Drivers are avoiding hard shoulders converted to running lanes

Two fifths (38 per cent) of UK drivers say they will not drive in lane one of a smart motorway where the hard shoulder has been permanently converted into a running lane, according to a survey of more than 18,000 drivers conducted by the AA.
July 4, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

Two fifths (38 per cent) of UK drivers say they will not drive in lane one of a smart motorway where the hard shoulder has been permanently converted into a running lane, according to a survey of more than 18,000 drivers conducted by the 1459 AA.

This compares to 85 per cent of drivers who say they would drive in lane one of a motorway with a permanent hard shoulder.

When asked why they avoid using the new running lanes on smart motorways, more than a third said that they wouldn’t use lane one ‘for fear of coming across a broken down vehicle'. One in ten said that they believed lane one was ‘the lorry lane’.

Documents from 8101 Highways England analysing two stretches of M25 smart motorway scheme indicate that traffic flow is significantly lower on lane one than other lanes within the scheme.

Edmund King, AA president, says: “Despite all the talk about improving traffic flow and easing congestion by having more lanes, it seems that drivers are voting with their wheels by avoiding converted hard shoulders and clogging up the other lanes.

“Drivers are fearful that, with the current lack of Emergency Refuge Areas, they will come across broken down vehicles and have little chance to avoiding collisions. We need more education for drivers using smart motorways as clearly they do not trust the schemes in their current state.”

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Drivers wary of safety benefits of EU vehicle control
    October 29, 2013
    Research by the UK’s Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has found that three quarters of drivers are concerned that the use of intelligent speed adaptations (ISAs) will compromise safety. Last month, the EU announced that it was considering rules for new cars to be installed with ISA technology, which would be capable of detecting speed limits through cameras or satellites and automatically applying the brakes. Existing vehicles could be forced to be retrofitted with the devices.
    Read More
  • Vehicle to improve safety and reduce disruption on motorways
    May 26, 2016
    Inspired by the aviation industry, a new vehicle developed by Highways England to help replace overhead signs is set to reduce the duration of roadworks. The vehicle is based on the design of an aircraft catering vehicle, which loads refreshments into aeroplanes using a hydraulic scissor lift. Traditionally, signs are taken down and installed using a flat-bed truck, crane and cherry picker, taking up to 40 minutes. However the new Maintenance Assistance Vehicle (MAV) can do this in around 20 to 25 min
    Read More
  • Road user charging - replacing the gas tax with a mileage based fee
    January 19, 2012
    Oregon Department of Transportation's James Whitty discusses his state's progress with VMT fee-based charging. Back in 2001, the state of Oregon stole a lead on the rest of the US when it decided to address the need to do something about the gas tax and its decreasing ability to fund highway construction and upkeep. Recognising that a dwindling pot of money could only shrink further as vehicles became more fuelefficient, Oregon's Legislative Assembly passed laws which led to the setting up, by the state's g
    Read More
  • CBI calls for new approach to road funding
    October 11, 2012
    The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) calls for road charging should be introduced on the strategic road network in England. Proposals in the report, Bold Thinking: A model to fund our future roads also suggest that responsibility for the network’s budget should be taken away from the Department for Transport (DfT) and given to an independent regulator. Launching the report, CBI director-general John Cridland said a regulatory asset base (RAB) model was required to address the problem of long-term fu
    Read More

Highlighted Content