Four-week failure for smart motorway tech meant to protect drivers on M62

Technology designed to keep drivers safe on smart motorways failed on several stretches of the strategic road network (SRN) last year, new official analysis has shown.

In one incident, National Highways revealed that its motorway incident detection automatic signalling (Midas) system suffered an outage on a section of motorway, between junctions 10-11 of the M62, for almost a month – 28 days, 8 hours and 4 minutes.

The data released as part of the of the fourth stocktake into the safety of smart motorways, and analysis by the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) for its annual assessment of safety on the SRN, also show that several sections of all lane running (ALR) smart motorways on the M1 have a higher killed or seriously injured (KSI) rate now than before the loss of the hard shoulder (see table below).

Source: Stocktake Report. M1 J39-42, J16-19 and J24-25 have higher KSI rates after opening compared to before opening

England’s SRN is made up of 4,555 miles of motorways and A-roads, of which 446 miles (9.8%) are smart motorways, consisiting of three different types. 

Controlled motorways add variable and mandatory speed limits to a conventional motorway to control the speed of traffic, while retaining a permanent hard shoulder. Overhead electronic signs display messages to drivers, such as warning of an incident ahead, slowing traffic approaching an incident, or closing lanes using a red X.

ALR motorways apply the controlled motorway technology, permanently convert the hard shoulder as a running lane, and feature emergency areas to stop in an emergency. ALR motorways also have stopped vehicle detection (SVD) technology.

Dynamic hard shoulder (DHS) motorways, such as the stretch of the M62 that suffered the four-week long safety system outage, also apply the controlled motorway technology, while the hard shoulder is selectively opened as a running lane during periods when there is a lower speed limit in force and electronic signs to guide drivers when it is safe to use. Emergency areas are installed on DHS and on ALR motorways.

The stopped vehicle detection (SVD) system used on ALR motorways is measured against three key metrics: the proportion of stopped vehicles correctly identified by SVD (greater than 80%); the proportion of SVD alerts that are not related to a stopped vehicle event (less than 15%); and the average time to detect stopped vehicles (less than 20 seconds).

Looking at 12 stretches of smart motorway, the ORR analysis shows: four did not meet the target for detection rates; the target for false discovery rates was not achieved by one; and two did not meet the target for average detection times. 

Despite this, the ORR report says that the SVD system continues to deliver safety benefits for road users.

In light of these latest findings, however, the AA is again calling for the reinstatement of the hard shoulder on smart motorways.

“It is time to accept so-called ‘smart’ motorways have failed,”  Edmund King, the AA 

“Data released by National Highways shows that several sections of all lane running on the M1 have a higher KSI rate now than before the loss of the hard shoulder,” said AA president, Edmund King. 

“At the same time, a third of radar detection schemes tested failed to meet the standard - two of which failed and worsened in a 12-month period.

“Shockingly, the M62 J10-12 had a system failure for almost a month.” 

He added: “This loss of safety technology, which drivers have been asked to put their trust in, meant they were put in unnecessary danger.

“It is little wonder that a third of drivers say they feel less safe on smart motorways compared to three years ago. 

“It is time to accept so-called ‘smart’ motorways have failed and side with the majority of drivers who want the reinstatement of the hard shoulder.”

IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards, Nicholas Lyes, was also critical. “After the many billions of pounds that have been spent on smart motorways, the metrics do not show a safer network compared to what it replaced,” he said. 

“It also reveals that on those stretches of all lane running smart motorways without a hard shoulder, the rate of fatal and serious collisions involving stopped vehicles is almost double that of both a conventional motorway and those with a dynamic hard shoulder. 

“Given the public’s hostility towards all lane running smart motorways, they will be relieved to know there are no plans to construct any more. 

“However, question marks remain over what to do with existing stretches and how the Government proceeds with future capacity expansion.”

ORR has told National Highways to improve the data it collects on technology outages on ALR smart motorways, so that the company can better understand the effects of outages on road users.

Safety improves on SRN but ‘challenging’ target unlikely to be met

In its report, the ORR does conclude that safety continues to improve on England’s motorways and major A-roads, but National Highways is unlikely to meet its main safety target set by Government.

Excluding 2020 and 2021, when there was significantly less traffic due to the pandemic, these latest figures show the fewest number of people killed or seriously injured on the strategic road network (motorways and main A-roads) ever recorded, despite traffic increasing by 2.2% between 2022 and 2023.

At ORR’s request, National Highways provided the regulator with a plan to improve safety on the network, and the company is on track to complete the actions it outlined by the end of 2025.

However, ORR’s assessment is that National Highways is unlikely to meet its target of halving the number of people killed or seriously injured on the strategic road network by the end of 2025. 

KSI casualties, safety targets and traffic on the SRN, 2005-2023

Source: ORR

The regulator has said that National Highways must remain focussed on delivering the remaining actions in its plan to further close the gap to its target.

Feras Alshaker, director, performance and planning at the ORR, said: “It is a good thing that that safety continues to improve on the strategic road network, and we should recognise the work that National Highways has been doing to improve safety on its roads. 

“National Highways must now focus on implementing the remaining actions from its plan to further improve road user safety.”

In his forward to the latest smart motorway stacktake report, Nick Harris, chief executive at National Highways, said: “The analysis of our smart motorway network over the past four years has helped us develop a detailed understanding of road safety, not just on smart motorways but across the whole strategic road network.

“This knowledge is helping us to improve safety for drivers up and down the country, supporting our ambition that no one should be harmed while travelling on the strategic road network.”

He added: “I am pleased to say that our work delivering the actions set out by the previous Government in 2020 to further improve safety on smart motorways is now complete.

“This includes installing more than 700 additional signs informing drivers of the distance to the next place to stop in an emergency, and upgrading enforcement cameras on smart motorways to enable them to be used to detect vehicles passing under a Red X or entering a lane beyond a Red X.

“We have also put radar stopped vehicle detection (SVD) in place on every all lane running (ALR) motorway.”