The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has accused the new smart motorway network of causing 'widespread confusion' amongst UK drivers. Smart motorways were introduced last year in an attempt to replace managed motorways in order to aid the congested British network, but several concerns have since been raised regarding their safety. The country's first 'all-lane-running' motorway (i.e. one without a hard shoulder) first opened on April 14th last year; a 2.5km stretch set between junctions 23 and 25 of the M25.æ Complete schemes _ all of which have different speed limits and all-lane running _ are currently being operated on sections of the M1, M4, M5, M6, M42 and M62. One of the major concerns raised by motorists was the safety of those who had broken down on a motorway with no hard shoulder, given that this leads to a much greater distance between refuges. Last year, the IAM conducted a survey on the introduction of smart motorways, and found that 71 per cent of drivers said they would feel less safe on a motorway with no hard shoulder. 40 per cent of respondents said that they were now sceptical that new monitoring systems on the smart motorways would be able to protect them in the event of having to stop in a running lane. Sarah Sillars, IAM Chief Executive Officer, said: 'There are many different motorway users out there and some are still confused and nervous about using smart motorways _ if they are aware of them at all. She continued: 'Highways England must analyse incident data on a continuous basis and ensure that any lessons learned from the real world use of SMART motorways are implemented quickly. 'Ultimately, the smartest way to build awareness would be to allow learner drivers to use motorways under expert supervision.î The IAM has produced its own set of tips on using smart motorways, and how to react to seeing different signals.æ Their policy document on smart motorways can be found here.
