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More than half of all drivers don't know what an emergency refuge area is

Date: 23 May 2017   |   Author: Daniel Puddicombe

Half of all motorists are unaware of what an emergency refuge area on a smart motorway is, according to a new survey.

The RAC said it polled 2,000 drivers and 52% admitted they were unfamiliar with the areas.

The breakdown company said the findings were "disturbing" as the zones are intended to be a safe haven for broken-down or accident-stricken vehicles to stop in the absence of a hard shoulder.

The RAC's poll also found that two-thirds (64%) didn't know what to do after stopping or how to re-join the motorway (65%).

Only one person knew that they should contact Highways England to allow their return onto the motorway if the hard shoulder is operational as a running lane, with other respondents suggesting they should wait for a gap in the traffic and accelerate as quickly as possible.

Despite a lack of awareness of what an emergency refuge area is, there is good awareness of when it is acceptable to stop in the area, with 98% of respondents saying they should be used in a breakdown situation and 90% stated they should be used following an accident.

"Even though the first smart motorway was created more than 10 years ago and more schemes have come into operation in the last few years there will still be many people who have not driven on one purely as a result of where they live and drive. Existing signage for emergency refuge areas is clear but will be further improved to make it even better for everyone," said David Bizley, RAC chief engineer. "It is essential that motorists understand how and when to use an emergency refuge area so they do not put their own safety and that of other road users at risk."



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