Smart Motorway Safety.pdf

The Department for Transport conducted an analysis of smart motorway safety, considering data from 2015 to 2018. Key findings include:

The fatal casualty rate for smart motorways without a permanent hard shoulder was lower than for motorways with a hard shoulder in all four years.
The weighted rate of all casualties (fatal, serious, and slight) was lower for smart motorways without a permanent hard shoulder in three of the four years.
The serious casualty rate was mixed, with a slightly lower rate in 2018, but slightly higher rates in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

The report attributes the lower fatal casualty rate on smart motorways to the installation of technology that smooths traffic flow, including variable speed limits and electronic signs. This reduces speeding, tailgating, and rapid changes in speed, giving drivers more time to react to incidents.

Key Statistics:

23% rise in traffic since 2000
Smart motorways save thousands of hours of jams
Fatal casualty rate lower on smart motorways without a permanent hard shoulder
Weighted rate of all casualties lower on smart motorways without a permanent hard shoulder in three of four years

Action Plan:

Making smart motorways even safer and building public confidence
Existing measures, including emergency areas and variable speed limits, will be reviewed and improved
Further work will be conducted to address the complex picture that has emerged from the analysis.