Road markings 'barely visible'

Some of Britain's most dangerous roads have white line markings which are completely worn away, according to a new report.

The A509 in Northamptonshire - which runs through the Wellingborough and Kettering areas - is one of those blacklisted by the Road Safety Marking Association, who say less than half its white lines are visible.

Other bad routes include a five-mile section of the A6135 near Sheffield where just 1% of the markings were in good condition.

The RSMA assessed more than 1,500 miles of motorways and A-roads, and say two-thirds of all UK road deaths and serious injuries occur on rural A-roads.

But out of more than 60 single-carriageway A-roads surveyed, totalling more than 1,000 miles, on average 14% of road markings were completely worn out and a further 15% were in immediate need of replacement. Just 29% of white lines reached the acceptable level of visibility, the report said.

Of the 470 miles of major A-roads and motorways surveyed, 20% fell below the minimum specifiable standard and should have been scheduled for replacement, while 8% had centre line markings so worn that they were barely visible. A total of 39% of markings on dual carriageways and 38% on motorways made the recommended rating used by the industry.

Top marks went to a section of the A303 dual carriageway in Somerset which had 86% high-quality markings and a section of the M65 in Lancashire with 91%.