Is losing white lines the way to curb speeding?

Speed cameras and sleeping policemen are 2 of the far more tried and trusted, not to mention controversial, approaches to deter speeding motorists – the former is frequently regarded as a cynical stealth tax while the latter provides motorists the hump due to the fact of the damage they can do to a automobile.

But the most current proposal to encourage motorists to stick inside the speed limit – the removal of white lines from the centre of urban roads – could prove the most controversial but.

Too considerably information

The idea to get rid of the centre lines has gained traction following the findings of a Transport for London (TfL) study into the effects of road style on driver behaviour.

Even though the broadly held view is that street indicators and road markings sustain road safety by supplying drivers with timely guidance to aid selection-making and minimize uncertainty, there is mounting evidence to recommend there are also a lot of visual intrusions at the road side and this is adding to driver confusion.

And so as element of its evaluation into ‘simplified streetscapes’, Transport for London has removed road signs and road markings along 3 of its routes to assess the influence a significantly less cluttered roadside has on driver behaviour.

If all goes to strategy, the routes with fewer road signs and markings will produce much better driver behaviour and a reduction in accident rates. So is it genuinely time to do away with the white lines?

White lines don’t do it?

Well, the TfL study has currently revealed a drop in vehicle speeds along the routes which had road marking removed.

6 Sisters Road in north London, for instance, saw southbound targeted traffic speed drop by almost 13%, from an average of 32.4mph to 28.3mph. Northbound visitors speeds also dropped considerably, from an typical of 31.4mph to 29mph.

These findings assistance these of a earlier study from the government’s Transport Analysis Laboratory which concluded there are security advantages from getting rid of the white lines in 30mph zones, specifically when combined with other measures.

And Wiltshire and Norfolk County Councils also located there was a drop in overall vehicle speeds and injury-causing collisions on roads exactly where white lines were not reinstated right after resurfacing work.

It is believed that the removal of white lines requires drivers out of their comfort zone as ‘their’ side of the road is no longer clearly defined and so they can not be confident that oncoming visitors will not encroach.

In turn, this uncertainty tends to make motorists concentrate far more on their driving and speed and is an successful way to make sure they stick inside the speed limit.

Decisions on no matter whether to get rid of white lines will be left to individual local authorities and will not be regarded roads on where markings are utilised to highlight particular hazards, such as on approaches to complicated junctions.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Decisions on what variety of traffic calming to offer are for nearby authorities, taking into account nearby circumstances and road layout. It is for them to determine if removing centre lines is suitable.”

What do you feel? Is the removal of white lines a very good idea? Let us know…

Is losing white lines the way to curb speeding?