M1 motorway to get orange emergency areas

Trial on M3 extended to M1 motorway between junctions 16 to 19

M1 motorwayTrials of high-visibility orange smart motorway emergency areas are being extended to the M1, after first being launched on the M3 near Camberley in July.

The new-look emergency areas have orange road surfaces and benefit from much clearer advance signage, as Highways England tries to both improve their visibility and encourage their safe use.

14 of the new-look orange emergency areas are being installed on the M1 between junction 16 (Northampton) and junction 19 (Catthrope) as part of an ongoing smart motorway upgrade for the busy section.


What is a smart motorway?

A smart motorway is one using variable speed limits to control traffic flow and try to avoid stop-start congestion. Since 2004, smart motorway upgrades have also converted the hard shoulder into an additional running lane for when traffic is heavy.

An extended CCTV network helps Highways England operators monitor the motorway: they can immediately close lanes when they observe an incident.

Highways England says smart motorways improve journey times “and are just as safe as conventional motorways”. Some drivers remain confused by them – for example, continuing to drive on the hard shoulder when it is closed.

This is why Highways England is stepping up efforts to inform motorists. A national TV, radio and social media campaign is currently running, to tell drivers not to use lanes closed by ‘Red X’ overhead signs.


Highways England chief executive Jim O’Sullivan hopes the move will help allay motorists’ safety concerns over smart motorways. “We recognise the public concern about smart motorways and we will also believe that changes such as these will help drivers have confidence when using them and be clear about where they can stop in an emergency.”

Hence the new orange emergency areas. “The bright orange colouring will make them as easy as possible to spot and should also discourage drivers from using them in non-emergency situations.

“I hope it helps drivers feel more confident about using a smart motorway.”

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Richard Aucock
Richard Aucockhttps://www.richardaucock.co.uk/
Richard is director at Motoring Research. He has been with us since 2001, and has been a motoring journalist even longer. He won the IMCO Motoring Writer of the Future Award in 1996 and the acclaimed Sir William Lyons Award in 1998. Both awards are run by the Guild of Motoring Writers and Richard is currently vice chair of the world's largest organisation for automotive media professionals. Richard is also a juror and Steering Committee director for World Car Awards and the UK juror for the AUTOBEST awards.

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