Ripping out 80% of the UK’s traffic lights could provide a boost for the economy and improve road safety, a new report by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has claimed.

The report ‘Seeing Red’ argues that an increase in traffic regulations over the last 20 years has imposed a “heavy burden” on the economy and had a detrimental effect on road safety and the environment.

It points out that the number of traffic lights in England has increased by 25% since 2000. By comparison, vehicle traffic rose by 5%, and the length of the road network by just 1.3% in the same period, it claims.

“For too long policymakers have failed to make a cost-benefit analysis of a range of regulations – including traffic lights, speed cameras and bus lanes – making life a misery for drivers nationwide,” said the report’s co-author and head of transport at IEA Dr Richard Wellings.

“It’s quite clear that traffic management has spread far beyond the locations where it might be justified, to the detriment of the economy, environment and road safety.”

Instead the report argues for ‘shared space’ schemes that remove conventional traffic infrastructure and harness voluntary cooperation among road users. “The evidence of shared space schemes shows the transformational benefits of a less regulated approach,” added Dr Wellings.

But road safety charity Brake’s campaigns director Gary Rae said: “This is a naïve report that’s heavy on assumption and light on new analysis. The IEA’s libertarian view of road safety: a world where economic efficiency trumps personal safety and wellbeing is a vision we reject.

“There is a case to review the amount of ‘street furniture’, including some unnecessary signage, but there is no evidence that removing 80% of traffic lights will increase road safety or economic output.”

Photo: Tom Page and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence