South Yorkshire police boss raises concerns about smart motorways as Government announces major review

Dr Alan Billings, who oversees the way South Yorkshire Police is run, funded and performs, raised concerns about the safety of smart motorways on Wednesday – the day before the Government announced a safety review.

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Speaking to The Star, Dr Billings said breaking down on a smart motorway and stopping in what used to be the hard shoulder is now a ‘scary prospect’.

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He said he plans to speak to South Yorkshire Chief Constable Stephen Watson about whether collision rates on the M1 have increased since the introduction of the smart motorway system.

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Dr Billings said: “One question is whether the four lanes we have on parts of the M1, whether that is a factor in this. I simply don't know the answer to that at all.

"Whether it makes a difference to accidents.

"As an ordinary motorist you do sometimes, going along in the inside lane, think ‘if I do break down what happens?’ and that is a scary prospect."

Yesterday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced a review of smart motorways.

He told MPs ‘we know people are dying’ on smart motorways but added greater detail is required on how safe they are compared to traditional motorways.

He insisted he wants to ensure all motorways in the country are ‘as safe as they possibly can be’.

His confirmation of the review comes after Highways England chief executive Jim O'Sullivan told the Transport Select Committee that smart motorways with a hard shoulder only used at busy times are ‘too complicated for people to use’.

He said it will not build any more ‘dynamic’ smart motorways because too many motorists do not understand them.

The design is already in use on parts of the M1, M4, M5, M6, M42 and M62.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Shapps told MPs: "The House I know is very concerned about smart motorways.

"I've heard those concerns raised today and previously and I have asked my department to carry out at pace an evidence stocktake to gather the facts quickly and make recommendations."

"Understanding whether they are less safe, the same or safer - it turns out not to be as straightforward as members might imagine - I want all of those facts and recommendations that can be put into place to ensure that all of our motorways are as safe as they possibly can be.

"I will get this done in a matter of weeks."

Speaking after the announcement of the Government review, Dr Billings added: “The government will probably argue that there is no evidence to suggest that the smart motorways are any more dangerous than those with hard shoulders. But common sense will always suggest that if there is no hard shoulder, that presents a potential danger for anyone breaking down.

“It means that following traffic in the inside lane has to move out, quite possibly at high speed, and that is a situation that does not arise if there is a hard shoulder.

“In addition, if there is a collision and all lanes are blocked, it is not so easy for emergency services to reach the scene if there is no hard shoulder. I can recall one incident on the northbound carriageway where the emergency services had to go much further north to the next junction and then travel south on the wrong side of the motorway, adding to the time.

“Smart motorways were a money saving exercise but they do nothing for our sense of safety.”

Grieving widow Claire Mercer, 43, whose husband, Jason, 44, from Broom, Rotherham, died on a section of smart motorway near Meadowhall in June is campaigning for a judicial review into the decision to introduce smart motorways.

Jason and 22-year-old fellow motorist, Alexandru Murgeanu, from Mansfield, were exchanging details after a collision when they were struck by a lorry after they pulled up on what would have been the hard shoulder before the M1 was turned into a smart motorway.

The two men had pulled over on the northbound stretch between Junction 34 for Meadowhall and 35 for Thorpe Hesley when tragedy struck.

The HGV driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and was bailed pending further enquiries.