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London : Following accusations that they are unsafe, the British government stated on Wednesday that it will block the construction of new “smart highways” for five years while it collects safety data on those that are currently in use.
Campaigners and the high-selling tabloid the Daily Mail have led the opposition to high-speed roads, in which variable speed limits are introduced and the hard shoulder is used as a normal lane unless it is required by emergency vehicles or a broken down vehicle.
Above-the-road signs indicate which lanes are in use.
In announcing the suspension, the government stated that smart motorways “are comparatively the safest highways in the country in terms of mortality rates,” but that more safety testing would be conducted before deciding their future.
The roads that are already in use will be improved, but the hard shoulders will not be reintroduced.
“While preliminary research suggests that smart motorways are among the safest highways in the UK,” said Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, “it is vital that we go further to ensure that people feel comfortable using them.”
The halt on new smart motorways and the updating of current ones, he said, will provide more data to assist decide on next measures.
The roads first appeared around the turn of the century and have gradually grown in popularity.
While there has been a decrease in the number of accidents involving moving vehicles colliding with stationary vehicles, there has been an increase in the number of accidents involving moving vehicles that are unaware that the left lane is serving as a hard shoulder and collide with a stationary vehicle.
