Motorists throw a wobbly over silly wiggly white lines

Residents of a sleepy Scottish village are being driven round the bend by wiggly white lines painted on the road. The lines were meant to be a traffic-calming measure on the A811 in Arnprior, Stirlingshire. But they’re having the opposite effect on motorists.

Councillor Ian Muirhead said: “In common with many residents, I find the wiggly lines to be not only ineffective but also look stupid. They were put in place as a supposed traffic-calming measure by Stirling Council. I think the idea is that people see the wobbly lines and assume it’s going to be a bumpy road so they slow down. But many people have said it just looks like the lines were painted by a drunken road worker.”


Photo from SWNS.

Farmer Duncan McEwen, who owns nearby Arnprior Farm, described the road markings as “silly,” adding: “It is an absolute waste of money that could have been better spent elsewhere, such as fixing potholes. It is supposed to be a traffic-calming measure, but it has no calming influence whatsoever.” The council’s Danny Gibson said: “These lines were installed as part of agreed speed reduction measures.

“The centre line markings are complemented by red road markings at the side. The combination influences driver behaviour and encourages a reduction in vehicle speed. We have not been contacted by any local residents or road users to express any concerns about these markings.” AA president Edmund King said: “Rather than putting a wiggly line down the middle of the road and confusing everyone, it would be better to have no line at all. It would have saved the cost of the paint.”