Biker brands smart motorways as ‘death traps’ after horror M6 crash

A biker involved in a motorcyclists’ worst nightmare has called smart motorways a ‘death trap’ after he was involved in a crash that left him with life-changing injuries.

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Jack Gallowtree was travelling on the M6 from Manchester last month when the incident occurred. He was riding in lane four of the motorway when he felt every biker’s worst fear. His bike began to lose power with what felt to Jack like a carb problem.

With his bike losing power and speed, Jack made for the inside lanes and the supposed safety an emergency refuge. When he got to lane two, Cheshire Live reports that the lane that should have been the hard shoulder on a conventional motorway was filled by two HGVs.

Taking his chance, he didn’t want to slot in between the two lorries or behind them, Jack moved the bike over to the left side of lane one and positioned his bike as close to the barrier as possible. It’s at this point his bike began to buck and weave, and it’s unknown if he touched the verge on the inside or debris that caused him to slide for an estimated 300 yards at around 60mph.

Speaking to Cheshire Live, Jack said:

"I had just enough distance ahead of these lorries to be able to move across in front them to get onto their far side, without them causing to abruptly break or potentially putting myself in a way that I would end up under their wheels.

"I moved across to the far left of their lane, so I was right on the edge of the tarmac and the dirt to try and allow them to still pass and I could roll to a halt and be able to be as safe as possible on those roads."

As a result of the crash, Jack has sustained multiple, serious injuries including losing a section of his tibia, smashing his kneecap, and damaging the bones behind. The crash has left one leg shorter than the other, meaning he will have to learn to walk again and likely will never have the same mobility.

The growing call to ban smart motorways

Having first-hand evidence of how dangerous smart motorways can be for all road users but motorcyclists, in particular, Jack is now joining a growing number of people calling for them to be banned in the UK.

A post on his facebook reads:

‘Please go and sign this petition as it’s a smart motorway that almost took my life last week but instead has left me with life altering injuries in the hospital. There is nothing smart about these motorways given they remove the safety measures on the busiest stretches of motorway in the country whilst increasing capacity therefore danger. This has resulted in an insane rise in the death toll on motorways and have claimed many lives leaving some to escape to live another day. These death traps need to be gone

Please share this to every nook and cranny of face book too and encourage everyone you can to sign.’