Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has pledged that new motorways that have no hard shoulder – known as All Lane Running (ALR) motorways or ‘smart motorways’ – will only open if technology is in place to spot stopped or broken-down vehicles quickly.
In addition all existing ALR motorways will have the technology fitted six months earlier than originally planned.
The move is part of wider safety improvements brought in after a series of fatal crashes on motorways where the hard shoulder is converted into a live lane. This strategy is part of Highways England’s Smart Motorway programme which is designed to cut motorway congestion.
