Page 1 of 2

Removal of white lines

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 10:31 am
by akirk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1213738 ... hways.html

White lines are being removed from busy roads across the country in an attempt to slow motorists down.
Highway chiefs say blank roads introduce a sense of uncertainty that prompts motorists to drive more cautiously, especially when faced with oncoming traffic.
Research shows removing the central white line, a feature of British roads for almost 100 years, can reduce the average speed of a vehicle by 13 per cent.

Recent resurfacing in London saw the central markings on three A roads erased.
Transport for London, which manages major roads across the capital, told The Times the system used on parts of the A22 and A23 in south London and the A100 in central London may now be expanded to other roads.

Plans for a pilot scheme in north Norfolk have also been drawn up and trials have taken place in parts of Wiltshire and Derby.


reactions:
Road safety charity RoadPeace has applauded the initiative saying that “self enforcing schemes” are key to reducing speeding as road policing budgets are cut.
Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA, told The Times: “Without exaggeration it is true to say that a simple pot of paint can save lives.
“In particular, highly visible markings at the edge and centre of the road that can be seen on a wet night are enormously cost-effective in saving lives.”
Motoring groups, however, have warned removing white lines could be “fatally flawed”.


interesting idea...
am pretty sure that there have been schemes where they have tested removing road signs as well...

perhaps it confirms what many know - that actually safety comes down to how you drive, not to what you impose externally

Alasdair

Re: Removal of white lines

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:35 pm
by gannet
I was glad to hear of this...

there is a road down which i cycle which rather than have the lines removed - the lines just weren't re-done when they resurfaced - traffic is much better behaved through that section than others.

seems to make people think more about what is going on around them.

Re: Removal of white lines

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 2:09 pm
by jont-
Does that mean we can offside more without fear of rebuke from the dogmatists? :twisted:

Re: Removal of white lines

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 2:46 pm
by Horse
jont- wrote:Does that mean we can offside more without fear of rebuke from the dogmatists? :twisted:


Wait for drivers to create four lanes of traffic on a three-lane wide road and see what happens . . . :shock: :lol:

Re: Removal of white lines

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 2:51 pm
by StressedDave
jont- wrote:Does that mean we can offside more without fear of rebuke from the dogmatists? :twisted:

There is no offside, merely giving more spacing from the edge of the road.

Re: Removal of white lines

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:22 pm
by jont-
Horse wrote:
jont- wrote:Does that mean we can offside more without fear of rebuke from the dogmatists? :twisted:


Wait for drivers to create four lanes of traffic on a three-lane wide road and see what happens . . . :shock: :lol:

Even with white lines there are a few places locals seem to manage 3 lanes of traffic where 2 are marked.

Re: Removal of white lines

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 4:46 pm
by TripleS
If the road is wide enough, I do prefer to have a centre-line - but I'd be quite happy to see a lot of the other paintwork removed, along with a large proportion of the road signs; and a lot of the traffic lights can go too, for that matter. :evil:

Re: Removal of white lines

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 8:16 pm
by Playtent
akirk wrote:White lines are being removed from busy roads across the country in an attempt to slow motorists down.

am pretty sure that there have been schemes where they have tested removing road signs as well...

Alasdair


Brake have suggested also removing cars from the road as a jolly good safety measure to reduce accidents! Seems logical to me! :lol:

Re: Removal of white lines

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 8:36 pm
by Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
I can sort of understand it in well-lit urban areas with no requirement for directing the traffic into lanes for different routes, but on a dark, wet rural road surrounded by nasties such as trees and ditches, I find the benefit hard to discern.

Re: Removal of white lines

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 8:41 pm
by fungus
:roll: They've tried adding paint. That didn't work, so now they're taking it away. Can't win really, can you.

About fifteen years ago my wife and I took our daughter to Hartpury College on the Gloucestershire- Worcestershire borders. It was one of those filthy December days where it more or less drizzled on and off all day. The journey back was mainly in the dark on roads that we didn't know, and there was a notable abscence of white lines. This, along with impatient locals in the rush hour, made for a truly horrible drive back untill we neared Salisbury, by which time the rush hour traffic had thinned considerably, and we were back on roads that we knew much better. A few white lines would have been appreciated.

The problem as I see it, is that there is no happy medium, where paint is used where it would aid safety, as opposed to being used for political expediency, or to appease some campaign group. On the other hand, maybe they will start getting rid of some of the rediculous hatch marking painted on the roundabouts around here, or the rediculous edge of carriageway markings that have slight pinch points painted in them to make you think that the carriageway is narrower than it realy is. :roll:


Rant over.

Nigel.