“I am very pleased that the Select Committee has called for a pause in rolling out any further ‘smart’ motorways until there has been more research into their safety.

“I have always supported Claire Mercer’s campaign against them, especially since local coroners in South Yorkshire made it clear that these motorways contributed towards deaths.

“I remain firmly convinced that the way in which safety is measured is flawed.

“There is little point comparing conventional motorways with the sort of smart motorways we have in South Yorkshire where there are gantries and speed and traffic flow is regulated.

“In any case, there is a common sense test: if you came to a stop in a live running lane, would you really feel and be safer if there were no hard shoulder to pull onto?

“Even if a breakdown is detected, there will be a time lapse before a controller is able to stop vehicles using the lane by showing a red cross above it on the gantry.

“I believe the government has to stop any further roll out of these plans and restore the hard shoulder.”