These ‘life-saving’ changes could soon be made to smart motorway rules in the Highway Code
LIFE-SAVING changes need to be made to Highway Codes motorway rules, according to the AA.
The calls for an overhaul come after two recent deaths and several major accidents on hard shoulders along smart motorways.
The motoring organisation said changes are needed to “reflect progress in vehicle and road design”.
More than 500 miles of smart motorways have already been installed with more planned over the next few years.
They feature the use of the hard shoulder at peak times or no hard shoulder at all with emergency refuge areas spaced 2.5km apart plus variable speed limits enforced by overhead gantries.
And, according to an AA study, 79 per cent of drivers agree motorways are now more dangerous compared to four years ago because of the removal of the hard shoulder.
How to use a smart motorway emergency refuge area
- Emergency refuge areas (ERA) should only be used if it is safe to reach them - they are marked with blue signs featuring the orange SOS telephone symbol.
- If safe to do so, leave your vehicle and contact Highways England via the roadside emergency telephone provided
- After a call has been made, a traffic officer will be sent to assist you, or motorway signs will be set to temporarily close lanes or reduce speed limits.
- If you plan on rejoining the motorway, it is recommended you call Highways England again so that restriction can be put in place to make this as safe as possible.
- If you cannot reach an ERA, attempt to drive your car to the hard shoulder or nearest the boundary as possible.
- Hazard warning lights should be used in all instances.
The AA wants a new section introduced to the Highway Code to instruct drivers to create an "emergency corridor" to allow police, ambulance and fire access to crashes when there is no hard shoulder.
And a new "slow down and move over" rule when passing broken down vehicles on motorways should be brought in to protect breakdown, recovery and emergency services working on the hard shoulder.
AA president Edmund King has written to road safety minister Jesse Norman about the proposals and is waiting on a response.
King said: "More than a decade on since the introduction of smart motorways, we see these changes to the Highway Code as a necessary step to try help save lives and improve safety and driver confidence when people use motorways.
Know your road laws
"From next year, new drivers will be allowed to take lessons on motorways.
"We believe these changes would help them understand the differing types of motorway they could interact with before they even drive on.
"Safety is of paramount importance on all of our roads, and therefore we look forward to the Minister taking these important points on board to enhance road safety."