Road markings
Road markings are used to define boundaries for pedestrians and vehicles and guide them when using our public highway. These can become worn over time as a result of traffic and weather.
Worn markings may be considered a safety defect depending on the significance of their degradation, their location and the intended purpose of the markings.
Some road markings are used for advisory reasons; others delineate the start and end of Traffic Regulation Orders such as double yellow lines used to define parking restrictions.
Road markings are assessed in conjunction with other public highway features during routine safety inspections, but if you observe an area where these need to be refreshed you can let us know by reporting it online.
Types of road marking
You can find out more about the different types of road markings below:
Double yellow lines
Used to define the start and end of an area where parking is prohibited at any time.
Single yellow lines
Used to define the start and end of an area where parking is prohibited during certain times. These markings are accompanied by non-illuminated traffic signs which indicate what times parking is prohibited.
Disabled persons parking bay
A parking bay intended for Blue Badge holders only, residents can make an application for these online.
Access Protection Marking
These are advisory markings also known as H-bars and are usually found on the road in front of across driveways or in front of dropped kerbs used as pedestrian crossing points. You can make applications for vehicle access crossings (dropped kerbs) online.
SLOW markings
Advisory markings usually used to make drivers aware of potential hazards such as a nearby junction, bend, access, or other highway feature.
Speed limit road markings
Used to remind drivers of the speed limit on a stretch of road and often placed in accompaniment with a coloured road surface as a ‘gateway’ feature when entering villages or areas near schools.
Give Way markings
Used at junctions where drivers need to ensure they give way to passing vehicles.
Stop lines
Commonly used at signalised junctions to delineate the point at which a vehicle must not cross until the signal is green. Also commonly used at non-signalised junctions as a road safety measure where vehicles must stop rather than give way.
There are numerous other road markings on our highway network including but not limited to: carriageway centre lines, zig zag markings, roundabout and mini island markings.
How we deal with road marking problems
If our inspectors identify a problem with a road marking, there are criteria which first need to be met before a task can be raised to refresh them. There are tolerance levels which need to be considered and a worn marking does not necessarily mean it requires repainting as a matter of urgency or at all.
When will the marking I reported / requested be replaced / installed?
Lining works are carried out by dedicated lining crews which have to cover very large parts of the county. If a marking you have reported a problem with has not been refreshed yet but you received an update confirming works were raised, then it has likely been considered a low-risk problem and will therefore be resolved as part of cyclical lining works.
Lining work is weather-dependent and both this and resource levels can affect our ability to reinstall road markings as quickly as we may prefer.
Where new road markings are requested such as in conjunction with a Disabled Persons Parking Bay, we will try where possible to give you an idea of when these will be installed but the above caveats about weather dependency and resources will always apply.
All road markings on the public highway in Staffordshire are installed in accordance with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions TSRGD 2016.