A quarter of A-roads in England may be unsafe to drive on according to figures from the Department for Transport (DfT).
The DfT’s latest Road Conditions Statistics reports on the skidding resistance of trunk roads in England from 2007/08 to 2015/16. It found that the poor surface condition of 26% of A-roads required ‘further investigation’ of possible inadequate skid resistance. This is the highest level since 2007/08 and is indicative of the continued deterioration of the road network due to decades of under investment in road maintenance.
The deterioration of the trunk road network looks set to continue as a recent Freedom of Information request for forecasts of the miles of trunk roads to be resurfaced in 2017/18 cited that just 994 miles of the 5,300 mile network is to be resurfaced. This compares to 1,471 miles in 2015/16.
“Over time the road surface becomes worn and polished. This lessens the road’s skid resistance. For good road safety it is essential that the road’s texture is maintained on a regular basis in order to ensure skid resistance,” explained Howard Robinson, Chief Executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA).
There is a wide range of surface treatments to choose from that restores a road’s skid resistance. This includes surface dressing, high friction surfacing, slurry-micro surfacing, and re-texturing. All provide cost-efficient skid resistant solutions.
“The road surface sector has developed a number of skid resistance surface techniques for a wide range of road applications. All are able to ensure that roads are safe to drive on,” said Robinson.