Alexandru Murgeanu and Jason Mercer
19 Jan 2021 · Coroner David Urpeth · South Yorkshire West
A similar concern from this report was raised again 4 times later. See the linked reports.
The coroner's concerns
1. absence of hard shoulder on smart motorways
“The obvious and foreseeable risk posed by the absence of a hard shoulder on smart motorways”
2. lack of driver awareness of smart motorway use
“The need for better driver awareness on the use of smart motorways”
3. lack of coordinated oversight of smart motorways
“The need for a wider review / inquiry into Smart Motorways for the following reasons”
Linked reports
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
This report
“- The obvious and foreseeable risk posed by the absence of a hard shoulder on smart motorways;”
Later report
“the policy of mixing smart motorways with traditional hard shoulder motorways created a latent risk that road users will become accustomed to treating the left or inner lane of motorways as a live running lane”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
This report
“The need for better driver awareness on the use of smart motorways”
Later report
“(1) The lack of public understanding regarding the need for them to call National Highways should they identify a problem on the motorway network such as a stationary vehicle.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.95 · high
This report
“- The obvious and foreseeable risk posed by the absence of a hard shoulder on”
Later report
“THERE WAS NOWHERE FOR THE DRIVER OF THE FIRST VEHICLE TO PARK SAFELY”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.80 · moderate
This report
“- The obvious and foreseeable risk posed by the absence of a hard shoulder on”
Later report
“i) It was accepted at inquest that Mr [name redacted] was on an all lanes open motorway. This type of motorway has all lanes open for vehicles to use, and areas for vehicles to stop every 1.6 miles, but not areas in between.”
Responses
2021-0013-Response-from-DFT-Redacted.pdf ↗· Department for Transport
Stated action · shortly
“Highways England will publish this report shortly”
2021-0013-Response-from-Highways-England-Redacted.pdf ↗· National Highways