Streets ahead

A new road survey vehicle was launched last week that will allow data to be collected from

's roads 30 times faster than conventional methods, ensuring less disruption to motorways and major roads around the country.

The Traffic Speed Deflectometer (TSD) can survey the structural condition of roads at speeds of up to 50mph, leading to fewer delays for drivers. The acquired information, when combined with data gathered by other types of survey, will give the

a more comprehensive picture of the condition of the strategic road network, making it easier to target maintenance and allocate resources where needed most.

Brian Ferne, senior research fellow at the

(TRL), who is carrying out the project for the Highways Agency, said the basic principle in testing a structural component is to measure the deflection, (defined as pavement move under load) the measure of which will indicate the strength. Therefore it will indicate how long a road should last or how much strengthening is required.