No white lines on the road in the future?

Published Date: 3rd Feb 2016

The white lines down the centre of the road could become a thing of the past. The prospect of a blank to road to any motorist causes uncertainty and in turn slows them down or so research has suggested it can cut the average speed on the road by 13 per cent.

New plans for a pilot scheme in Norfolk close to the Queens Sandringham Estate will remove the white lines on narrower roads. This is nothing new as other trials have taken place in Wiltshire and Derby .

The scheme by Wiltshire county council found that not reinstating white lines to the centre of a road led to a reduction in injury collisions and traffic speeds.

Transport for London carried out a trial in 2014 that removed the central white lines on three stretches of road which resulted in a reduction in vehicle speeds.

“The results showed a “statistically significant” reduction in vehicle speeds - by a minimum of 5.4mph and maximum of 8.6mph - as a result of removing central markings,” they said.

Centre lines “can provide a psychological sense of confidence to drivers that no vehicles will encroach on ‘their’ side of the road”, they said.

“There can also be a tendency for some drivers to position their vehicles close to a white line regardless of the traffic conditions, believing it is their ‘right’ to be in this position,” they added.

Personally I cannot see this happening as the centre road markings help to indicate clearly your side of the road and will make it difficult when trying to overtake cyclists or a parked car.