B

Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 11 February 2026

Debate

Smart Motorways

Contribution

My noble friend raises an interesting point, but I have to go back to the fact that 793 people were killed or seriously injured on the motorways in 2023, compared with 1,120 on A-roads. Making sure that we consider carefully how we can improve driver safety, whether that means looking at young people or at older people—we know that eye tests are being proposed—is fundamental. I go back to the point that we are prepared to tolerate a level of death and injury on our roads that is, frankly, unacceptable. If such accidents and injuries happened on any other part of the transport network, there would be outrage. It is down to all of us to take very seriously, and not to be overcritical of, the attempts to change safety on our roads.

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