They have been on the English road network for many years now, but a major survey has discovered that more than half of British drivers don’t actually know what the rules of a smart motorway actually are.

Green Flag surveyed 2,010 UK motorists and though they found that three out of four drivers knew what a smart motorway was, only 48 per cent actually knew how to legally drive on them.

Perhaps the most worrying statistic is that there are 25 per cent of drivers out there who don’t know what a smart motorway is or how to drive on them.

Currently smart motorways can only be found in England, and the fact that English drivers demonstrate a bit better knowledge of the roads than the rest of the UK may give a hint as to where some of the confusion lies, but there is still more questions than answers.

The same survey questioned drivers on a range of motorway safety guidelines, such as the safe stopping distance, with an encouraging 78 per cent understanding that they need to leave a two second gap between themselves and the vehicle in front - although 18 per cent, almost one in five, admit to know sticking to this rule.

Damon Jowett, head of service delivery at Green Flag, added: “Motorways are a vital part of the UK’s infrastructure and are widely used by drivers across the country every day, and so the debate around smart motorways is an ongoing one.

“While the smart motorways system allows for drivers to get to their destination more easily, understanding of the rules is paramount to ensure road safety. Our latest report has highlighted concerning gaps in driver awareness, and here at Green Flag, we want to help increase driver awareness for motorway driving to ensure these roads are as safe as possible.”

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