane one is often busy with slow movers, but there is often still plenty of space between them for lane two and three.
I share your frustration - the motorway system would be far more efficient if some drivers didn't hog the middle lane. To be fair to National Highways, it regularly displays electronic signs encouraging drivers to use lane one, unless overtaking. It is also a driving offence to use the middle lane when the road is clear (punishable by £100 fine and three penalty points). Sadly, some drivers ignore this advice and the rules of the road.
Answered by Dan Powell
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