The Guardian view on smart motorways: not so clever without a hard shoulder | Editorial

Ten years ago this week on the M25, Britain’s first stretch of all-lane running (ALR) “smart” motorway was introduced, with more to follow.

Envisaged as a way to ease congestion without spending money on widening roads, ALR motorways function without a hard shoulder for drivers in difficulty.

As they were rolled out, motorists were assured that the emergency lane would not be missed, as new technologies would be able to respond to breakdowns, and control traffic flow.

Rightly, Rishi Sunak last year pulled the plug on plans for more ALR motorways, citing a lack of public confidence.

A 2021 House of Commons transport committee report made shockingly clear that before rolling the “no emergency lane” policy out, ministers driven by the desire to save money failed to do due diligence on the safety risks attached.

At a minimum, the government should move to a system of “dynamic” motorways, where emergency lanes are only opened to traffic at particularly busy periods.