Britain's Smart Motorway Schemes Found to be Poor Value for Money
Official reports have revealed that most of England's smart motorway schemes are underperforming and failing to deliver on their promises. The National Highways agency, which built the schemes, has released assessments showing that a significant number of the projects were rated as "poor" or "very poor" value.
The smart motorway system, introduced in 2013, aims to increase capacity by converting hard shoulders into live lanes and using electronic signs to manage traffic. However, surveys have shown that many motorists fear driving on them, citing concerns over safety and accidents involving breakdowns.
Despite efforts to improve the safety record of smart motorways, including adding more emergency laybys and monitoring technology, official statistics still show a higher number of fatal collisions occurring after breakdowns. While some schemes have been found to be relatively safe, others have not delivered on their promise of faster journey times or reduced congestion.
The cost of these projects has also been questioned, with the 11 schemes assessed costing £2.3 billion at 2010 prices. However, traffic growth has been lower than expected since the financial crisis, and some sections of motorway are now experiencing slower journey times due to increased traffic volumes.
Critics argue that the smart motorway system is not providing good value for money, with many motorists expressing anxiety or fear when using them. The Association of British Drivers (AA) has described the schemes as a "catastrophic waste of time, money and effort", highlighting that controlled motorways with hard shoulders are proving more successful in terms of safety and journey times.
Experts have called for further investigation into the design and implementation of smart motorway schemes, citing concerns over their safety record and effectiveness. While National Highways claims that these roads remain safe and provide much-needed capacity, critics argue that more needs to be done to address the issues plaguing the system.
Official reports have revealed that most of England's smart motorway schemes are underperforming and failing to deliver on their promises. The National Highways agency, which built the schemes, has released assessments showing that a significant number of the projects were rated as "poor" or "very poor" value.
The smart motorway system, introduced in 2013, aims to increase capacity by converting hard shoulders into live lanes and using electronic signs to manage traffic. However, surveys have shown that many motorists fear driving on them, citing concerns over safety and accidents involving breakdowns.
Despite efforts to improve the safety record of smart motorways, including adding more emergency laybys and monitoring technology, official statistics still show a higher number of fatal collisions occurring after breakdowns. While some schemes have been found to be relatively safe, others have not delivered on their promise of faster journey times or reduced congestion.
The cost of these projects has also been questioned, with the 11 schemes assessed costing £2.3 billion at 2010 prices. However, traffic growth has been lower than expected since the financial crisis, and some sections of motorway are now experiencing slower journey times due to increased traffic volumes.
Critics argue that the smart motorway system is not providing good value for money, with many motorists expressing anxiety or fear when using them. The Association of British Drivers (AA) has described the schemes as a "catastrophic waste of time, money and effort", highlighting that controlled motorways with hard shoulders are proving more successful in terms of safety and journey times.
Experts have called for further investigation into the design and implementation of smart motorway schemes, citing concerns over their safety record and effectiveness. While National Highways claims that these roads remain safe and provide much-needed capacity, critics argue that more needs to be done to address the issues plaguing the system.
. I mean, I've driven on those smart motorway schemes before and they seemed fine, but now it's like we were all misinformed or something? The idea of them being a "catastrophic waste of time, money and effort" is pretty harsh, though 
. I get why people are anxious about driving on them, safety concerns are valid and all that, but at the same time, I can see how they're trying to improve things.
. And yeah, the cost is definitely questionable, especially when you consider that traffic growth has been lower than anticipated. Maybe it's time for some reevaluation of how these smart motorway schemes are designed and implemented? Just saying 
, everyone thought it was gonna save us from congestion on M1 & M62. But now it's like they're telling us it's not worth the money 
. I'm not surprised though, roads are getting more congested nowadays, it's crazy! 
, but now it seems like they're just a fancy way of saying " traffic's still gonna be bad" 
. I've driven on them and honestly, it's just not the same as cruising down a regular motorway 
Who needs roads that are more like catwalks when we're supposed to be driving? 
It's all about safety, they say... but I think it's just a load of malarkey 
.
. But on a positive note, think of all the money we're saving on fuel costs with fewer congestion jams! Like, I know not everyone is gonna love driving on them, but they're trying to improve safety and capacity, right? 
. National Highways needs to take a hard look at what they've done and figure out how to make these roads safer and more efficient before it's too late 
. It's not like this is the first time we're hearing about problems with smart motorways... remember when the first ones were built? 
, but like, what if they're just not working out because we need more lanes or something? 
. But at the same time, £2.3 billion is a lot of cash... I don't know if it was worth it, but maybe we should just stick with what works, right? 
Controlled motorways are great and all, but do we really need more capacity in England? We're not exactly bursting at the seams over here 
we need to get our priorities straight and focus on making roads safe for everyone 
I'm not surprised really...I mean, my kid's friend's dad is a lorry driver and he always says how scary smart motorways are 
. Maybe they should rethink the design or something? 
️! I don't think the benefits outweigh the costs, you know? 
. Can't say I blame 'em. I still prefer the old days when we could drive without all these fancy tech gadgets 
. Maybe it's time to go back to the drawing board? 
. But I reckon they should've done more research and testing before just going ahead with it 
.
. I mean, I guess we should be grateful that our motorways are still relatively safe compared to other countries? 
. National Highways needs to get their act together and figure out what they're doing wrong. I don't think it's too much to ask for roads that actually work, you know?