The body has issued its latest plans as part of an annual review, published this week, which outlines how it will change the controversial smart motorways. The changes, listed below, have been published by Highways England and affect smart motorways including the M1 and the M62.


. No more hard shoulder changes
Ending the use of dynamic hard shoulders by converting dynamic hard shoulder sections to all-lane running to end driver confusion over different types of smart motorway.

. Better 'stopped vehicle detection'
Faster roll-out of stopped vehicle detection to all sections of smart motorway currently without it so stopped vehicles are, in most cases, detected in 20 seconds. Future designed schemes will have this technology as standard.

. Faster response by Highways patrols
Faster attendance by more Highways England traffic officer patrols on smart motorways where the existing spacing between places to stop in an emergency, such as motorway services and emergency areas, is more than one mile, reducing the attendance time from an average of 17 minutes to 10 minutes.

. More emergency stopping places
Committing to a new standard for spacing of places to stop in an emergency, with a maximum of one mile apart. We will look to, where feasible, provide them every 0.75 miles apart so that, on future schemes, motorists should typically reach one every 45 seconds at 60mph.

. More emergency areas being added to existing smart motorways
Considering a national programme to install more emergency areas on existing smart motorways, where places to stop in an emergency are more than one mile apart.

1. No more hard shoulder changes
Ending the use of dynamic hard shoulders by converting dynamic hard shoulder sections to all-lane running to end driver confusion over different types of smart motorway.

2. Better 'stopped vehicle detection'
Faster roll-out of stopped vehicle detection to all sections of smart motorway currently without it so stopped vehicles are, in most cases, detected in 20 seconds. Future designed schemes will have this technology as standard.

3. Faster response by Highways patrols
Faster attendance by more Highways England traffic officer patrols on smart motorways where the existing spacing between places to stop in an emergency, such as motorway services and emergency areas, is more than one mile, reducing the attendance time from an average of 17 minutes to 10 minutes.

4. More emergency stopping places
Committing to a new standard for spacing of places to stop in an emergency, with a maximum of one mile apart. We will look to, where feasible, provide them every 0.75 miles apart so that, on future schemes, motorists should typically reach one every 45 seconds at 60mph.