§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many applications by local authorities for the installation of safety barriers on trunk roads have been refused in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
(2) what criteria must be satisfied before safety barriers are installed on trunk roads in England;
(3) what are the current specifications for safety barriers on motorways and on trunk roads;
(4) what data are available to his Department on the performance of road safety barriers;
(5) what is his estimate of the natural life of safety barriers on motorways.
§ Mrs. ChalkerCurrent specifications for the five types of safety fences and barrier used on trunk roads are contained in the Specification for Road and Bridgeworks published by HMSO, supplemented by transport and road research laboratory drawings, the supplement No. 1 to the Specification and by the Department's technical memorandum H973. The estimated life of steel safety fences is in excess of 20 years and of concrete barriers in excess of 40 years when they remain undamaged by the impact of vehicles.
Criteria for their provision on central reserves are that the appropriate type shall be installed on all new motorways and on new all purpose dual carriageway trunk roads estimated to carry 30,000 vehicles per day in the year of opening where the central reserve is less than 6 metres wide. On lengths of existing trunk roads not less than 5 km and normally over 10 km long and on existing motorways they are provided where the fatal accident rate over 3 years is more than 0–2 per km per year of which half involve crossing the central reserve.
No records are kept of the number of applications made by local authorities and others for the provision of safety fences and barriers on trunk roads and motorways where they are not already installed. Of the order of 6 cases have been refused in the last 5 years, but some of these have been and are being re-considered.
Accident data are available to the Department which suggest that safety fences and barriers perform satifactorily in preventing serious accidents in the great majority of cases in which they are involved. Only 2 or 3 cases per year are reported where they have been penetrated by 26W vehicles, causing casualties. Extensive testing by vehicular impact is carried out on the various types of safety fence before they are approved for installation.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Transport what lengths of safety barriers have been replaced on motorways and on trunk roads in England each year for the last five years for which figures are available.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe information sought is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.