White lines on UK roads dangerously worn out

Motorists are struggling to read white lines on UK roads that are so worn out they don’t meet their own recognised standards.

According to the LifeLines Report released by the Road Safety Marking Association (RSMA), 14 per cent of markings on single-carriageway A roads are completely worn out.

Of the 470 miles of A roads and motorways surveyed, one in five falls below the minimum specifiable standard with eight per cent have centre line markings so worn that they are barely visible.

National director of the RSMA, George Lee says that road markings are the most simple but best navigation aid to drivers, without which motorists are driving blind.

He said:  “These motorways and strategic A-roads are managed by the Highways Agency, which has clearly specified standards for the quality of road markings. Two years ago, just two 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 tenth of the centre lines our trade routes are dangerously worn.

“Most of the single-carriageway A-roads in the survey are managed solely by local authorities. The RSMA is concerned that Highways Agency ratings for road markings have never been formally adopted by local authorities, leading to inconsistent maintenance standards on UK roads and the potential for the significant maintenance shortfalls identified in the RSMA report. The high risk of head-on collisions on single-carriageways means centre-line markings are critically important to guide road-users safety on these roads.”