Deaths on smart motorways confirm stupidity of Ministers – Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Terry Palmer, South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley.
Should smart motorways be abolished?Should smart motorways be abolished?
Should smart motorways be abolished?

AS a driver of almost 65 years, 
of varying vehicles both here in the UK, France and Germany, I totally agree with South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings when he says that smart motorways are “inherently unsafe and dangerous and should be abandoned”.

Dr Billings wrote his open letter to Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport. The reply from the Department for Transport said “smart motorways are as safe as, or 
safer than, conventional ones”. Really?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dr Billings’s comments were made after a coroner found 
two men had been unlawfully killed on a “smart” section of the M1.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

Just a word to Grant Shapps and his spokesperson – if you break down on a “smart” motorway, where do you go if your vehicle will not move? What happens to any vehicle following when seeing a car “stopped dead” in the lane ahead with nowhere to move to? No hard shoulder, yet Grant Shapps and his spokesperson thinks it’s safe.

Have these people ever passed a driving test? Have these people ever driven on a motorway? For them to say “smart” motorways are safe, then they are bigger fools and more stupid than I thought.

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today. Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you’ll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app and receive exclusive members-only offers. Click here to subscribe.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.