Group calls for drivers to have more information on smart motorways

Transport Focus says Highways England should do more to increase drivers’ knowledge about what a red X means and what drivers should do if they break down.

In its latest research they found when it came to motorways without a hard shoulder, safety was not at the forefront of drivers’ minds and few drivers knew what they should do if they were to break down where there is no hard shoulder.

As previously reported in The News Highways England is spending more than £200m to turn the M27 between Winchester and Fareham into a smart motorway. It will have four lanes, extra gantries, no hard shoulder but refuge areas along the carriageway.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, said: ‘What’s been missing until now is an understanding of how road users experience smart motorways.

‘The message to Highways England is that millions of drivers successfully use them, but there is more to do to improve their understanding.’