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<p>The Government has always been clear that the benefits of smart motorways will
not be delivered at the expense of safety, with Highways England setting a strict
objective that each scheme should be at least as safe as a traditional motorway.</p><p>
</p><p>Operational evidence shows no consistent correlation between the number of
vehicles stopping in live lane on smart motorways and the spacing of emergency areas
– with a broadly comparable live lane breakdown rate even where emergency areas were
three times further apart.</p><p> </p><p>However, to help drivers feel more confident
they can find a place to stop in an emergency, Highways England are reducing the maximum
spacing of emergency areas on future smart motorway schemes from about every mile
and a half (about 90 seconds at 60mph) to around every mile (about every minute at
60mph).</p><p> </p><p>Highways England is committed to improving its emergency areas
on the M20 by installing improved signage and conspicuous orange surfacing.</p>
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