Scrap all existing smart motorways, says AA

The Automobile Association (AA) has called for all existing smart motorways in England to be scrapped, joining campaigners who have raised concerns over safety. 

Smart motorways use technology to regulate traffic flow and ease congestion, including the use of the hard shoulder as an extra lane. Critics argue that the removal of the hard shoulder has led to deaths.

The government cancelled the construction of 14 new smart motorways due to financial and safety concerns, and plans to make existing smart motorways safer through the creation of 150 additional emergency stopping places and improved technology. 

Rishi Sunak, who promised to ban smart motorways during his leadership campaign, has said that “all drivers deserve to have confidence in the roads they use to get around the country”.