Nearly a third of the length of Britain's single carriageway A roads have white lines so worn out they do not meet recognised standards, according to a report assessing more than 1500 miles of the network. And, of the 470 miles of dual carriageways and motorways surveyed, one in five falls below the minimum standard, says the paper by the Road Safety Marking Association.

"Two-thirds of all UK road deaths and serious injuries are on rural A-roads. Yet, of more than 60 single-carriageway A-roads surveyed, totalling more than 1000 miles, on average 14% markings are completely worn out; and a further 15% fall into the "amber" zone and immediately should be scheduled for replacement," says the RMSA.

Around 38% of dual carriageways and motorways make the recommended rating used by the industry but there has been a significant drop in the quality since 2008, when 69% of markings on duals reached this grade and 49% on motorways.