news

White lines on roads may become a thing of the past as a way to slow down drivers, as empty roads create uncertainty and force drivers to slow down.

Research shows that contrary to popular belief about traffic jams and accidents, it can reduce average road speeds by 13%.

A pilot ‘shared space’ scheme is being developed in Norfolk that could remove dividing lines on narrow roads around the Queen’s Sandringham estate, The Times can reveal.

Similar trials have already been carried out in Wiltshire and Derby, while the central markings on three roads in south London, which have been a hallmark of British roads for almost 100 years, have yet to be replaced.

Transport for London said on its website that a test carried out in 2014 found that “removing the central white line resulted in a reduction in speeds”.

They said: “The results showed that removing the centre line resulted in a significant reduction in speed, from a minimum of 5.4mph to a maximum of 8.6mph.”

They said the dividing line “gives drivers a psychological sense of confidence that no vehicle will drive onto ‘their’ side of the road.”

They added: “Some drivers also tend to stop their vehicles close to the white lines regardless of traffic conditions, believing they have a ‘right’ to be in that position.”

Dutch traffic experts also concluded in a 2002 study that the ideal option would be to give decision-making power to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

An experiment in a northern Friesland town found that two to three people died each year at a busy intersection. But when the traffic lights were removed and a tree was planted in the middle of the street, the death rate dropped to zero.

The unusual traffic layout forces drivers to rely more on eye contact with each other, pedestrians, cyclists and bus drivers rather than relying on road signs and red lights to guide their vehicles, resulting in reduced speeds.