HC Deb 17 November 1966 vol 736 cc186-7W
Mr. Manuel

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the recommendation of the Lofthouse Committee to maintain a close scrutiny of cost effectiveness of highway design requirements, she is reviewing the design standards for motorways.

Mrs. Castle

Yes. In the light of experience and to ensure that we make the best use of our limited resources, both in money and land, I have decided to revise the design standards for rural motorways now in an early stage of preparation or planned. The effect will be to reduce the overall width of land required for such motorways, whether dual two-lane or dual three-lane, by 13ft., without interfering with carriageway widths. This will be done by reducing the grass verge outside the hard shoulder, on either side of the road, from 10 ft. to 5ft. in width; replacing the 12 in. marginal strip adjacent to the central reserve with a marking on the carriageway itself; and making the hard shoulder, now 10 ft. wide, 10 ft. 6 ins. wide to include a 12 in. marginal strip. It is estimated that these changes will reduce by £22,000 the average cost per mile of rural motorways. This saving will be the first result

Age Estimated number of driving licence holders (millions) Number of riders or drivers of motor vehicles fatally or seriously injured (thousands)
1961 1964 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965
17 and under 25 1.3 4.0 15.2 15.0 15.5 18.3 18.5
25 and under 30 1.3 4.3 4.1 4.1 4.5 4.4
30 and under 40 2.9 3.3 5.6 5.4 5.5 5.9 5.9
40 and under 50 2.9 3.2 4.6 4.4 4.6 4.7 4.9
50 and under 60 2.4 2.5 3.3 3.4 3.6 3.8 4.0
60 and under 70 1.0 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.5 1.7
70 and over 0.3 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2