Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's timescale is for all lane running motorways to have emergency refuge areas spaced at no more than one mile apart.
Answered by Jesse Norman
To help drivers feel more confident they can find a place to stop in an emergency, Highways England have committed to reducing the maximum spacing of emergency areas which is currently about every mile and a half (about 90 seconds at 60mph), to around every mile (about every minute at 60mph). This will take place on schemes being constructed from 2020 onwards.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department collects on the number of Highways England traffic officers who are injured while on duty each year.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In accordance with the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDORS) 2013 and as part of its Health and management system, Highways England collects data for all its staff, including Traffic Officers in the following categories:- RIDDOR Fatality, RIDDOR Specified Injury, RIDDOR Greater than 7 day absence from work, lost time injury between 4 and 7 day, lost time injury between 1 and 3 days.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the relative safety of breaking down in a live lane on an all lane running motorway and a motorway that has a hard shoulder.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The original safety assessment of all lane running included the safety of a vehicle stopping in a running lane during peak and off-peak periods. It also identified a range of measures, such as the provision of traffic management technology and emergency areas, designed to ensure overall all lane running safety levels would be at least as safe as those of a traditional motorway with a hard shoulder.
The smart motorway schemes between junctions J5-7 and 23-27 of the M25 were the first to be designed to the all lane running standard, and were completed in 2014. The performance of both schemes was monitored and reports published after one, two and three years of operation which included an assessment of safety and performance data.
M25 3 year evaluation reports:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/m25-junction-5-to-7-third-year-evaluation-report
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/m25-junction-23-to-27-third-year-evaluation-report
The review shows that the all lane running sections are performing well and in line with expectations; successfully increasing capacity and improving journeys for motorists. These reviews found that the M25 schemes delivered an overall 27% safety improvement.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of accidents involving (a) personal injury and (b) death on (i) permanent all-lane running sections and (ii) dynamic all-lane running sections of smart motorways in each of the last three years.
Answered by Jesse Norman
England’s motorways are among the safest roads in the world and each smart motorway scheme’s safety objective is to be at least as safe as the traditional motorway it replaces.
All Highways England schemes are evaluated after opening. In addition, Highways England have carried out a more detailed review of the first two permanent all lane running schemes, on the M25, after one, two and three years of operation. From review of personal injury data (including fatal incidents) it has been demonstrated that the safety objective set for these all lane running smart motorways has been met.
The three-year evaluation reports for both M25 schemes are publicly available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/m25-junction-5-to-7-third-year-evaluation-report
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/m25-junction-23-to-27-third-year-evaluation-report
This assessment approach of evaluating the first three years of operation was also taken for the first dynamic hard shoulder running scheme on the M42.
The three-year evaluation report for the M42 is publicly available here:
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria his Department uses for the spacing of emergency refuge lay-bys on (a) permanent and (b) dynamic all-lane running sections of smart motorways.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The criterion for the spacing of emergency areas for the initial dynamic hard shoulder running pilot scheme on the M42 was set at approximately 500 metres. Based on more operational insight and further performance data, the spacing was progressively increased to a maximum of 1000 metres on all other dynamic hard shoulder running schemes and then to 2500 metres on existing All Lane Running schemes.
Highways England undertook a comprehensive review of smart motorways and found no consistent correlation between the number of live lane stops and the spacing of emergency areas. Nevertheless, Highways England understand motorists want to feel safe and therefore are making a number of changes to the design of emergency areas.
On new schemes, starting construction from 2020 onwards, the maximum spacing of emergency areas will be reduced to 1600 metres (1 mile). Highways England are also enhancing the visibility of emergency areas on all new and existing smart motorways by installing orange surfacing and improved, more frequent signs. These changes are designed to help drivers feel more confident that they can find a safe place to stop in an emergency.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the timing of the implementation of dynamic all-lane running on smart motorways.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Highways England operational staff are automatically alerted to rising traffic flows from roadside detectors. At a pre-determined threshold, operators are prompted to begin the process of opening the hard shoulder. CCTV is used to check for any stopped vehicles or obstructions in the hard shoulder. Once checked, the hard shoulder is opened to traffic by the operator implementing a speed limit sign above the hard shoulder.
