Most Drivers Are Too Afraid To Use The Hard Shoulder On Motorways
A new survey has revealed that the majority of British drivers are too afraid to use the hard shoulder on smart motorways…
Afraid of the Hard Shoulder
In a survey of 2,000 motorists, Kwik Fit discovered that nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents were too afraid to use the hard shoulder on smart motorways; even when signage makes it clear that it’s open to traffic as a live lane. It means that the public’s confidence in the smart motorway format is on the decline, as 56% said they were too afraid in 2019.
The survey also shed light on the reasons why people were too intimidated to use the hard shoulder. Some 31% of the respondents said they were primarily concerned about colliding with a stationary vehicle. Another 30% said that they felt smart motorways were unsafe in general. A paltry 5% said that they felt smart motorways were safer than their regular counterparts. So, it’s not surprising that the government has announced that it’s pausing the construction of new ones.
Some 22% of the questioned drivers said that they felt the pause was sensible. But 36% said they wanted the format scrapped altogether. A further 6% said that, whilst they felt the format was inherently dangerous, it was worth the risk to help reduce congestion.
‘Huge Debate’
Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, commented on the survey’s results. He said, “smart motorways have been a huge topic of debate and it is absolutely correct for the government to pause their development to both gather data and ensure that the UK’s motorways are as safe as possible”.
He added, “it is clear that many drivers are yet to be convinced about the safety of smart motorways and therefore there must be clear transparency about all the data being gathered and the evidence on which future decisions are based”.
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