The RAC has demanded the government abandon smart motorways entirely and restore hard shoulders across the network, intensifying pressure on ministers over the controversial road system that critics say puts lives at risk.
The motoring organisation wants all existing smart motorway sections converted back to traditional designs with permanent hard shoulders, marking the strongest stance yet against the technology-driven roads that manage traffic flow by opening the hard shoulder to live traffic.
Smart motorways operate in two main forms: 'all-lane running' sections where the hard shoulder becomes a permanent live lane, and 'dynamic hard shoulder' stretches opened to traffic during busy periods. The RAC's central concern centres on drivers whose vehicles break down in live lanes with nowhere safe to stop.
National Highways maintains smart motorways are as safe as conventional motorways, but critics point to incidents where stationary vehicles are struck in live lanes. The government paused new smart motorway construction in January 2023, citing financial pressures and the need for more safety data.
Converting existing smart motorways would require massive engineering works and substantial costs, but the RAC argues this is necessary to provide the safe refuge space that traditional hard shoulders offer broken-down motorists.
The intervention highlights the continuing clash between traffic efficiency and safety fears. Smart motorways were designed to boost capacity without expensive widening projects, but motoring groups and the public demand concrete proof that driver safety isn't being compromised. Millions of motorists will watch closely for the government's response to this renewed challenge.