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3.0
The state of our roads
3.3
Incident response and variable
message signs
Aside from the headline opinions
on congestion levels, the 2016
Report on Motoring also looked at
drivers’ views on the way in which
highways authorities around the
UK deal with major incidents
on motorways and major roads.
Two-thirds (66%) of motorists agree
that Highways England, the Welsh
Government, Transport NI and
Transport Scotland, in partnership
with the emergency services, do
their best to minimise delays when
major incidents occur. Only 11% of
drivers do not think this is the case.
And drivers largely accept that
incidents and delays are a fact of
life: 86% share the opinion that
major incidents will occur from
time to time and that major hold-
ups are therefore inevitable.
Just under half of those questioned
(48%) agreed that the authorities did
their best to keep them informed of
the reasons for major incidents and
the likely delays as a result, with only
16% disagreeing with this view.
In terms of the variable message signs
now in widespread use on motorways
around the UK, almost two-thirds
of drivers (63%) say they trust the
accuracy of the information regarding
road incidents (19% do not).
Six in 10 (59%) trust the accuracy of
the travel time estimates on such
signs (against 18% who do not), and
69% find these estimates useful
(versus 9% who do not).
Four in 10 (43%) believe the accuracy
of these signs has improved over the
past 12 months, while a very similar
proportion thinks their accuracy has
stayed the same (42%).
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RAC Report on Motoring 2016