Soft verges Road safety sign - 3mm Aluminium sign fitted with 2 strips Channel to rear for mounting on post 300mm x 300mm

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Any council may assert and protect the rights of the public to the use and enjoyment of any highway in their area for which they are not the highway authority, including any roadside waste which forms part of it. Learner drivers and current drivers on UK roads are seen to drive near or over the soft verges at speed. It is best to be seen to slow down and take care when it comes to driving over soft verges. This can curb the risk of accidents. Where are you likely to see the "soft verges" sign? Additional traffic joining from left ahead. Traffic on main carriageway has priority over joining traffic from right hand lane of slip road The question as to the extent of the space subject to the public right of passage depends upon the evidence in each particular case as to the nature of the district, the width and level of the margins, the regularity of the lines of the fences and other relevant circumstances. Countess of Belmore v Kent County Council [1901] 1 Ch 873. In cases where no footway has been constructed alongside the metalled road, the verge enables pedestrians to proceed with greater safety than they would on the metalled road.

Or they may be the boundary between the inclosed land and a strip of manorial waste alongside the highway which has not been dedicated as part of it. Thus the presumption of dedication arising from the public user of greens along the side of a highway between the fences was rebutted in one instance by evidence of an entry in the court rolls of the manor that the greens were waste belonging to the manor, and of the greens being treated by the lord of the manor as his private property. Friern Barnet UDC v Richardson (1898) 62 JP 547 CA. Revised by the late Gordon Hands. While the Open Spaces Society has made every effort to ensure the information obtained in this factsheet is an accurate summary of the subject as at the date of publication, it is unable to accept liability for any misinterpretation of the law or any other error or omission in the advice in this paper. The cases cited above were considered in Harvey v Truro Rural Council [1903] 2 Ch 638 by Joyce J who in his judgment said: In the case of an ordinary highway running between fences, although it may be of a varying and unequal width, the right of passage or way prima facie, and unless there be evidence to the contrary, extends to the whole space between the fences, and the public are entitled to the entire of it as a highway, and are not confined to the part which may be metalled. All the ground that is between the fences is presumably dedicated as highway unless the nature of the ground or other circumstances rebut that presumption...It is an established maxim that ‘once a highway, always a highway’. The public cannot release their rights. Mere disuse of a highway cannot deprive the public of their rights. Where there has once between a highway no length of time during which it may not have been used will preclude the public from resuming the exercise of the right to use it if and when they think proper. Even if the highway authority had actually consented to any obstruction or encroachment upon the strip being part of the highway, such consent could not legalise that which was otherwise illegal…

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The extended area of EcoGrid now acts as a drainage system, to stop rainwater or stormwater from building and flooding. It also reduces the risk of vehicles tipping over due to soft ground. Traffic in right hand lane of slip road joining the main carriageway has priority over left hand lane It is to be borne in mind that the questions who owns the soil of the roadside verge, and whether it is part of the highway, are quite distinct. Regardless of who owns the soil, the public may have a right of passage over it, ie it may be part of the highway. Consequently, if a public right of passage over such a verge is claimed, it is no answer for the adjoining owner to say ‘the land belongs to me’ since even if it does, it may still be part of the highway. A highway authority may attach to any such licence such conditions as they consider necessary to ensure the safety and convenience of passengers in the highway and to prevent traffic [‘traffic’ includes pedestrians and animals, s329 Highways Act 1980] therein being delayed, to prevent any nuisance or annoyance being caused to the owners or occupiers of other premises adjoining the highway.

Soft verges mean that it is not firm on the left of the road. Therefore there is a risk of falling when you are driving and you should take care because it is not firm and you cannot see what is underneath. Soft verges mean that there is no danger on the road so your speed must be lowered. Local Acts of Parliament Some local authorities have their own private acts that give them powers to control or manage roadside verges and restrict the right of passage by certain categories of user. Ask the legal department of your county authority if such an act exists for your area. The legal remedies available to local authorities are described in Rights of Way – a guide to law and practice (John Riddall and John Trevelyan, 4th edition, 2007).

Soft Verges Ahead Sign 556.1

S96 Highways Act 1980 authorises the highway authority to plant trees in the highway verge but not to obstruct it. Road edge erosion from rainwater, stormwater and heavy vehicles makes the road narrower and presents a flood risk. It is the duty of the highway authority to assert and protect the rights of the public to the use and enjoyment of any highway for which they are the highway authority, including any roadside waste which forms part of it. It's common to see this sign in rural areas and where the road is pretty narrow. If you are driving in a country lane, then you should see this sign often. The police are more likely to put up the "soft verges" sign than some other drivers. When did this sign first come into action? Andersonreport• Worboysreport• TrafficSignDesign• TSRGDandTSM ( Motorwayalphabet• Transportalphabet)• GuildfordRules

We have provided materials to many Local Authorities for multiple highway projects. Highways are particular and a bit different because it is public areas and can have many types of vehicles driving over on a daily basis. Using our EcoGrid E50 is the best option.

This leads to erosion and break-up of the road edge from heavier vehicles and rainwater resulting in multiple potential risks: Soft verges may seem like a small thing; however, they are a big part of driving. They're very important because they can make the difference between a dangerous situation and a safe one. If there is an accident as a result of soft verges, then it may mean that the center of gravity is off and this can lead to an accident.