Britain's motorists are at risk on up to 40 per cent of the nation's roads due to fading road markings, according to shadow road safety minister, Jim Fitzpatrick. A recent survey by the Road Safety Markings Association highlighted a major decline in the standard of markings both on motorways and dual carriageways across the United Kingdom. MP Fitzpatrick was responding to the report and insists that scrimping on investment in Britain's road network will only lead to further problems down the line. "Cutting back on our road markings means cutting back on safety. Markings make the road easy to read for the driver and are by far one of the most cost-effective safety solutions," said Fitzpatrick. "The Department of Transport are watching the pennies whilst motorists are driving on unsafe roads. This is one basic safety feature we cannot cut back on." According to the Lifelines survey, 38 per cent of road markings on motorways and 36 per cent of road markings on dual carriageways, maintained by the Highways Agency in England, required immediate or scheduled repairs. The survey was the biggest ever of the United Kingdom's highways, covering over 7,250km of road markings in England, Scotland and Wales. Over 40 per cent of markings on Scotland and Wales' motorways and dual carriageways are also in need of immediate attention. According to the Highways Agency's own standard of measuring the quality of motorway markings the number of markings requiring replacement is only 17 per cent. Regardless of the disparity between the two figures many industry figureheads have expressed concern that the DfT has done little in the way of implementing a solution for road users. Has your fleet experienced problems with road markings on particular motorways or dual carriageways? Let us and other fleet operators know of your experiences! It is vitally important fleets are in the best condition to handle the demands on Britain's roads on a daily basis. At IT Fleet Automotive we make the most of our technology and expertise to appraise and refurbish fleet vehicles to an incredibly high standard. If you would like to arrange an appraisal of your existing fleet why not contact our friendly team today on 01473 313057 and see what our fully trained vehicle inspectors can do for you.