Is the writing now on the wall for conventional traffic calming

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has launched a campaign to pressure UK highway authorities to save the countryside from excessive signs, road markings and poor street furniture. TRL is investigating psychological traffic calming in relation to the concept that more complex environments tend to be associated with slower driving speeds. On the A419 in Latton, Wiltshire, the central white lines on the road have been removed, the carriageway has been narrowed and village gateways have been introduced. Surrey County Council has moved towards psychological traffic calming, with a pilot scheme near Dorking. The effects on traffic speed are not yet available. Norfolk County Council introduced minimal signage in two trials in Starston and Stiffkey in the 'self-explaining roads' (SER) project. This resulted in reductions of only 1-2 mph. Better reductions have been achieved in Norfolk by the use of vehicle activated signs.