Narrow Lanes

This leaflet details the qualifications that are required by law to carry out, or supervise, works in the street. It explains how to gain these qualifications, how they should be registered and re-registered.

Why know your traffic signs? Traffic signs play a vital role in directing, informing and controllingroad users' behaviour in an effort to make the roads as safe aspossible for everyone. This makes a knowledge of traffic signsessential. Not just for new drivers or riders needing to pass theirtheory test, but for all road users, including experiencedprofessional drivers. Keeping up to date We live in times of change. Society, technology and the economy allplay their part in changing the way we travel. New road signsconveying new messages and in new formats are introduced fromtime to time, so drivers or riders who passed their driving test a fewyears ago need to keep up to date or run the risk of failing tounderstand or comply with recently introduced signs. A few examples of events that called for new signs include: • Britain's first motorway • Pelican crossings • Reintroduction of trams • Advanced stop lines • Vehicle-activated signs • Active Traffic Management. Responsibility for traffic signsResponsibility for the road network in the UK is split among:• the Highways Agency in England• the Welsh Assembly Government in Wales• the Scottish Executive in Scotland• and local or regional highway authorities. The central administrations above are responsible for the UK’sstrategic road network. Strategic roads are the highways that linkcities, areas of population, ports and airports. Most motorways andsome “A” roads are strategic roads. Local or regional highway authorities are responsible for localroads, and this includes a few motorways, all other “A” roads andall other public roads. While responsibility for placing, erecting andmaintaining traffic signs is split among these bodies, it is importantthat signs are consistent both in appearance and in the way theyare used.To ensure that the UK has a uniform traffic signing system, signsmust conform to the designs prescribed in the Traffic SignsRegulations and General Directions (although some signs mayhave been specially authorised by the Secretary of State). The Traffic Signs Manual, published by TSO, provides detailedguidance for those responsible for designing and installing traffic signs.

About 200 cyclists are injured each year at road works in Great Britain, including some 40 serious or fatal injuries, although the road works are not necessarily a contributory factor in all cases. The objective of this project is to investigate the extent of the accident problem and, if appropriate, to see if ways can be found to improve safety. The methodology comprises three main elements: an analysis of accidents involving cyclists at road works for the five years 1992-1996 using STATS19 road accident data for Great Britain; video filming of five road works sites to obtain information on driver and cyclist behaviour; and a survey by local authority highway inspectors of local road works routinely inspected, to provide information on aspects of the layout of road works that might affect cyclists. The main conclusion from the research is that the primary safety problem at road works is drivers attempting to overtake cyclists with inadequate clearance. This should be addressed by more use of lower temporary speed limits and revised guidelines on lane widths, backed by driver education and changes to the Highway Code.