Stopped vehicle detection upgrades

Making journeys even safer with radar-based technology

Stopped vehicle detection upgrades

What's happening

We've upgraded motorways across the country with technology which detects stopped vehicles .

Every existing motorway where the hard shoulder has been permanently converted to a live traffic lane (known as All Lane Running) now has the new radar-based technology in place.

This new stopped vehicle detection enhances the existing system of inter-related features that work together reduce the risks associated with live lane stops.

Adding the technology was a key commitment from the Government’s smart motorway evidence stocktake and action plan, published in March 2020. We delivered it in September 2022, six months ahead of the original target (subject to ongoing internal audit). 

We are also adding stopped vehicle detection to All lane Running schemes still under construction, with no new stretches opening without it.


How it works

We've installed new radar units at the side of the road to monitor the motorway in both directions, detecting vehicles that have stopped.

The advantage of this new system is that it is specifically designed to detect a stationary vehicle and alert a control room operator who can:

  • see the incident on camera
  • close lanes
  • dispatch a National Highways traffic officer to attend to the stopped vehicle.

Stopped vehicle detection enables us to respond quicker by:

  • setting ‘report of obstruction’ warning signs
  • setting a Red X signal to close one or more lanes
  • adjusting speed limits and deploying traffic officers

Our programme

We delivered these upgrades in phases, with the majority of the work carried out using overnight lane closures with all restrictions removed during the day.

All upgrades were completed on every exiting operational section of All Lane Running motorway by the end of September 2022.

Location Region Status
M25 J5-7 (M26 near Clacket Lane to M23 near Hooley) South East Already in place
M25 J23-27 (South Mimms to M11 near Epping Forest)

South East

Already in place

M3 J2-4a (Thorpe Interchange to Farnborough)

South East

In place since December 2020

M20 J3-5 (M26 merge to Aylesford)

South East

In place since March 2021

M1 J32-35a (Thurcroft to Stocksbridge)

Yorkshire and North East

In place since December 2021

M6 J2-4 (Coventry to Coleshill)

Midlands

In place since January 2022
M23 J8-10 (M25 junction to Crawley) South East In place since December 2021
M1 J23a-25 (East Midlands Airport to Nottingham/Derby turn off) Midlands In place since September 2022

M1 J39-42 (Durkar to Lofthouse)

Yorkshire and North East In place since February 2022
M1 J28-31 (Alfreton to Sheffield/Worksop turn off) Yorkshire and North East In place since July 2022
M62 J10-12 (M6 near Fearnhead to M60 near Alder Forest) North West In place since April 2022
M5 J4a-6 (Catshill to Worcester) Midlands In place since March 2022
M6 J16-19 (Stoke-on-Trent to Knutsford) North West In place since September 2022
M62 J18-20 (Simister Island to Rochdale) North West In place since August 2022
M6 J10a-13 (Essington to Stafford South) Midlands In place since August 2022
M1 J16-19 (Daventry to the Catthorpe Interchange) Midlands In place since August 2022
M4 J8/9-12 (Maidenhead to Reading) South East

Installation included with M4 junctions 3 to 12 smart motorway major scheme

M4 J3-8/9 (Heston to Maidenhead) South East Installation included with M4 junctions 3 to 12 smart motorway major scheme
M27 J4-11 (Southampton to Fareham/Gosport) South East Installation included with M27 junctions 4 to 11 smart motorway major scheme
M6 J13-15 (Stafford South to Stoke-on-Trent) Midlands

Installation included with M6 junction 13 to 15 smart motorway major scheme

M1 J13-16 (Bedford to Daventry) Midlands Installation included with M1 junction 13 to 16 smart motorway major scheme
M56 J6-8 (Hales Four Seasons roundabout to Tatton) North West

Installation included with M56 junction 6 to 8 smart motorway major scheme

M6 J21a-26 (Croft Interchange to Orrell Interchange) North West

Installation included with M6 junction 21a to 26 smart motorway major scheme


Find out more

You can email the project team directly at: stoppedvehicledetection@nationalhighways.co.uk

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