Classic car owners are going out of their way to avoid driving on smart motorways because they are “frightened” of being hit from behind while stopped in live lanes.
Drivers of cars which are typically older than 25 years said motorways without a hard shoulder have “too many risks” because their vehicles’ age makes them particularly susceptible to breaking down.
Alan Hames, who worked as a highways engineer for more than 50 years before retiring, said he takes detours to avoid smart motorways when driving his 1972 E-Type Jaguar V12 Roadster.
He added 26 miles to a return trip from his home in Northamptonshire to a recent rare-car event in south-west London by using the M40 – which has a hard shoulder – rather than the M1, which does not.
Mr Hames added: “I know many other classic car owners who take long detours to avoid these deadly smart motorway death traps.
“Our classics are well looked after but cars like mine built 50 years ago are not as reliable as modern motors.
“At least a hard shoulder gives drivers the option of getting to relative safety.”
Meanwhile, Gaynor Cauter, editor of Jaguar Driver magazine, said she is one of many car enthusiasts who try to steer clear of smart motorways.
“I hear regularly from drivers of Jaguars – classic and modern – who are so frightened of breaking down on smart motorways that they make every effort to avoid them, and I include myself in that number,” she said.
What problems can smart motorways cause?
Around 10% of England’s motorway network is made up of smart motorways.
They involve various methods to manage the flow of traffic, such as converting the hard shoulder into a live running lane and variable speed limits.
READ MORE: More than half of motorists worry about driving on UK roads
A technology called SVD (stopped vehicle detection) should warn drivers if a car has broken down ahead on the hard shoulder.
However, multiple surveys have indicated that many drivers do not use the inside lane on smart motorways as they are worried there might be a broken-down vehicle ahead.
AA president Edmund King told the PA news agency: “Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described smart motorways as ‘unsafe’.
“It really is time for National Highways and transport ministers to go back to the drawing board.
“The rollout of new smart motorways has been halted but urgent action is needed on the current confusion.
“Reinstating the hard shoulder and enforcing better lane discipline might just do the trick.”
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