National Highways has missed its 10-minute response time target for reaching stopped vehicles on a smart motorway by five per cent, as figures show it is taking 10 minutes 29 seconds to support stranded drivers.

The Telegraph reports ten minute target was one of four safety requirements implemented by the Government-owned company to boost protection on England’s smart motorways network, including the installation of additional emergency signs, enforcement cameras and stopped vehicle detection.

The report says the missed target comes after figures suggested that stopped drivers are twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured on a smart motorway than on a traditional one with a hard shoulder

National Highways’ second-year progress report in May 2022 stated that four of those would be in place by the end of September, but the 10-minute response time target remained just out of reach.

(Picture – National Highways)