Safe roads are our top priority, say drivers

30 March 2015

Drivers want to feel in control while making safe, stress-free journeys on England’s major roads*.

They recognised that road works were necessary in order to have a well-maintained network. However, they were critical about the management of the disruption these road works caused.

These findings are part of research on the needs and experience of road users carried out by Transport Focus, the independent transport user watchdog.

Anthony Smith, Transport Focus’s chief executive, said:
“This is Transport Focus’s first piece of road user research. The findings will help us to focus our conversations with Highways England and understand how more detailed work might be scoped.

“It is the first of many pieces of research we will carry out as we gather evidence from road users and press Highways England for changes.
“It will also help us as we develop the new road user satisfaction survey and other work on understanding road users’ priorities for improvement.”

This research, Road user needs and experiences, also found that:

  • Most road users blamed ‘other drivers’ for bad behaviour on the roads, while being less aware of their own shortcomings.
  • Fixed signs and variable message signs (VMSs) were seen as useful, but were sometimes difficult to understand. However, some drivers didn’t trust VMSs because they were not updated frequently enough.
  • Driving has changed over the years and drivers need to be kept up to date on changes and new developments such as smart motorways.
  • Highways England, the government-owned company responsible for England’s major roads, needs to find a better way of engaging with road users.

Click the link below to download the summary report.

Road user needs and experiences – summary report

* the Strategic Road Network (SRN)

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