Dev Naran, from Leicester, died instantly on a hard shoulder being used as a smart motorway lane on the M6 in May last year after his grandfather’s Toyota Yaris was hit by a lorry travelling at 56mph. Emma Brown, the West Midlands area coroner, raised concerns about a “risk to life from the loss of the hard shoulder” in conjunction with a lack of technology to spot lone stationary vehicles, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

The coroner said she wanted information from Highways England on how it can improve detection of stranded motorists following the inquest last week.

A Highways England executive told the inquest the company was testing a radar system to detect stationary vehicles and said currently they rely on a call from the public, police or an employee watching live CCTV.

It is not known why Dev’s grandfather Bhanuchandra Lodhia stopped on the hard shoulder before being struck.

Dev’s parents, Meera and Dilesh Naran, are calling for a review on smart motorway safety.

Mrs Naran said: “Why have people not been taught about these smart motorways?

“I have lost my son and my family has been destroyed. My father and the lorry driver have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives.

“I keep coming back to how this accident would not have happened if there had been a proper hard shoulder.”

It comes as a recent study by KwikFit suggested more than half of UK motorists have avoided the hard shoulder on smart motorways.

A quarter of those said they were concerned that a stationary vehicle could be ahead.

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Hundreds of miles of motorways across England have been converted into the controversial roads.

On smart motorways, the hard shoulder is used as a permanent or part-time running lane.

Red Xs are used to indicate when a lane is closed, such as when a vehicle has broken down.

But motoring groups have warned the roads pose a safety risk as vehicles that break down in live lanes risk being hit.

A Highways England spokesman insisted research shows smart motorways lead to fewer collisions and reduced congestion.

The spokesman added: “First and foremost our deepest sympathies are with the family of Dev Naran and those affected by this tragic incident.

“Smart motorways include more features than conventional motorways to further enhance safety, and both are significantly safer for drivers than other roads.

“Any death on our network is one too many and we take our responsibilities very seriously.

“The coroner stated that there was no evidence of any legitimate reason for the Toyota Yaris stopping in a live lane.

“We cannot urge drivers strongly enough to ensure they only stop on the motorway in an emergency and to then follow published advice, found at highwaysengland.co.uk/motorways, about what to do next.

“We are awaiting the coroner’s report which we will review.”

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