Is the M4 Smart Motorway dangerous?

Fourteen smart motorways removed from government road-building plans over cost and safety fears
whats should we do with the M4?

Fourteen planned smart motorways – including 11 that are already paused and three earmarked for construction – will be removed from government road-building plans, given financial pressures and in recognition of the lack of public trust.

The AA has joined campaigners in calling for all existing smart motorways to be scrapped after the Tories ditched plans for all new smart motorways following years of criticism.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “We want the public to know that this government is listening to their concerns. Today’s announcement means no new smart motorways will be built, recognising the lack of public confidence felt by drivers and the cost pressures due to inflation.”

Campaigners welcomed the move, but demanded the government now also return the hard shoulder on existing conversions like the M4.
The 32-mile M4 section from Greater London through Berkshire was completed last December.

Smart motorways, which have no hard shoulder and rely on technology to detect broken down vehicles and close affected lanes, have been blamed for a number of deaths since they started to be introduced.

A petition to Scrap dangerous ‘smart motorways’, has been signed by 317,268 people, if you agree that they need to be scrapped please sign here.