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A Kent MP who fought for extra safety measures on the M20 wants the government to urgently review smart motorways following a coroners ruling they "present an ongoing risk of future deaths".
At an inquest into the death of Jason Mercer, 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, on the M1 in South Yorkshire in 2019, a coroner said the main cause of death was careless driving after a lorry driver ploughed into their vehicles which stood stationary in lane one.
But, recording a conclusion of unlawful killing, coroner David Urpeth said: “I find, as a finding of fact, it is clear a lack of hard shoulder contributed to this tragedy.”
Mr Urpeth said he will be writing to Highways England and Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps recommending a review of smart motorways.
Following the hearing Tracey Crouch, MP for Chatham and Aylesford, said: “It has sadly taken two lost lives and a coroner to point out what we all know – smart motorways are anything but smart.
"I hope the government takes note and reviews the safety of all lane running motorways, such as that on the M20, urgently to avoid future tragedies.”
Ms Crouch has been vocal about her views towards smart motorways since the stretch of the M20 between junction 3 for West Malling, and junction 5 for Aylesford was converted.
It opened in April last year without the use of stopped vehicle detection technology.
At the time Ms Crouch expressed her concern saying no smart motorway should open without the "potentially life-saving" equipment.
Now, almost a year after the 6.5-mile stretch opened, Highways England has announced it hopes to install the technology this month.
Jason Mercer, 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, died on the M1 on June 7, 2019.
The tragedy happened after a slight collision between a Ford Focus driven by Mr Mercer, and a Ford Transit driven by Mr Murgeanu.
'It has sadly taken two lost lives and a coroner to point out what we all know – smart motorways are anything but smart...'
The two vehicles stopped in lane one of the four-lane motorway just north of junction 34, on the northbound carriageway, and both men had got out of their vehicles.
The coroner was told the vehicles had been stationary for about six minutes when they were hit by a lorry driven by Prezemyslaw Szuba’s Mercedes lorry, which was travelling at 56mph.
Szuba, 40, from Hull, East Yorkshire, was jailed for 10 months in October after admitting causing the deaths by careless driving.
Mr Urpeth told an inquest at Sheffield town hall: “I believe that smart motorways, as things currently stand, present an ongoing risk of future deaths.”
He added he cannot recall seeing any form of education for the public on how to use smart motorways, saying this was a “sad indictment” of those charged with providing this information.
