What's happened
An investigation has uncovered frequent failures of safety equipment on smart motorways in England, with technology outages occurring at an alarming rate. The failures have raised concerns about the safety of drivers and the effectiveness of smart motorways in regulating traffic flow and preventing accidents.
Why it matters
The frequent failures of safety technology on smart motorways in England pose a significant risk to drivers and have sparked calls for urgent action to address the ongoing safety concerns. The investigation sheds light on the potential dangers of smart motorways and highlights the need for improved safety measures to protect motorists.
What the papers say
BBC News reports that the technology behind England's smart motorway network frequently stops working, while The Independent highlights the findings of an investigation showing hundreds of incidents of safety equipment failures on smart motorways. The AA president's call for the reinstatement of hard shoulders on smart motorways is emphasized in both reports.
How we got here
Smart motorways were introduced in England to regulate traffic flow and ease congestion, with some sections using the hard shoulder as a permanent live traffic lane. However, concerns have been raised about the safety of smart motorways following fatal incidents involving vehicles stranded in live lanes being hit from behind. The recent investigation has revealed a high number of power outages affecting safety equipment on smart motorways.
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