They could make roads safer by giving motorists something to help them stay awake
Highways England have revealed plans to build new roads in the future that will encompass “different vistas”, which could help drivers to stay awake on journeys.
Their idea is to build roads with eye-catching views that they believe will help with fatigue as motorists travel from A to B.
Highways England is set to carry out £15 billion pounds worth of improvements to UK roads over the next three years and their chief engineer, Mike Wilson, says it will whilst: “Creating different vistas, different environments for people to consider.”
Future new roads to feature views that catch a drivers eye © Copyright Alex McGregor and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
According to Mr Wilson, creating such an ideology would go some way to “stimulating the road user” and also added: “You might argue they’re safer because of it.”
Reports from the Press Association claim that when Mr Wilson was asked if he was concerned that drivers might be distracted by pretty views, he said that pleasing scenery and “statement structures” like the Angel of the North, can help motorists to stay awake and even make them feel like you’re “making progress on your journey”.
The Government-owned company is in charge of looking after around 4,400 miles of major roads and motorway. They’ve recently published a report called The Road to Good Design.
In the report it features 10 key fundamentals that should be found in all new future road-building projects, including this one: “The aesthetic quality of a road and its design in relation to the places through which it passes, is integral to its function and the experience of those that use it.”
According to the report, all future road-building projects should ensure safety, be intuitive and environmentally viable, whilst also “enhancing a sense of place”.
Please click here to find out more about our car leasing services and amazing deals, or give us a call today on 0800 311 8290.
