§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the method of skid resistance measurement to take account of critical road conditions. [2222]
§ Mr. WattsI have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Ms Joan Walley, dated 27 November 1995:
The Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. John Watts, has asked me to write to you in reply to your Parliamentary Question concerning measurement of skid resistance.We are continually reviewing the method of skid resistance measurement. The United Kingdom os one of the few countries in Europe to have a policy in which road surfaces are designed to provide adequate skid resistance at both low and high speed, and reflecting the different site conditions that occur. This is achieved through specification of polish resistant stone together with a minimum level of surface roughness, supported by regular monitoring of skid resistance during the life of a road.The Highways Agency also have an active programme of research and international cooperation in skid resistance measurement aimed at improving the accuracy of measurement techniques to reflect all road conditions.