Although we are yet to achieve our final goal of seeing the hard shoulder returned on all motorways this campaign has achieved two very big milestones to date:
- No more new smart motorways to be built.
In 2023, after listening to our campaign, the Government made a commitment not build any new smart motorways. Whilst welcomed, we believe the roads that are already in and killing us should have been dealt with first. We are calling on the Government and Transport Secretary to return the hard shoulder to all UK motorways imediately. Our campaign continues.
- Educated the country on what a smart motorway is.
When Smart Motorways Kill first started campaigning most of the general public were completely unaware of what a smart motorway was. A large percentage of those that had heard the term thought it had more to do with the fixed penalty cameras used for issuing fines, than it did about road safety. Virtually nobody was aware there are three different types of smart motorway and that the availability of a hard shoulder varied drastically over the different types. (see About/What are Smart Motorways page)
Smart motorways were sneaked in by the back door so the public couldn’t complain about what they didn’t know about!
Within the first few months of campaigning we had educated hundred of thousands of people, which can only serve to reduce the risks presented by National Highways new roads and their lack of education policy.
Other activities to date:
- Seeking Judicial Review to get smart motorways banned in High Court
- Hired large screen ‘Advan’ twice to apply pressure on SY Police to investigate Corporate Manslaughter charges on National Highways
- Conducted many hundreds of TV and media interviews
- Taken part in 3 Panorama episodes and 2 other documentaries on smart motorways
- Picketed Labour and Conservative party conferences several times
- Held exhibition displaying thousands of messages from motorists, strung back and forth across Titans Rugby Pitch
- Attended Parliament for several evidence sessions, PTSC’s and debates on smart motorways
- Protest carrying coffins through Westminster to Parliament.
- Several meetings with Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings
- Given evidence to Parliament for PTSC on smart motorways.
- Pushed SYP to investigate bringing manslaughter charges against National Highways
- SMK was responsible for the commissioning and supply of two ‘Expert reports’ to fight National Highways
- Eight fundraising events arranged by local Motorcycle Action Group & Circle of Swords Tattoo Studio
See our campaign news page, for more information about our work.
A procession of 38 coffins makes its way over Westminster Bridge during a protest march organised by ‘Smart Motorways Kill’ to mark the number of deaths caused on Smart Motorways since 2014. The organisers are calling for the reinstatement of the hard shoulder on all-lane running motorways.
Photo credit: Simon Jacobs
A procession of 38 coffins makes its way over Westminster Bridge during a protest march organised by ‘Smart Motorways Kill’ to mark the number of deaths caused on Smart Motorways since 2014. The organisers are calling for the reinstatement of the hard shoulder on all-lane running motorways.
Photo credit: Simon Jacobs
