Narrowing the gap

Judith Edwards • Published 1 Jun 2010 14:32

More than one in 40 crashes happen on Britain's narrow country roads every year and the ever increasing width of the modern car is blamed as a major contributor.

New figures, released by leading accident management firm, Accident Exchange, highlight the number of motorists who struggle to judge the width of their cars from the driving seat. Claims experts at the company refer to the trend as 'narrow lane blindness'. According to the company, accidents occurring on narrow roads leave body panel damage in the region of £2,300 per vehicle involved.

As an example of the increasing dimensions of today's cars, the nation's best selling model, the Ford Focus, with a width of 2.02m is 20 per cent wider than its predecessor, the Escort from the 1990s.

Measuring 2.25m, Chrysler's Grand Voyager is the widest passenger vehicle on our roads today.

To accommodate for the increased proportions, the standard for single lanes on major A roads and motorways was widened to 3.65m in 2005. However, almost all narrow single-carriage roads, which average approximately 2.43 metres wide, have remained unchanged since they were originally built.

"It's all about spatial awareness and a failure to alter the way we drive," explains Lee Woodley of Accident Exchange. "Not only are drivers having difficulty gauging the size of their vehicles, but they also lack an understanding of narrow road etiquette."

In the case of single-track roads, the Highway Code instructs vehicles to always pull into the nearest passing place on the left, even if it requires a reverse manoeuvre.

There are around 52,552 miles of single carriageway roads across the UK. Woodley warns: "The problem is getting worse within urban areas too. Cars parking on the road outside their homes are leaving an ever smaller gap for other road users to pass-by."

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