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Written question asked by Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 June 2026. It was answered by Simon Lightwood (Labour) on Tuesday, 23 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Motorways: Road Signs and Markings

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of road signage and lane guidance on the strategic road network at major motorway junctions where multiple destinations are served by closely spaced lane splits, (b) potential impact of junction design and signage clarity on collision rates on the motorway network and (c) potential merits of issuing updated guidance to National Highways on the use of advance directional signage, lane markings and destination-specific wayfinding measures to improve driver safety and reduce last-minute lane changes.

Answer

The Government and National Highways (NH) take road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. Safety is at the heart of the third Road Investment Strategy, which includes a new National Programme to deliver targeted safety improvements on higher-risk roads. NH’s regional teams also undertake collision analysis and where there is evidence of an elevated collision rate at a particular location, this is investigated to understand causal factors. Appropriate remedial solutions are then developed.

NH designs and positions signs in accordance with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions and the Department for Transport’s Traffic Signs Manual. When designing new or amending existing junctions, NH also designs these to the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) 'CD 122 Grade Separated Junctions'' and DMRB CD 146 'Positioning of Advance Direction Signs and Signals'. All DMRB documents are reviewed every 5 years.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
10905
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Safety Road signs and markings Motorways
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk