Tony Coombe

John Doyle

Road User Safety Division 4

Department for Transport

Zone 2/13

Great Minster House

76 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DR

Direct Line: 020 7944 2026

Fax: 020 7944 2042

GTN No: 3533

Web Site: www.dft.gov.uk

Our Ref: RSS 58/1/1 pt 1

21 May 2008

Dear Mr Coombe,

Thank you for your email enquiring about whether any considersation has been give to the UK changing to driving on the right side of the road. I have been asked to reply and apologise for the dealy in doing so.

We have no current plans to change to driving on the right. The idea of a change was considered some time ago but was rejected on both the cost and safety grounds. A detailed estimate of the cost of physical works needed to effect such a change - traffic signs, junction layouts, road markings and so on was prepared in 1969. At today's prices it would cost around £2 billion making no allowance for the growth of the road network and vehicle population since that date.

In addition, traffic management schemes and urban traffic control systems have been widely introduced. Since 1969, many accident `black spots' have been treated and the solutions chosen relate very closely to individual site geometry and would therefore be entirely negated by a change. New problem sites would be identified over time requiring treatment. The actual cost is therefore likely to be higher.

No estimate is available for the increased number, and cost, of road accidents. For some time there could be problems because of the mixture of right and left hand drive vehicles, and with left sides on buses. An important consideration is the possibility of an increasing number of accidents to elderly people, slow to adapt to change.

There is no convincing argument for change when we already have one of the best road safety records in the world. We therefore, have no plans to change to driving on the right.

Yours sincerely,

JOHN DOYLE