Written question asked by Paul Flynn (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 June 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 June 2005. It was answered by Stephen Ladyman (Labour) on Monday, 13 June 2005 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Road Safety

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on road safety of unauthorised advertisements displayed on (a) motorway bridges and (b) adjacent fields.

Answer: Studies have been carried out which attempt to relate the presence of roadside advertisements and other potential distractions to road accidents. However, it is difficult to derive a direct causal relationship because accidents are relatively infrequent, and often are the result of many factors. The Highways Agency does not allow advertising to be placed on its motorway bridges. The placing of roadside advertising alongside the motorway but sited on private land is a matter for the local planning authorities. If consulted, the Highways Agency assesses the impact and likely safety consequences for each case on its merits and reports its findings to the local planning authority.

Secondary information