Stalling on smart motorways decision puts lives at risk, says campaigning Claire Mercer

Claire’s husband, Jason (44), of Broom, was killed alongside 22-year-old Alexandru Murgreanu in summer 2019 following a minor collision on the M1.

The pair had pulled over as far as possible in the all lanes running (ALR) carriageway – but the lane was not closed to traffic and they were hit by a lorry.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has scrapped plans for new ALRs – but the government is taking five months before giving a final response on whether hard shoulders will be reinstated on the “smart” sections already in place.

Claire (44) called the delay “disgusting” and added: “I’m not going to stand for these stalling tactics which show a lack of common decency and continue to put thousands of lives at risk.

“We have spent the past four years providing evidence of how unsafe all lane running smart motorways are.

“They have been aware of the safety concerns throughout this time so their continued delays in taking action will result in more peoples' lives being put at risk.

“I won’t rest until the hard shoulder has been returned. The government and National Highways need to pull their fingers out and treat this request with the seriousness it deserves. Otherwise, if it means legal action, then that’s something I’m prepared to do.”

Lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, who are representing Jason’s loved ones, have called for the hard shoulder to be reinstated immediately.

Helen Smith, a smart motorways specialist at the firm said: “Too many lives are being turned upside down and families being torn apart because of collisions and deaths on smart motorways.

“Coroners, the Transport Select Committee, an independent road safety expert and even the Prime Minister have all also expressed real concerns about the safety of ALRs.

“Despite this, transport bosses and the government continue to drag their heels on taking decisive action to reinstate the hard shoulder and to prioritise the safety of road users. This is despite us providing them with compelling evidence regarding safety concerns.”

The DfT says public concerns have been recognised by the cancelling of new ALRs, and £900 million is being invested in further safety improvements on existing smart motorways.