Safe Speed Forums

Special report: Missing white lines on roads are killing drivers
Posted 11th Nov 2010 by James Baggott

Drivers are needlessly dying on Britain's roads for want of a few pots of white paint, claims a motorists organisation.

The Road Safety Markings Association (RSMA) has issued a report into the UK's most deadly roads and claims simply applying new white lines could dramatically improve safety.

The association says spending just £2.55 per metre on improving centre line markings could help save up to 125 deaths and serious injuries every year.

George Lee, national director of the RSMA, said: "The evidence is stark: eight out of 10 of our most deadly roads have the worst markings, or in many cases, no markings at all.

"Road markings provide the best, most simple navigation aid to drivers. If the UK's eight most dangerous roads alone can be made safer and lives saved by spending less than £550,000, surely this is a sum we cannot justify saving?"

The association looked at the Road Safety Foundation's top 10 most dangerous roads and assessed the quality of their road markings.

On one of the worst roads – a five-mile section of the A6135 between Ecclesfield and junction 36 of the M1 (Hoyland) – three-quarters of the markings were either barely visible or needed immediate replacement.

It's not just the RSMA that's concerned either. AA president Edmund King told Autoblog this was a problem he was well aware of.
"In this age of austerity we need to promote the most cost-effective road safety measures," he said. "Highway authorities have a duty of care to keep the roads safe but all too often we come across pot-holed, patched up roads lacking essential white lines at important junctions and crossings. A few thousand litres of white paint targeted in the right areas will make our roads safer."
The AA is so concerned about this issue that just last week it sent out thousands of volunteers to report on worn markings near where they live. The results of this survey will be published soon.

RoadSafe director Adrian Walsh was also clued up on the missing white line menace. He said: 'White lines, especially those that can be seen at night and in the wet, are an enormous aid to drivers. Worldwide research shows road markings make substantial improvements to safety. This report highlights the huge benefits that low cost measures like this can bring. Local Authorities and communities need to take note.'

While respected lawyer Steve Williams, who specialises in representing motorists in court, said he also agreed with the RSMA findings.
"The government are happy to spend money on things like Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras to see if someone is driving without a tax disc and yet appear reluctant to spend money on proven safety measures," he said.
"I frequently represent clients in court who are told that driving at 85mph on a deserted motorway at 5am is dangerous. Resources are allocated to catch these motorists and yet there appears to be a reluctance to spend money on a safety measure that is proven to save lives."

And while the Institute of Advanced Drivers agrees with the report in principal it also believes more driver training would help cut deaths.
A spokesman said: "White lines can only ever be part of the answer. Equipping drivers with the skills to safely negotiate whatever a road can throw at them has to be the long-term goal."

Autoblog quizzed Road Safety Minister Mike Penning about the report and he agreed that road safety markings are hugely important to safety.
"Simple measures – such as good road markings – can make a massive difference and I urge local authorities to consider these carefully as they continue to strive to reduce deaths and injuries on their roads," he told us.
"Britain has one of the best road safety records in the world and local road improvement projects have undoubtedly contributed to this. All the evidence suggests that hundreds of lives are saved each year because of safety improvements to roads themselves."

The Road Safety Markings Association (RSMA) has issued a report into the UK's most deadly roads and claims simply applying new white lines could dramatically improve safety.

The association says spending just £2.55 per metre on improving centre line markings could help save up to 125 deaths and serious injuries every year.