Roads in the 1930s

[Bernard Lamb]

The three lane single carriageway was abolished back in the sixties by Barbara Castle because they were inherently unsafe. The centre lane was either given over to traffic travelling in one direction, often uphill, or covered in cross hatching which means that vehicles are barred from using the lane except in emergency. Some lingered on but I have not seen this type of road for at least 30 years now.

Thanks for that and all the other replies.

Barbara Castle left Transport in April 1968 after about 2 1/2 years in the job. That narrows down the date a bit. I have seen the two lanes in one direction and one in the other scenario recently but the suicide lane version just seemed to vanish as one of those unrecorded pieces of transport trivia.

 

Again very much OT.

In Germany there is still the odd section of road paved on one side and dirt on the other. You drive on the paved part and you pull over on to the dirt if any thing comes the other way and you are the one driving on the wrong side of the road. Sounds complicated but simple when you know what to do.

Bernard

[Neal Ball]

The three lane single carriageway was abolished back in the sixties by Barbara Castle because they were inherently unsafe. The centre lane was either given over to traffic travelling in one direction, often uphill, or covered in cross hatching which means that vehicles are barred from using the lane except in emergency. Some lingered on but I have not seen this type of road for at least 30 years now.

 

Hence I guess why the A303 in the run up to Chard / Taunton(????) alternates which side the extra lane is on, changing every mile or so.

 

Thanks again to everyone who has commented. I need to make my country roads dusty, but made up!