The Department for Transport (DfT) in the UK has recently proposed plans to improve the safety of `smart motorways' - but will they be smart enough to prevent further loss of life on our roads? Responding to the growing outrage against smart motorways - in which the hard shoulder is turned into a live lane with traffic monitored from a regional control centre - Transport Secretary Grant Shapps unveiled an 18-point package of measures in March 2020 to improve safety and public confidence. This includes the abolition of `dynamic' (i.e. part-time) hard-shoulder running, accelerated deployment of stopped vehicle detection technology and closer spacing of emergency refuge areas. The article provides an overview of smart motorways including the technology involved and plans for the future.