Highway England and Smart Motorway Claims

Smart motorways are "among the very safest in the world", Highway England claims following M1 horror crash.

17:57 09 October 2019

Highway England has received harsh criticism on social media following an M1 horror crash. However, it claims that smart motorways are “good for drivers” and that they are “among the very safest in the world.”

 

Drivers took to social media after a lorry ploughed into the back of a broken down car in lane one of the M1 near Chesterfied. They said that motorways are an “absolute death trap” and “the most stupid initiative ever”.

 

Responding to criticism, the Derbyshire Police roads unit advised people to get out of their car quickly if they break down on a motorway and there's no hard shoulder.

 

"This isn't politics or victim blaming but a public safety message. Get out the car or suffer the consequences of others' failings," they posted on Twitter.

 

The spokesperson said: "The hard shoulder is not a safe place. Around a hundred people are killed or injured on the hard shoulder every year, and people stopping on them unnecessarily is an issue.