Gridlock warning for future drivers

New figures show that an extra seven million drivers could be using the nation’s roads within the next twenty years.

According to the RAC foundation, the number of road users will leap dramatically from 36 million to 43 million by 2035 if current trends persist.

Using 2010’s traffic levels as a baseline, the survey showed that urban traffic will have increased by a fifth in 2025 and a third in 2035 - figures consistent with the Government’s own predictions.

The RAC foundation has warned that such an increased burden on the road network will mean greater traffic jams and congestion, leaving more city dwellers battling gridlock more regularly and facing an increased risk of car accidents.

Speaking on the findings, RAC Foundation director, Professor Stephen Glaister, said: "Traffic forecasting is not an exact science but the direction of travel is clear: towards increasing jams.

"To preserve the quality of life in towns and cities we must revise our travel expectations and ministers need to set clear and coherent strategies to facilitate this."

The Government this week announced a radical road investment plan, the £15bn "roads revolution" for England, which will see 100 road improvement schemes implemented and the addition of 1,300 miles of extra lanes to A roads and motorways.

Share this article