He announced a review would be launched on the road networks immediately and results would be released in just a matter of weeks. He claims the recommendations would help make the roads as safe as they possibly can be after a string of crashes which have plagued them .
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The Transport Secretary’s spectacular comments come just a day after Highways England Chief Executive Jim O’Sullivan told the Transport Select Committee that no more dynamic smart motorways would be built.
He also claimed the roads were too complicated for people to use as drivers didn’t know whether they could use the hard shoulder or not.
Dynamic smart motorway networks turn a hard shoulder into a live lane during peak times to help the flow of traffic.
All-lane runnings schemes are built without hard shoulders at all and require drivers to stop in designated refuge areas spaced around a mile apart.
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The networks use a system of cameras to detect stricken motorists. Chiefs can then shut down a live lane by displaying a red cross on signs above the road.
However, the AA claimed it can take an average of 17 minutes to spot a stationary vehicle which could lead to devastating consequences.
Four people were killed in just ten months on a stretch of smart motorway on the M1 after stationary cars were hit having stopped in a live lane.
An inquest is currently taking place after eight-year-old Dev Naran was killed after his grandfather’s Toyota was hit by a lorry at speed after stopping on a smart motorway.
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A Spokesman at the RAC Foundation, Phillip Gomm said: “Highways England says it is ‘data-led’ but despite its reassurances that the numbers point to smart motorways being safe that message has failed to reassure many drivers.
“This review is therefore timely, but whatever the conclusion the big challenge will be in successfully reporting those conclusions to sceptical road users.”
Support for smart motorway networks has dramatically fallen after a recent AA study revealed one in seven drivers think the networks are more dangerous than traditional motorways.
Just one in ten motorists said they felt safe using the scheme, despite Highways England chiefs continually claiming the roads were safer.
The dramatic u-turn on smart motorways comes just weeks after a Highways England spokesperson told Express.co.uk the roads were improving safety.
A spokesperson said there was evidence which indicated all-lane running schemes had reduced casualty rates by more than 25 percent.
They also said roads without a hard shoulder were not safe and axing them would eliminate the risk of deaths and injuries.
They added: “Smart motorways include more features than conventional motorways to further enhance safety, and both are significantly safer for drivers than other roads.
“We will, of course, continue to monitor the safety performance of smart motorways – as we do with all of our roads – and are rolling out enhancements to improve the road user experience further.”
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