How Many Fear Of Future Death Report have been issued by Coroners
Case reference FOI2025/00766
Received 18 April 2025
Published 3 July 2025
Request
Please confirm how many Coroners in England have issued Fear of Future Death Reports (also known as a Regulation 28) on National Highways (or any of the other name the organisation was previously known by) in the last 15 years. Relating to "Smart Motorways" in any capacity.
Response
Since the start of the company in April 2015 (10 years), 10 coroners in England have issued Regulation 28 Prevention of Future Death reports to National Highways Limited (previously Highways England Company Limited) following incidents on the operational smart motorway sections of the strategic road network.
Of the 10 incidents National Highways received reports for; six took place on all lane running, three on dynamic hard shoulder and one on a controlled motorway.
To confirm, National Highways does not hold any records of Regulation 28 Prevention of Future Death reports issued prior to the start of the company in April 2015.
However, it may assist you to know that in most cases the Chief Coroner publishes reports to Prevent Future Death on the Courts and Judiciary website and that can be found on the following link: https://www.judiciary.uk/courts-andtribunals/coronerscourts/reports-to-prevent-future-deaths/.
Documents
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