News > Smart motorways: Four-hour technology failure 'wasn't ideal'

Smart motorways: Four-hour technology failure 'wasn't ideal'

The software failure, which lasted between 17:45 and 21:30 GMT on 26 October, affected all routes apart from sections in the south and south east. This put drivers who had to stop on the roads at potential risk of being hit. National Highways' operations director defended the safety of the motorways. At the end of 2020 there were 369 miles of smart motorways in England, including 168 miles without a hard shoulder.