Astro-Tar

Instant Lawn and Astro turf come in rolls that you unroll on the relevant patch of ground and trim to size. Hey presto – instant green. Astrotar is the same basic principle applied to roads.  Which is fine, cool, a good idea, even. But not when you make the stuff out of sugar-syrup. And especially not when you have Britain’s weather. Because while it might make for fewer potholes and better wearing road surfaces (I don’t know whether it does, I’m not an engineer), and I’m guessing it works out cheaper than the old fashioned way (again, speculative – I’m not an accountant either), and while this new method might possibly be greener than traditional asphalt, it’s also going to cause more accidents. Because like diesel, like petrol, like oil, like paint, like that damn special-order gaffer-tape they used for the Olympic lanes – it’s slippery as all hell when wet.  Just because molasses  is the right damn colour is no damn reason to put it on  the road. What part of tires need to grip did they miss or don’t they drive (or ride, or take the occasional bus)?