Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of longer and heavier lorries on UK roads on (a) safety and (b) smart motorways.

The Department commissioned a feasibility study to look at whether longer/heavier vehicles (LHVs) up to 25.25m and 60 tonnes could be safely trialled on UK roads, which completed in May 2022. The report found that all countries using LHVs reported substantial gains in efficiency, translating to reductions in traffic, emissions, casualties, and costs. The report also noted there are some risks directly associated with the length of such vehicles, for example, the length of emergency refuge areas, which is particularly relevant for smart motorways. Further work is being commissioned to consider the risks identified by the feasibility study, including consideration of issues specific to smart motorways.

The Department has also been running a trial of longer semi-trailers (LSTs). The LSTs trial has seen a reduction in journey numbers and pollutants compared to articulated heavy goods vehicle (HGV) operators, and whilst under trial conditions, LSTs were operated as safely, or indeed more safely, as articulated HGV trailers.