A coroner has issued a formal warning about the lack of public awareness around reporting incidents on smart motorways after an inquest into the death of Nargis Begum, who was fatally injured on the M1 in 2018.

Nicola Mundy, senior coroner for South Yorkshire East, concluded that Begum, 62, died as a result of a road traffic collision after the vehicle she was travelling in broke down in a live lane of an All Lane Running (ALR) section of the motorway.

She had exited the vehicle and was resting on a barrier when another vehicle collided with the stationary car, causing fatal injuries.

Despite more than 150 drivers passing the stranded vehicle, none alerted National Highways or emergency services.

Evidence presented at the inquest suggested some motorists assumed that surveillance cameras would automatically detect the hazard.

Stationary vehicle detection technology was not active on the stretch of motorway at the time but was expected to be rolled out across all ALR motorways by the end of September 2022.

Mundy said: “The lack of public understanding regarding the need for them to call National Highways should they identify a problem on the motorway network such as a stationary vehicle” was a matter of concern.

She added: “Despite television, radio and social media campaigns regarding SMART motorways, the lack of emphasis on the importance of road users responsibility to alert the authorities to any such problems” remains an issue.

In her Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, Mundy called on Highways England to take further action to improve public understanding and ensure motorists are aware of their role in reporting live-lane breakdowns.