Highways bosses in Staffordshire and Derbyshire have said that road surfaces around junctions are up to scratch after a national report says the time it takes drivers to stop in an emergency is double what was previously thought.

Research agency, the Transport Research Laboratory, claims that the average thinking time that motorists need to stop in an emergency is 1.7 seconds. This is more than double the 0.67 seconds set out in the Highway Code. And this does not factor in the speed vehicles are traveling at.

Road safety charity Brake has worked out that the average stopping distance, including thinking and braking distance, is 11 metres at 30mph and 25 metres at 70mph based on the new calculation; leading to safety concerns.

Now the Road Surface Treatments Association has urged highways bosses to ensure that roads are treated with special a 'high friction' coating which help cars to stop sooner.

Howard Robinson, chief executive at the association said: "High friction surfacing is a well proven road surface that makes potentially high risk road locations far safer for both pedestrians and drivers by providing a skid reduction of up to 50 per cent.

"Unfortunately due to perceived concerns over cost and durability many councils have reduced significantly their use of high friction surfacing in recent years."

However, councils in Derbyshire and Staffordshire have said that the surfaces used on roads in their areas are appropriate, and are regularly maintained.

Staffordshire County Council has policies in place which see it deal with potential skidding issues at junctions.

A spokesman for Derbyshire County Council said: "We have for many years used such products in appropriate locations to provide higher levels of skid resistance where required, and continue to use them."

Mr Robinson said: "Using high friction surfacing saves lives and money particularly when you consider that the associated accident and investigation costs for non-motorway accidents is calculated to be £1.4 million. Councils must balance the cost of high friction road surfaces against their legal requirement to ensure that roads are safe and the financial cost of accidents.

"The reality of the increased emergency stopping distances underlined the need to have a high level of skid resistance at potentially dangerous road junctions and crossings. Councils should reconsider and increase their use of high friction road surfaces."

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