HIGHWAYS chiefs have stepped up anti-skid measures on the county's roads in a bid to improve safety for drivers.

Lancashire County Council highways chiefs say they are taking action before problems occur in an effort to prevent the road system facing a similar crisis to the railways.

Worst hit in East Lancashire are 13 locations, all on the A679 which joins Accrington and Burnley and the A682 which links Rawtenstall and Burnley, where county engineers have already started putting up signs warning drivers of the skidding hazards.

Their aim is to bring the county's roads up to the same standard as trunk A roads which are maintained by the Highways Agency, and it follows a survey of all the county's roads using detectors to estimate the risk of skidding, as well as analysis of accident blackspots where skidding is a major factor.

Highways chairman Richard Toon said safety is the county's "number one priority" and the new skid testing measures will help engineers identify those areas most in need of work, as well as allowing them to warn drivers of potential risk areas.

He said: "Where our tests indicate areas where there may be a particular problem we are installing warning signs. We are also taking action to improve skid resistance where there is evidence of accidents."

A report to the county council's highways and transportation committee said there were 132 locations across Lancashire which had been identified as risk areas for vehicles skidding.

A county council spokesman said the county council was acting now in a bid to be "proactive" and prevent the state of the roads declining.

He added: "The locations are where vehicles are actually braking over a long period of time, such as approaching junctions, which speeds up the wearing of the stone in the road surface. It's perfectly natural, and you will find this on any road in any county."