Beat lethargy with landmarks
Transport bosses at Highways England believe that their new road design plans will offer panoramic views of the countryside, stimulating drivers and keep them awake as they traverse the country.
We all know that when you’re getting tired on a journey, the best thing to do is pull over, but up until that point, singing along to the radio or playing road trip games like ‘The Alphabet Game’ have always been good ways to stay motivated.
Highways England, however, think that they have a new way to stay roused. Through their new design guidelines, motorways should start to offer panoramic views of the UK’s rolling hills in a bid to reduce driver fatigue and crashes.
Through ten new principles that they intend to follow during the design of their upcoming schemes, they hope to offer innovative, environmentally sustainable and long-lasting roads. Mike Wilson, Highways England chief engineer, said: "Creating different vistas, different environments for people to consider, is a way of stimulating the road user. You might argue they're safer because of it." Enabling drivers to see "statement structures" like the Angel of the North in Gateshead and the Stonehenge in Wiltshire gives drivers a visual reminder that “you're making progress on your journey".
In no particular order, here are five of the most iconic structures and wonders you can see from the roads right now:
Stonehenge, visible on the A303:
Glastonbury Tor, visible on the M5:
Cherhill White Horse, visibly on the A4:
Angel of the North, visible on the A1:
Emley Moor Transmitter, visible on the M62:
