Breakdowns four times more likely on smart motorways

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Wed, 25 Jun 2025

Drivers are four times more likely to break down on a smart motorway, a new Freedom of Information request has revealed.

There were 110,212 breakdowns reported on regular motorways with a hard shoulder in 2024 – compared to a hefty 141,149 breakdowns on operational smart motorways.

This is equivalent to a staggering 316 breakdowns per mile of smart motorway and just 75 breakdowns per mile of regular motorway.

Even more worrying, the number of breakdowns reported on smart motorways is rising. Back in 2022, there were around 108k incidents reported on smart motorways. That’s equivalent to 243 breakdowns per mile – 73% less than the latest figures reveal.

In comparison, the number of incidents reported per mile on regular motorways has remained steady, at around 75, since 2022.

Go.Compare, which sent the Freedom of Information request to National Highways about motorway breakdowns, calls the high number of breakdowns on smart motorways ‘alarming’, given that there are far fewer miles of them across the country.

"It could be down to something as simple as them potentially being watched more closely, to ensure that the ‘Red Xs’ are displayed properly," says its car insurance expert Tom Banks.

Or he says the figures could indicate that road conditions are poorer on smart motorways, maybe due to the increased volume of traffic.

The overall number of motorway breakdowns has risen significantly over the past decade, from around 171k in 2014 to over 251k in 2024.

That’s a 47% increase.

The number of breakdowns per mile travelled on motorways has gone up too, up from 2.98 breakdowns per million miles travelled in 2014, to 3.99 breakdowns last year.

Banks reminds drivers that if they do break down on a smart motorway and can’t make it to a refuge area, to move as far left as you can – but only leave the car if you’re next to the verge. Otherwise, keep your hazards and seatbelt on, then call 999 straight away.

Ask HJ

How do I know when do the restrictions on smart motorways end?

I regularly drive on a 20 mile stretch of smart motorway, often late at night. When do "restrictions" end? For example, if two left lanes show red X and right two lanes show 40 limit ( X X 40 40) and I therefore move to lane 3 and proceed at 40 mph. The next gantry shows X X 40 40, so I carry on at 40 in lane 3. Then the gantries do not show anything. But I've not had any notification that lanes 1 and 2 are open or that national speed limit applies.... Do I carry on in lane 3 at 40 mph until the national speed limit fixed sign at the end of the "smart" motorway? Do I accelerate and move left to lane 1 when the overhead gantries are blank? What do you think?

If a temporary speed limit or X has been displayed in a lane, it is advisable to assume its continuation until contrary information is provided, in the same way that you should obey a fixed speed limit sign even in the absence of further signs. Potentially you could continue at normal motorway speeds if no temporary speed limit is displayed on an overhead gantry, but there is always the potential for the gantry to be inoperative and in the event of a speed camera being triggered or being stopped by the police you would need to defend your actions on the basis of there being no posted limit.

Answered by David Ross

More Questions