A mum whose partner died while working to recover a broken down car is campaigning for a change to the highway code and an end to the roll-out of Smart Motorways.

Sam Cockerill's partner, Steven Godbold, was hit and killed by a lorry on the M25 near Sevenoaks in 2017.

The 52-year-old recovery worker was struck as he stood on the hard shoulder on a call out.

The lorry driver, Dariusz Mrozek, 42, was jailed for death by careless driving for a year and 10 months in October 2018.

Miss Cockerill, from Walderslade, fears more people might experience the same tragedy if Smart Motorways are introduced.

She believes drivers should be better informed as to what to do in the event they break down on motorways.

As upgrades on the M20, between junctions 3 for the M26 and junction 5 for Aylesford and Maidstone, draw to a close later this year, she said she is concerned the new style roads could pose even more of a risk to drivers.

Mr Godbold was killed on a traditional motorway with a hard shoulder and Miss Cockerill fears what could happen to people when that is removed.

She said: "I worry about my loved ones doing long journeys now because of how dangerous the roads are. I'm a confident driver but it has affected me.

"If I know I have got to go on a smart motorway I stress for days before."

In a bid to prevent other people being killed, she has been promoting the Slow Down Move Over UK campaign, which aims to raise awareness of how to deal with hazards in the road.

The group was inspired by the Move Over law adopted in the United States which requires drivers to move into another lane as soon as possible if they see a car stopped on the hard shoulder or in a lane in front of them.

The 35-year-old said: "I have been contacting people to try and get them on board. The long term goal is to get it as law in the UK.

"Nothing is going to bring him back but if we can make people think about what they're doing on Smart Motorways it could save a life."

One way she thinks dangers could be eliminated is through better education for new drivers and an alteration to the highway code.

Miss Cockerill is also the face of Campaign for Safer Roadside Rescue & Recovery.

The group is calling on the government to protect the lives of recovery workers by replacing the amber lights on their vehicles with red warning beacons.

It is also requesting an end to the roll-out of Smart Motorways.

When Mr Godbold died, he left behind three adult children and a one-year-old baby, Olivia, which he had with Miss Cockerill.

The mother, who met Steven on London commuter coaches, says her now three-year-old tells people her dad watches her from heaven.

She said her eldest daughter Lyla, from a previous relationship, struggled the most with his death.

"For a long time she didn’t want to go on motorways and if she saw an ambulance on the side of the road it freaked her out.

"The impact these accidents have is far wider than you realise."

Talking in Parliament on Wednesday, Chatham and Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch spoke of Miss Cockerill's loss while urging the government to reassess its investment in Smart Motorway upgrades.

The works began in 2018 and are due to finish this March.

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