Recommendations & Conclusions
11 items
1
Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety of sm…
The design of our motorways and strategic roads necessarily entails balancing competing priorities. However, successive Administrations, together with the Department and National Highways’ predecessor, Highways England, underestimated the scale of safety measures needed effectively and reliably to mitigate the risks associated with the permanent removal of the hard shoulder on …
Government response. 8. The Government commits to further investigating the benefits of a health and safety assessment being undertaken by ORR before changes to design or operational standards are implemented on the SRN. 9. National Highways have in place robust processes and …
Department for Transport
2
Recommendation
Third Report - Rollout and safety of sm…
We welcome the Department’s acceleration of safety improvements to all-lane running motorways and acknowledge that the current Secretary of State for Transport and Minister for Roads have, upon their appointment, taken steps to address safety and delivery failures on all-lane running motorways. However, it is regrettable that the Government should …
Government response. 13. The Government agrees with this recommendation and will immediately pause the roll-out of ALR smart motorway schemes yet to commence construction until five-years of safety data is available for ALR motorways introduced before 2020. 14. Despite the evidence provided …
Department for Transport
3
Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety of sm…
The design of our motorways and major roads can currently be altered without any independent assurance on safety by a regulatory body, which is a systemic weakness. The Department should make the introduction of changes to the design and operation of the Strategic Road Network depend on a formal health …
Government response. 18. The Government agrees in principle with this recommendation as we recognise that the installation of EAs at closer spacing is valued by drivers and road safety organisations. 19. The Stocktake and Action Plan launched a new standard to achieve …
Department for Transport
4
Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety of sm…
The available data on the safety of all-lane running motorways are limited and volatile. There are only five-years of safety data available for 29 miles of all-lane running motorways. The Department and National Highways should pause the rollout of all-lane running motorways until five-years of safety data is available for …
Government response. 22. The Government agrees with this recommendation. We recognise the benefits in assessing the effectiveness and operation of SVD technology as it is important motorists have confidence in its accuracy and reliability. 23. The technology currently used on smart motorways …
Department for Transport
5
Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety of sm…
We welcome the steps that the Department is taking through the action plan to rebuild trust in smart motorways and to make them safer. However, we are concerned a) that emergency refuge areas will remain too far part on existing all-lane running schemes at up to 2.5 km; b) whether …
Government response. 25. The Government agrees in principle with this recommendation, subject to the successful outcome of research, consultation, and feasibility trials. 26. The emergency corridor rules adopted in other countries provide a system to assist emergency services access incidents where no …
Department for Transport
6
Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety of sm…
The Department and National Highways should: a) retrofit emergency refuge areas to existing all-lane running motorways to make them a maximum of 1,500 metres apart, decreasing to every 1,000 metres where physically possible; b) commission the Office of Rail and Road to conduct an independent evaluation of the effectiveness and …
Government response. 28. The Government agrees with this recommendation and will commit to evaluating how successful the Stocktake and Action Plan has been in relation to live lane stops, including breakdowns. 29. We will be asking ORR to evaluate the success of …
Department for Transport
7
Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety of sm…
While we welcome the action plan, it is not clear whether the interventions that the Government and National Highways are rolling out will effectively mitigate the specific safety risks associated with the removal of the hard shoulder. Beginning in September 2022, the Office of Rail and Road should be tasked …
Government response. 31. The Government agrees with this recommendation. Evaluating the safety and economic impact of all schemes post opening is an integral part of ensuring we are delivering the benefits expected from investing in infrastructure. There are already comprehensive evaluation plans …
Department for Transport
8
Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety of sm…
The Government and National Highways should pause the rollout of all-lane running motorways to collect more data, to upgrade and then evaluate the safety of existing all-lane running schemes and to consider alternative options for enhancing capacity on the Strategic Road Network. The Government and National Highways should pause the …
Government response. 36. The Government agrees with this recommendation and will pause the conversion of seven DHS schemes to ALR until the next Road Investment Strategy, so that alternative operating approaches can be considered. 37. A key action in the Stocktake and …
Department for Transport
9
Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety of sm…
Dynamic hard shoulder motorways apparently confuse drivers, because the hard shoulder is used unpredictably to tackle congestion. A more consistent approach, where the hard shoulder is used at known times, could clarify the situation for drivers without physically removing the hard shoulder. The Department for Transport and National Highways should …
Government response. 40. The Government agrees with this recommendation and will revisit the case for controlled motorways and how it compares with ALR motorways. We will look to publish an initial report which compares the business cases later this year which will …
Department for Transport
10
Recommendation
Third Report - Rollout and safety of sm…
Controlled motorways, which retain the hard shoulder and have technology to regulate traffic, have the lowest casualty rates of all types of motorway on the Strategic Road Network. The Department and National Highways should revisit the case for controlled motorways. The Department should set out how the business case for …
Government response. The Government agrees with this recommendation and will revisit the case for controlled motorways and how it compares with ALR motorways. We will look to publish an initial report which compares the business cases later this year which will be …
Department for Transport
11
Conclusion
Third Report - Rollout and safety of sm…
Examining the available evidence base, we are not convinced that reinstating the hard shoulder on all all-lane running motorways will improve safety. The evidence suggests that doing so could put more drivers and passengers at risk of death and serious injury, especially if the reduction in capacity were to divert …
Government response. Although the hard shoulder offers a relative place of safety, it is not a safe place to stop. The Government is right to focus on upgrading the sa
Department for Transport