Panorama: Smart Motorways—When Technology Fails, 22 April 2024, BBC One

On Monday night Panorama looks at the controversial topic of smart motorways, examining the safety concerns and the impact of technological failures. With the rollout of new smart motorways halted due to safety fears, this episode focuses on the existing 250 miles of smart motorway network and the potential dangers when technology fails.

The episode reveals hundreds of incidents where crucial safety equipment was out of action, leaving motorists vulnerable. Between June 2022 and February 2024, there were 397 power outages on smart motorways, sometimes lasting for days. This raises serious questions about the safety of these roads when the technology designed to protect motorists fails.

The programme also investigates the impact of radar system faults, with 2,331 faults recorded in 2022, each lasting an average of more than five days. With radar technology only installed on a small fraction of the network, the effectiveness of the system in detecting stranded vehicles is called into question.

Panorama speaks to a traffic officer who works on the network and no longer considers it safe, as well as bereaved families who have lost loved ones in smart motorway accidents. The episode also includes an interview with Claire Mercer, who has been campaigning for the return of the hard shoulder after her husband’s death on a smart motorway.

As the government invests £900 million in technology to improve safety, Panorama raises crucial questions about the reliability of these systems and the potential consequences when they fail.

Panorama: Smart Motorways—When Technology Fails airs on BBC One at 9.00 pm on Monday, 22 April 2024.