Low-resistance roads developed

• Smoother surface will reduce pollution
• 1% drop will save 350 million litres of fuel
• New surface must stop cars in the wet as well

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A new fuel-saving road surface is being developed to combat pollution.

Resistance between the road and the tyre is estimated to account for 15% of fuel consumption. The new surface is expected to reduce usage by 1% - which equates to roughly 350 million litres of fuel among Britain's 24 million motorists.

The road surface is being developed by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), which was commissioned to do the work by the Highways Agency.

However, the challenge of providing a lower resistance surface that still provides sufficient wet weather grip and doesn't increase road noise means that it will be at least five years before the first road is laid with the new surface.

TRL's Dr Alex Wright said: 'It will require further work to develop the surfaces with a balance of reduced rolling resistance and the other essential properties. I guess this will not be done and then implemented for five to 10 years.'