The government scrapped them, but there remain 396 miles of smart motorways in England – and huge debate about how to make them safer for drivers
June 17, 2024 6:00 am(Updated 12:20 pm)
- Emma Henderson’s car broke down in the outside lane on a ‘smart’ section of the M4, with no hard shoulder or layby
- She couldn’t change lanes and so had to wait for 25 minutes as lorries and cars hurtled towards her, swerving at the last minute
- Figures show drivers who break down on smart motorways are three times more likely to die than those who do on normal motorways
- At least 79 people have died on smart motorways since 2010 and many more suffered life-changing injuries after just a few minutes in the same situation
Petrified, alone, sitting in my stationary car and unable to get out, I’m trying to calmly and logically think of what to do. Too scared to undo my seatbelt and attempt to move to the passenger seat, I push my seat right back, fold my arms across my chest and hope to avoid breaking any limbs on the steering wheel if a vehicle ploughs into the back of my car.
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