A coroner has stated that smart motorways without a hard shoulder carry “an ongoing risk of future deaths” after recording a version of unlawful killing into the deaths of two men on the M1 in 2019.
Thee BBC reports that Coroner David Urpeth has called for a review of smart motorways after closing the inquest into Jason Mercer, 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, who died when Prezemyslaw Szuba crashed his lorry into their vehicles near Sheffield. They had crashed and were exchanging details in a running lane when the crash happened.
Highways England said it was “addressing many of the points raised”.
The BBC quotes Highways England as saying it was “determined” to do everything it could to make roads as safe as possible and was already addressing many of the points raised by the coroner “as published in the Government’s Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan of March 2020”.
“We will carefully consider any further comments raised by the coroner once we receive the report,” it added.
(Picture – Highways News)
