10 signatures reached
To: Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport.
Abandon Smart Motorways to Save Lives
Re-introduce a safe hard shoulder on all motorways and abandon the use of the hard shoulder on Smart Motorways as a running lane.
Why is this important?
On 19 January coroner David Urpeth recorded a verdict of unlawful killing at the inquests for Jason Mercer, 44, from Rotherham and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, of Mansfield, who died when a lorry crashed into their vehicles near Sheffield on 7 June 2019 on the stretch of the M1 where the hard shoulder has been replaced by an active lane. Mr Urpeth said Smart Motorways without a hard shoulder carry "an ongoing risk of future deaths" and called for a review of Smart Motorway schemes. These deaths are 2 of many that have occurred on Smart Motorways and more deaths will happen if they are not removed and a safe hard shoulder is reinstated.
