According to a new poll from the AA, eight out of 10 UK drivers believe that the removal of hard-shoulders on 'smart' motorways has made the roads more dangerous. The AA has already raised concerns over smart motorway safety in a letter to Chris Grayling, the newly appointed Transport Secretary. The insurance firm has also previously raised the issue with Highways England, the Transport Select Committee and the road safety minister. One of the major concerns for drivers is the lack of lay-bys when the hard shoulder is used as a running lane. Current guidance from Highways England is for the Emergency Refuge Areas (ERAs) to be no more than 2.6km apart (around 1.5 miles). However, the AA has stated that they believe there should be at least twice as many lay-bys and that they should ideally be twice the length. Under the current situation, any car breaking down without sight of a lay-by is likely to have to stop in a live-running lane, increasing the chances of an accident occurring. Additionally, if a HGV is parked in the smaller lay-by it makes it almost impossible for a normal car to also safely enter it. Highways England has reported the problem of drivers parking in the ERAs when no emergency is taking place, and has voiced the possibility that a clearer name is currently needed for the lay-bys. AA president Edmund King said: 'Four fifths of our members think that motorways without hard shoulders are more dangerous. 'Whilst we support measures to improve motorway capacity, we do not think that safety should be compromised. We do not accept that the current criteria of an Emergency Refuge Area or exit at least every 2.6km is safe. 'Breaking down in a live running lane with trucks thundering up behind you is every driver's worst nightmare. The official advice is to dial 999 which just shows how dangerous the situation can be. 'If drivers can see the next lay-by, they are much more likely to make it to the relative safety of that area even if their car has a puncture or is overheating. If they can't see the lay-by, they often panic and stop in a live running lane. If more lay-bys are designed at the planning stage it will be less expensive and safer. 'Unprompted, our members came up with some scary names for the Emergency Refuge Areas - which indicates just how worried they are. It is time for the Government to go back to the drawing board and design a scheme acceptable to drivers.î