The Transport Committee has launched a new inquiry on “the safety of smart motorways and public confidence in their use as well as their impact upon congestion.”
While we welcome all scrutiny of these death traps, Smart Motorways Kill are wary that this will be yet another fudge. There’s been approximately six such inquiries in different forms and still they continue to be rolled out.
We already know that the government’s “stocktake” relied on selected statistics (false to everyone else) to justify their continuation. Independent investigation found that the death toll almost trebled in the three years from 2017-2019, from five to 14. That’s an increase in deaths per mile from one every 43 miles in 2016 to one every 17 miles in 2019.
But as Sally Jacobs, the widow of Derek, told LBC’s Nick Ferrari, the driver of the vehicle that struck her husband, himself died 12 weeks later from his injuries and is NOT included in that casualty rate. How many more are hidden?
SMK are constantly being told about other incidents, including near misses, that have left people traumatised. You can now tell THEM. Not because we have any great confidence but so they can never say they didn’t know.
Written evidence, of up to 3,000 words, on any aspect covered by the inquiry can be submitted up to Friday April 9. Don’t worry about how its written. Tell it like it is and please let us know you’ve done it.
Details of how and what can be submitted can be found here
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