M6 and M1 safety reviews
Needing to stop, or being forced to stop, in an emergency on a live traffic lane is very rare. It can of course happen on any road but on high-speed roads it is more frightening, and help needs to be at hand quickly.
In March 2020, the Secretary of State for Transport published the Smart motorway evidence stocktake and action plan. The plan committed to implementing a range of measures to help drivers feel safe and be even safer in moving traffic. This included commitments to speed up the rollout of technology to identify stopped drivers, improve the use of electronic overhead signs and signals to warn oncoming drivers and reduce the time it takes for help to arrive. It also included a commitment to investigate the safety performance of specific sections of the M1 and M6 smart motorways where clusters of incidents have occurred previously.
We commissioned evidence-led, independent incident and infrastructure investigations at four locations.
- M6 Junction 5 to 6 dynamic hard shoulder (Bromford Viaduct)
- M1 Junction 10 to 13 dynamic hard shoulder
- M1 Junction 30 to 35 all lane running
- M1 Junction 39 to 42 all lane running
These sections of motorway were subject to consideration in the evidence stocktake because of concerns about clusters of incidents.
As part of these reviews and our responses, we looked at the schemes from a holistic perspective, as we do with any of our roads, and not solely at smart motorway features. This was to ensure that safety enhancements are considered and acted upon, whether they relate to the smart motorway features specifically, or are related to other standard motorway features, such as road layout, geometry and other factors.
We thoroughly reviewed the recommended interventions to assess their viability and developed delivery programmes for extra measures.
Independent review findings
The objective of the independent investigations was to review collision and incident data to determine if there were clusters and trends. A wide range of data and information was considered including evidence gathered on site and from discussions with our operational staff.
Overall the reviews found that the incidents that had occurred on these sections had contributory factors that are found on any high-speed road. These include lane changing, shunts and live lane breakdowns. Our proposed actions are targeting the specific issues identified by the independent reviews to improve safety at each of the locations. We are continuing to monitor the performance of these sections to determine whether our interventions have improved safety. If safety issues remain we will look at alternative actions to address the issues identified.
The key findings from each investigation are detailed in the reports, alongside the recommended interventions from the independent reviews and the actions we are taking.
Our response to the independent review
We published our reports detailing our plans to further improve safety on sections of the M1 and M6.
We had already acted on many of the issues identified by the independent safety reviews.
For example on the M1 we had reduced flooding hotspots, which could increase skidding risk and started work to install technology to detect stopped vehicles.
And on the M6 we had adjusted the opening and closing procedures for the hard shoulder so it is kept open only when it is really needed, maximising the time when the hard shoulder is available.
Our programme
We have completed all actions to be completed by March 2023 for the ALR sections of motorway on the M1 junctions 30 to 35 and M1 junction 39 to 42.
The actions we set out for the M6 junctions 5 to 6 and M1 junctions 10 to 13 were due to be taken forward as part of the work to convert DHS motorways to ALR. The Government’s response to the 2021 TSC report paused this conversion work. In response to the pause we revisited our plans.
On 15 April 2023 the Government announced that plans for new smart motorways would be cancelled in recognition of the lack of public confidence felt by drivers and cost pressures.
Plans to convert these sections of motorway to the latest All Lane Running standard have been cancelled. In the Government's response to the 2021 Transport Select Committee report into smart motorways, it committed to consider alternative ways in which to operate dynamic hard shoulder motorways.
The Government and National Highways continue to invest £900 million in further safety improvements on existing smart motorways, and to give motorists clear advice when using existing smart motorways.
On the M6 junctions 5 to 6 and M1 junctions 10 to 13 we are installing further safety measures and are on track to complete them by end of March 2025.
We have published an updated M1 and M6 Incident and Infrastructure Investigations summary report which provides an update on all our actions.
