A smart motorway is a section of the road that uses a variety of traffic management methods to ease congestion and increase road capacity. The idea is, a smart motorway allows a greater number of vehicles to travel safely. This reduces the need for the installation of additional lanes.
On a smart motorway, if the road is particularly busy, the hard shoulder is used an additional lane to keep traffic moving. Or, variable speed limits might be enforced to help control the flow of traffic.
How to drive on a smart motorway
All the usual rules of the road apply when driving on a smart motorway, but there are a few extra things you’ll need to be aware of. Most importantly, obey the signs! If there’s a large X over a lane, don’t use it. You can actually face a fine of up to £100 and three penalty points if you do.
Make sure you follow the speed limits. When variable limits are in place, make sure you follow them to help keep all road users safe. It’s worth knowing that on a smart motorway, there are lots more cameras to monitor road usage. That means it’s much more likely you’ll get caught if you speed.
When indicated, you can use the hard shoulder to drive in. This will be clearly indicated to you. If there is nothing to direct you to use the hard shoulder as a lane, don’t.
If the hard should is in use as an additional lane and you start to experience car trouble, switch on your hazard lights. Smart motorways have emergency refuge areas (ERA) that you can drive into and wait for support. These are very clearly signposted and are usually painted a bright orange.
If you are unable to get to an ERA, stop your vehicle in a place of relative safety and exit the vehicle while you call for help. If you are unable to get the vehicle to safety, call 999 immediately. Turn on your lights and hazards, and keep your seatbelt on while you wait for rescue.
Are they dangerous?
One of the biggest concerns is the safety of vehicles on smart motorways. When the hard shoulder is used as a lane, broken down vehicles cannot stop there. Research into the use of smart motorways suggests that they are statistically safer than other kinds, thanks to the variable speed limit controls.
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