Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the smart motorway programme.

The Government continues to monitor and evaluate the safety performance of all our roads. Following the publication of the Smart Motorway Safety Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan in March 2020, Highways England published the first-year progress report in April of this year.

The report demonstrates the significant progress that has been made against the 18 Stocktake actions. The data contained in the progress report confirms that, on average, fatal casualty rates are lower on All Lane Running (ALR) motorways compared with conventional ones.

Highways England is accelerating safety improvements to give reassurance to motorists on ALR motorways. By the end of September 2022, it will: install technology on all existing stretches of ALR motorway to spot stopped or broken-down vehicles quickly, six months earlier than planned; upgrade special cameras ten months earlier than planned, so that they can be used to spot; prosecute motorists ignoring ‘red X’ signs and illegally driving down closed lane, putting themselves and others in danger; and install around 1,000 additional approach signs six months earlier than planned, alerting drivers to their nearest place to stop in an emergency.

Significantly, Highways England has also made a commitment that no ALR motorways will open without the radar technology to spot stopped vehicles, enable lanes to be closed where necessary and get help to drivers quickly. Work to update The Highway Code to provide more guidance about driving on ALR motorways has also been brought forward and is due to be published this year ahead of schedule, subject to Parliamentary approval.