Hard shoulders expected to be used as extra lanes - Brake reaction

A Government leak reported in the Daily Mail suggests hard shoulders will be used as extra lanes on more motorways following a pilot scheme in Birmingham. The Government was expected to make an announcement on Thursday 11th October 2007.

Cathy Keeler, Head of Campaigns at Brake says: “Brake is still concerned about access for emergency vehicles in the event of a crash. In a traffic jam paramedics can currently use the hard shoulder to jump queues in order to reach crash sites in the shortest possible time. In the event of all lanes, including the hard shoulder, being blocked, how will they get through? A few minutes’ delay can make the difference between life and death for a person who is critically injured.”