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Motorists concerned over safety on smart motorways, finds survey

Recent poll has found that many drivers are still unsure of what happens when a vehicle breaks down on a smart motorway

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Vehicles on the new13.4-mile long M3 “smart” motorway near Longcross, Surrey, between Farnborough and the M25.

A survey has revealed that two thirds of motorists are concerned about safety on smart motorways.

The survey was undertaken during March of this year, and questioned 2,500 people. It reported that the main concern among drivers was the prospect of breaking down on a smart motorway and having no access to a hard shoulder. Of the full number of people spoken to, 51 per cent voiced this issue.

Neil Worth, GEM Road Safety officer, said: “The prospect of breaking down on the motorway is scary at the best of times. But in a smart motorway environment, when there may be no hard shoulder, it becomes a great deal more worrying.

“The technology in use was impressive,” said Worth. “But we must remember that, to work effectively, it relies on all smart motorway users understanding what is expected of them.

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