‘Hardly any drivers feel safe on smart motorways, the result of a huge motorist poll has highlighted today.
A survey of 17,171 drivers by the AA found that just 9 per cent feel relaxed or safe using the motorways without hard shoulders, either permanently or as part of temporary measures when there’s a lot of traffic.
The findings from the poll have been published on the day BBC Panorama will air its investigation into the dangers of smart motorways, which reveals that 38 people have been killed on them in the last five years.
It suggests the Government was misled about their safety credentials a decade ago before they were introduced across the country.
The huge survey of drivers was conducted between 14 and 21 January this year after the AA announced it had instructed its breakdown crews not to stop to help stranded motorists on them over safety concerns.
The poll found that many motorists not only don’t trust them but are also unaware of how to use different types of smart motorway.
As well as fewer than one in 10 feeling safe and relaxed using them, just 12 per cent of drivers quizzed think smart motorways are as safe as traditional motorways and that more should be built.
Two in five (42 per cent) said they think no more smart motorways should be introduced in the UK while a further 15 per cent think all existing smart routes should be scrapped with immediate effect.’