The decision to close the hard shoulder is again taken based on location specific, pre-determined, traffic flow thresholds.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the locations of (a) permanent and (b) dynamic all-lane running sections of smart motorways.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The locations of smart motorway sections in England are as follows:
(a) All Lane Running
Smart Motorway scheme | Region | Status of scheme |
M1 J16-19 | Midlands | Operational |
M1 J23a-25 | Midlands | Operational |
M1 J28-31 | Midlands | Operational |
M5 J4a-6 | Midlands | Operational |
M6 J10a-13 | Midlands | Operational |
M1 J32-35a | North East | Operational |
M1 J39-42 | North East | Operational |
M25 J5-7 | South East | Operational |
M25 J23-27 | South East | Operational |
M3 J2-4a | South East | Operational |
M6 J16-19 | North West | Operational |
M62 J18-20 | North West | Operational |
M1 J13-16 | Midlands | In Construction |
M6 J2-4 | Midlands | In Construction |
M6 J13-15 | Midlands | In Construction |
M20 J3-5 | South East | In Construction |
M23 J8-10 | South East | In Construction |
M27 J4-11 | South East | In Construction |
M4 J3-12 | South East | In Construction |
M62 J10-12 | North West | In Construction |
(b) Dynamic Hard Shoulder Running
Smart Motorway scheme | Region | Status of scheme |
M1 J10-13 | East | Operational |
M42 J3a-7 | Midlands | Operational |
M6 J4-10a | Midlands | Operational |
M4 J19-20 | South West | Operational |
M5 J15-17 | South West | Operational |
M62 J25-30 | North East | Operational |
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a comparative risk assessment of the safety of a vehicle stopping in a running lane during off peak times on (a) an all lane running motorway and (b) a traditional motorway with a hard shoulder.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The original safety assessment of All Lane Running (ALR) included the safety of a vehicle stopping in a running lane during peak and off-peak periods. It also identified a range of measures, such as the provision of traffic management technology and emergency areas, designed to ensure that overall ALR safety levels would be at least as safe as those of a traditional motorway with a hard shoulder.
The smart motorway schemes between junctions 5-7 and 23-27 of the M25 were the first to be designed to the ALR standard, and were completed in 2014. The performance of both schemes was monitored, and reports were published after one, two and three years of operation, which included an assessment of safety and performance data.
M25 three-year evaluation reports:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/m25-junction-5-to-7-third-year-evaluation-report
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/m25-junction-23-to-27-third-year-evaluation-report
The reviews show that the All Lane Running sections are performing in line with expectations, successfully increasing capacity and improving journeys for motorists. These reviews also found that the M25 schemes delivered a 27% safety improvement overall.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of red-X non-compliance on smart motorways for each of the last two years for which data is available.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Highways England published comprehensive evaluation reports for the first three years of operation of the M25 junctions 5-7 and 23-27 all lane running schemes on 16 July 2018. These included information on non-compliance and on a programme of work designed to improve Red X compliance.
The evidence indicates an overall improvement in the Red-X compliance rate on both schemes between the three-year and one-year reports. The majority of drivers obey Red-X signals. Highways England continue to work closely with the Police to issue warning letters to drivers who fail to comply with a Red-X signal, as well as running a range of driver information campaigns.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people were killed or seriously injured working alongside a stationary vehicle using a flashing amber warning beacon permitted for the purpose of (a) collecting refuse, (b) road clearance, (c) inspecting, cleansing, maintaining, adjusting, renewing or installing any apparatus which is in, on, under or over a road, (d) testing, maintaining, improving, cleansing or watering roads and (e) surveying in each of the last 10 years for which data is available; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department does not collect data on whether people killed or seriously injured were alongside or in the presence of a stationary vehicle using a warning beacon emitting a flashing light and for what purpose.