Lighting The Way To Safer Motorways

Simply turning on the lights could see a dramatic fall in the number of accidents on motorways. An investigation by Auto Express has found crash rates are much worse on unlit sections of motorway compared to ones with proper lighting.

Auto Express Car Reviews

19th February 2004

Figures from the Department for Transport's Road Casualties Great Britain report for 2002 show that, with traffic volumes taken into account, the 1,273 accidents that occurred on unlit motorways at night could be cut by a third if the routes were illuminated. Kevin Delaney, road safety manager at the RAC Foundation, believes more lighting should be installed urgently. "A lit carriageway allows motorists to see further ahead, giving them more time to react in an emergency," he explained.

He added that drivers were more likely to nod off at the wheel on dark roads. Lighting costs ΂£210,000 per km to install, but Delaney feels it's money well spent. "Each road death costs taxpayers ΂£1million, so lighting could work out cheaper," he said.