Dangers of the M4 'smart' motorway they don't want you to see

The M4 westbound from junction 10. There's a developing hazard ahead but little to no warning of what's coming. I'm travelling well below the speed limit but have my options to slow or change lane reduced due to traffic right behind me and on my offside travelling at some speed.

Highways officers are actually with the breakdown ahead but you'll notice that there are no warnings on the gantries. One warning of an obstruction ahead is actually cleared as I approach!

There are no lane closures, no red Xs, no speed restrictions.

This is a newly opened 'smart' motorway. It's dangerous and going to get someone killed.

With no hard shoulder and refuges far to far apart this driver is stuck in a live lane.

Highways are with the vehicle, yet despite assurances that radar and CCTV will prompt the overhead gantries to warn drivers and slow traffic this has not happened. This is a complete failure of the safety systems we were assured existed.

Highways officers have not got their control room to update the overhead gantries. They sent a vehicle to this suspected breakdown, labelled it a possible 'obstruction' but failed to confirm a live lane was blocked, failed to update the overheads and were sending traffic at national speed limits into an obstructed lane.

[Leedslad]

Thanks for sharing your video, and I'm glad you were able to avoid the stranded vehicle, despite the failings of the new technology which is supposed to compensate for the theft of our hard shoulder. You are quite right - All Lane Running Smart Motorways are dangerous by design, and the government needs to order National Highways to do the job properly - as opposed to the bodge job they have produced. Controlled Motorways which retain a permanent, continuous and dedicated hard shoulder are the only way forward, but the "best in class" tech is clearly not fit for purpose. Please consider lending your support to the Smart Motorways Kill campaign, and help us to rid the UK of deadly ALR Smart Motorways. Thanks again, and stay safe.

[kennethatkins]

smart motorways cheap "get out for highways, just cost more lives lost . They see this as efficient reward for money not spent on upgrading the system properly, and a few quid to their mates in the right supplier chain ?

[acceleratedsloth]

It was YOU who broke the law and overtook illegally 2 cars in front of you!