Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent comparative assessment his Department has made of the safety of (a) smart and (b) other motorways; and what evidence was used to make that assessment.

The Government have cancelled plans for new smart motorways, recognising the lack of confidence felt by drivers and cost pressures. This will allow us to track public confidence and consider safety and economic data over a longer period. The most recent comparative assessment is contained in National Highways Smart motorways stocktake Third year progress report, published in December 2023 (www.nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/smart-motorways-evidence-stocktake/). In terms of deaths or serious injuries, the latest safety data continues to show that overall, all smart motorway types are safer than conventional motorways.