(qlmbusinessnews.com . Sun 8th Feb, 2026) London, UK —
AA Critiques Smart Motorways as Ineffective, Highlighting Safety and Financial Shortcomings
Reports have recently surfaced critiquing the efficacy of numerous smart motorways across England, suggesting that they fall short of providing the expected financial return, as highlighted by National Highways.
Two particular sections, on the M25 and the M6, have been singled out for delivering “very poor” value for money. Out of sixteen projects evaluated across the nation, merely three are projected to meet the anticipated financial benefits, although it's noted that most are achieving their forecasted safety enhancements, according to National Highways.
The AA, a motorists' advocacy group, labelled the smart motorway schemes a “catastrophic waste of time, money, and effort”.
Smart motorways were deployed as a strategy to alleviate congestion by enhancing motorway capacity utilising technology to manage traffic flow. The least complex version, known as controlled motorways, function similarly to traditional motorways but employ variable speed limits and gantry signs to regulate traffic. More controversial, however, are the schemes allowing the hard shoulder to be used as an additional lane: dynamic hard shoulder roads operate during peak times, whereas all-lane-running schemes permanently convert the hard shoulder into a live lane, creating potential hazards for vehicles breaking down.
AA President Edmund King has raised concerns about the inconsistent safety performance of smart motorways, calling out the higher incidents of harm ever since their introduction. He criticized the initiative as an attempt to expand motorway capacity “on the cheap”, deeming it a “failed experiment”.
National Highways defends its conversion projects, arguing that without them, many motorways would struggle to manage current peak-time traffic volumes. The organisation admitted, however, that traffic growth has not met initial expectations, resulting in diminished benefits for motorists and thus skewing the value for money metrics for a majority of the projects.
Particularly underperforming are an all-lane-running segment of the M25 north of London and a dynamic hard shoulder stretch of the M6 near Birmingham. Despite significant investments, these schemes have not improved journey times as predicted and are forecasted to provide “very poor” value over their 60-year lifetimes.
While National Highways maintains that smart motorways have shown safety improvements or performed as expected in their early evaluations, the AA challenges these findings, pointing to increased fatalities and serious injuries in certain sections as evidence of their inherent risks.
Reacting to the debate, the Department for Transport reassured the public that, notwithstanding the halt on new smart motorway constructions due to safety concerns, existing ones are among the safest road types when it comes to serious accidents, offering better or comparable safety records to their predecessors.
National Highways cautions against a hasty judgement of the smart motorway projects, reminding that the value assessments are based on decade-old projections and cover only a fraction of their intended lifespan. The agency asserts that these motorways not only continue to be amongst the safest but also effectively relieve congestion and reduce emissions, defending the long-term benefits of the infrastructure.
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