Hard shoulders as lanes 'could increase car insurance claims'

Posted :24-10-2007

The hard shoulder must not become an additional lane on our motorways, according to car insurance provider Direct Line.

While acknowledging the success of a pilot scheme that has taken place on the M42, where motorists have been directed to use an 11-mile stretch of the hard shoulder from south of Birmingham to Warwickshire, the insurer states that it should not become the status quo.

Tony Chilcott, head of car insurance at Direct Line, comments that drivers unsure of road safety rules or who are in a hurry as they use the hard shoulder may cause an accident

"It is feasible that a motorist misusing the hard shoulder as a running lane could slam into a broken down vehicle on the hard shoulder, causing a major accident," he notes.

The hard shoulder has been open on the M42 stretch of motorway as part of a Highways Agency scheme called Active Traffic Management since September 12th.


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