Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the relative safety of breaking down in a live lane on an all lane running motorway and a motorway that has a hard shoulder.

The original safety assessment of all lane running included the safety of a vehicle stopping in a running lane during peak and off-peak periods. It also identified a range of measures, such as the provision of traffic management technology and emergency areas, designed to ensure overall all lane running safety levels would be at least as safe as those of a traditional motorway with a hard shoulder.

The smart motorway schemes between junctions J5-7 and 23-27 of the M25 were the first to be designed to the all lane running standard, and were completed in 2014. The performance of both schemes was monitored and reports published after one, two and three years of operation which included an assessment of safety and performance data.

M25 3 year evaluation reports:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/m25-junction-5-to-7-third-year-evaluation-report

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/m25-junction-23-to-27-third-year-evaluation-report

The review shows that the all lane running sections are performing well and in line with expectations; successfully increasing capacity and improving journeys for motorists. These reviews found that the M25 schemes delivered an overall 27% safety improvement.