Half of Brits don’t want their friends or family driving on a smart motorway, says survey

Half of British drivers don’t like the idea of their friends and family using smart motorways, new research has revealed.

A study commissioned by GoCompare Car Insurance found that close to a third of drivers did not want to drive on a smart motorway, with this figure increasing to 40 per cent for those aged 65 and over.

Nearly the same number of 18 to 24-year-olds – 39 per cent – also said that they would rather not drive on smart motorways too.

Ryan Fulthorpe, car insurance expert at GoCompare said: “Our research shows that there is clearly a need for further education about the smart motorway system for all ages.

“The fact that more experienced drivers are reluctant to use these new road systems would come as no surprise, but that nearly the same number of young drivers are also keen to avoid using smart motorways just shows that British motorists don’t know enough about them to feel confident when driving on these new kinds of roads.”

The survey of 2,060 adults found that nearly half of those questioned admitted that they weren’t sure what to do in the event of a breakdown on a smart motorway. These sections of highway often feature digitally managed hard shoulders, which can be switched on and off in order to help with congestion at certain times.

Fulthorpe added: “This is a clear demonstration that, before a further roll-out of these road networks across the UK can begin, a clear and simple driver education campaign must be carried out to ensure British motorists are taking to these roads knowing how they work, and most importantly, how to navigate them safely.”

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