Councillors back white lines plan

Removing white lines for safety has been tried elsewhere

Plans to remove white lines from some Aberdeenshire roads to improve safety have been backed by councillors.

The system, known as psychological traffic calming, is aimed at making drivers slow down and take more care because of the unfamiliar lay-out.

It follows a pilot in Wiltshire which appears to be making a positive difference to accident figures.

The proposals were endorsed by Aberdeenshire Council's Marr area committee on Tuesday.

Similar schemes in Holland and Scandinavia have also reportedly led to a cut in road accidents.

Traffic speeds

In a report, the authority's director of transportation and infrastructure, David Armitage, said: "Although white centre lines can greatly assist drivers on major unlit rural roads, research in Wiltshire has shown that when white centre lines on lit roads within a 30mph speed limit were not replaced traffic speeds and accidents were both reduced.

"It is, therefore, proposed that a similar experimental policy should be adopted in Aberdeenshire when roads with street lighting within 30mph speed limits are resurfaced."

The plans still have to be considered by Aberdeenshire Council's five other area committees.

They will then go before the authority's infrastructure services committee.

Neil Greig, from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), said it was an intriguing idea.

He told BBC Scotland: "The theory is if you create uncertainty in the mind of the driver they will slow down, back off, look around, and proceed more safely.

"It does not necessarily work for all drivers, some may become confused, we have to be very careful.

"In general, we do need to see a lot of improvement in our rural roads."