For example, on the M1, we have installed signs at the M1 Junction 40 bridge, introduced new signage at junction 11 and 12 to assist traffic movement at these junctions, completed the removal of additional vegetation on the M1 junction 30 to 35 and started the construction of an additional emergency area near M1 Woodall services.
And on the M6 we have installed additional emergency area signage, and will shortly be introducing enhanced CCTV monitoring of traffic on Bromford Viaduct.
The updated report also includes the updates to six actions following the pause in the conversion programme.
Additional measures to enhance safety of the M1 and M6 sections
In addition to the review findings, wider measures previously committed to will further enhance safety on these smart motorway sections.
Emergency areas
We have made all emergency areas more visible, with orange surfacing, and by the end of September 2022, drivers will almost always be able to see a sign indicating where the next emergency area is.
Stopped vehicle detection
By the end of September 2022, we will have installed radar stopped vehicle detection (SVD) technology on all lane running sections. On DHS schemes, we plan to upgrade the central reservation barriers to concrete, where they are not already in place, and introduce technology to spot stopped vehicles.
Advice for drivers
The Highway Code was updated in Autumn 2021 meaning drivers have more, easy-to-find information on how to drive on high-speed roads, including smart motorways.
We continue to deliver our national public information campaign, Go Left, which gives drivers clear information about what to do in a breakdown. And we have launched our Driving on Motorways hub which provides a central point for all our information and advice on motorway driving.
This document provides an update on our delivery of all actions one year on from the publication of the M1 and M6 infrastructure investigations, set in the context of the programme changes brought about by the Government’s response to the Transport Select Committee’s recommendations.
The Government's 2020 Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan committed to urgently investigate what more could be done at four specific sections of the M1 and M6 smart motorways to improve safety further. This report summarises the findings of independent reviews undertaken at these locations, and our responses and the actions we are taking.
The Government's 2020 Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan committed to urgently investigate what more could be done at four specific sections of the M1 and M6 smart motorways to improve safety further. This report details our response to an independent review of the M6 J5 to 6 and includes the actions we are taking.
The Government's 2020 Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan committed to urgently investigate what more could be done at four specific sections of the M1 and M6 smart motorways to improve safety further. This report details our response to an independent review of the M1 J10 to 13 and includes the actions we are taking.
The Government's 2020 Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan committed to urgently investigate what more could be done at four specific sections of the M1 and M6 smart motorways to improve safety further. This report details our response to an independent review of the M1 30 to 35 and includes the actions we are taking.
The Government's 2020 Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan committed to urgently investigate what more could be done at four specific sections of the M1 and M6 smart motorways to improve safety further. This report details our response to an independent review of the M1 J39 to 42 and includes the actions we are taking
The Government's 2020 Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan committed to urgently investigate what more could be done at four specific sections of the M1 and M6 smart motorways to improve safety further. This report details the findings of an evidence led independent review of the M6 J5 to 6. Potential interventions to improve safety further are identified. Published September 2021. Updated May 2022 - version includes updated figure/table referencing and clarification over status of collision data used.
The Government's 2020 Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan committed to urgently investigate what more could be done at four specific sections of the M1 and M6 smart motorways to improve safety further. This report details the findings of an evidence led independent review of the M1 J10 to 13. Potential interventions to improve safety further are identified. Published September 2021. Updated May 2022 - version includes updated figure/table referencing and clarification over status of collision data used.
The Government's 2020 Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan committed to urgently investigate what more could be done at four specific sections of the M1 and M6 smart motorways to improve safety further. This report details the findings of an evidence led independent review of the M1 J30 to 35. Potential interventions to improve safety further are identified. Published September 2021. Updated May 2022 - version includes updated figure/table referencing and clarification over status of collision data used.
The Government's 2020 Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan committed to urgently investigate what more could be done at four specific sections of the M1 and M6 smart motorways to improve safety further. This report details the findings of an evidence led independent review of the M1 J39 to 42. Potential interventions to improve safety further are identified. Published September 2021. Updated May 2022 - version includes updated figure/table referencing and clarification over status of collision data used.
