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Worn Out Road Markings Pose Road Safety Threat
Tue, 22 Mar 2011

A new report has warned that a large proportion of white lines on some of Britain’s most dangerous roads are in an alarmingly bad state.

The Road Safety Marking Association (RSMA) analysed over 1,500 miles of motorways and A-roads, and found that 14 per cent of road markings on single-carriageway A-roads were completely worn out and a further 15 per cent needed to be urgently replaced.

Just 29 per cent of the 1,000 miles of single-carriageway A-roads assessed had white lines with decent visibility, according to the report.

The worst stretch of road cited was a five-mile section of the A6135 near Sheffield - where just 1 per cent of the markings were in good condition.

The RSMA said the findings are alarming given the fact that two-thirds of all UK road deaths and serious injuries occur on rural A-roads.

A fifth of the 470 miles of major A-roads and motorways surveyed by the group had markings that did not meet the minimum specifiable standard, while 8 per cent had centre lines so worn that they were barely visible.

Overall, 39 per cent of markings on dual carriageways and 38 per cent on motorways made the recommended rating used by the industry, compared to figures of 69 per cent (dual carriageways) and 49 per cent (motorways) in 2008.

RSMA national director George Lee said: "Two years ago, just 2 per cent of our major road network had markings that rated virtually non-existent. This figure has risen at an alarming rate, and now nearly a 10th of the centre lines on our trade routes are dangerously worn."
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