POLL: Do you think smart motorways are safe?

The M4 is being converted into a so-called smart motorway from to Junction 12 (Theale) to Junction 3 (Hayes), with the hard shoulder removed and turned into a fourth lane. Do you agree with this?

Yes

I don't know

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Article comments

mafield

02/03/2021 - 10:40

Smart motorways have already taken quite a few lives, another extreme waste of public funds that will soon be scrapped, no doubt. How could anyone think it was safer than having a hard shoulder, beggars belief. If you need more lanes, then widen the road, but don't do away with hard shoulders, in fact the money would have been better spent on making more 'safe havens' for those who break down.

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Tractorman

23/02/2021 - 13:15

The smart****s that came up with this idea should be made to sit in a broken down car on the live 'former hard shoulder' at night in poor conditions together with their family is said car. They may have a different opinion of how safe they are then!

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- Bored of registering
  
  24/02/2021 - 11:02
  
  All advice is to get out of the car and get all of your passengers behind the safety barrier. DO NOT SIT AND WAIT IN THE CAR!!!
  
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  - Tractorman
    
    25/02/2021 - 08:16
    
    Good point well made, however will still be unpleasant experience whilst getting out of the car stopped in a live lane. There is also the remaining hazard posed to the traffic in the lane by the broken down car as there will be a unknown time delay between the breakdown and switching on the lane closed signs. Even then as we know with recent tragic deaths the lane closed signs can still be missed unlike the broken down vehicle!
    
    Reply
    - mafield
      
      02/03/2021 - 10:45
      
      There are plenty of places where you cannot get out of the car and into a 'safer haven' - like the other side of a barrier. And in any case, what about those travelling along the nearside lane in heavy fog, to then come across a broken down/stopped vehicle in that lane. Yes they should be going slow enough, but how many do, for fear of someone shunting them up the rear.
      
      Reply
anonymouse

23/02/2021 - 01:21

Why do they call them 'smart' motorways. Having nowhere to get off the carriageway when a car breaks down is the most stupid idea ever!

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Leedslad31

22/02/2021 - 16:37

There really is no substitute for a permanent, dedicated hard shoulder, and the left-hand lane on all converted motorways should be closed - permanently - with immediate effect. Such an easy, quick, cost-effective solution to a horrific situation created by Highways England and endorsed by this government. It's time to act.

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