Smart motorway safety should be “urgently stepped up” to avoid accidents due to the high-risk nature of the roads. A new report from safety charity Brake and breakdown experts GreenFlag have revealed that just 48 percent of road users know all the rules of travelling on a smart motorway.
In a shocking reveal, a quarter of the 2,000 road users surveyed revealed they did not know what a smart motorway was.
A total of 15 percent of road users said they were not even sure whether they had even used one before.
This could leave hundreds of road users caught out where they could have penalties or run the risk of being involved in a crash.
The report says critics have argued that removing the hard shoulder on a motorway means there is no space where drivers can pull over and stop in an emergency.
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GreenFlag says they do support the recent Government review into smart motorways and its commitment to making the road safer
This led to commitments on abolishing dynamic hard shoulder motorway and an increase in the deployment of stopped vehicle detection cameras able to identify broken down vehicles.
The review also revealed that smart motorways would see a reduction in the distance between emergency refuge areas to create extra room to stop.
However, Damon Jowett, spokesperson for GreenFlag said that understanding the rules of the road was “paramount” for safety reasons.
He said: “Motorways are a vital part of the UK’s infrastructure and are widely used by drivers across the country every day, and so the debate around smart motorways is an ongoing one.
“While the smart motorways system allows for drivers to get to their destination more easily, understanding of the rules is paramount to ensure road safety.
“Our latest report has highlighted concerning gaps in driver awareness, and here at Green Flag, we want to help increase driver awareness for motorway driving to ensure these roads are as safe as possible.”
Road users have to contend with three different types of smart motorway from all-lane running schemes which permanently remove the hard shoulder to dynamic lanes which use the hard shoulder in busy periods.
Smart motorways use interactive signs above the road to issue instructions to motorists on speed changes and whether lanes are closed.
Ignoring the red cross signs can be extremely dangerous which could see drivers issued a £100 fine and three penalty points.
Tony Greenidge, Interim CEO at IAM RoadSmart says the survey results are a “cause for concern”.
He said: “The survey findings give cause for concern, as motorways work best if everyone understands and acts on the rules.
“Incidents cause delays, add to pollution and lead to further crashes, so being aware of the basics means the tens of thousands of drivers using these roads daily can get where they want to go safely and efficiently.”