Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Paragraph: 24
The available data on the safety of all-lane running motorways are limited and volatile.
Conclusion
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 the remaining 112 miles of all-lane running motorway introduced before 2020.
Paragraph Reference:
24
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
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 is a system of inter-related features working together to help keep traffic moving and safe. They include variable speed limits, Red X signs to close lanes and enforcement cameras, CCTV, and the Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling (MIDAS) system. This means that there is no over-reliance on one single system and that individual systems can cope with a level of redundancy without reducing an operator’s ability to monitor and manage the network. 24. SVD is a new enhancement which complements the existing systems that work together to make motorways without a hard shoulder as safe as, or safer than, conventional ones. We therefore will be going further and not only assessing the effectiveness of SVD, but also other measures in place. We will be engaging with ORR to develop an approach to addressing this recommendation and expect that an initial report will be available later this year which we will share with the Committee once available.