One in six (16 per cent) drivers have almost been involved in crashes due to faded road markings, according to a new survey of motorists.
The RAC, which commissioned the poll, described the findings as 'frightening' and urged the Government to work with councils to 'rectify the situation'.
Almost three in four (72 per cent) of the 1,693 licence holders polled told the motoring group that the clarity of road markings where they live had worsened in the last five years due to tightening council budgets or poor maintenance schedules.
Three out of five (63 per cent) said vanishing road markings have resulted in them having to guess where the lanes were, while two in five (38 per cent) said they have ended up in the wrong lane as a result of there being no visible dividing line.
Some 13 per cent said they have overshot a junction because they could not see markings on the road while fifth claim that lines painted on the tarmac had faded to almost nothing.
An overwhelming 92 per cent majority of motorists believe disappearing lines have made driving more dangerous, with motorists veering onto the wrong side of the road or out of their lane, or causing obstructions at junctions where turn signals painted on the road have disappeared.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: 'Leaving these most vital markings to just wear away makes no sense whatsoever. While there's clearly a cost to maintaining them, the cost of letting them disappear doesn't bear thinking about.'
The type of road markings that are vanishing varies, with everything from lane markings to zebra crossings becoming fainter as the days go on.
The most frequently cited markings that have disappeared are the lines at the centre of carriageways that separate lines of traffic.
These include solid single lines, double and broken white lines.
Half of drivers said these were the most commonly faded.
Arguably, these are some of the most important markings of all.
Some 48 per cent of drivers say arrows on roundabouts or junctions have faded to grey, while 44 per cent reported that 'give way' markings have vanished.
Similar numbers claim the paint on yellow box markings (43 per cent), stop lines at junctions (41 per cent) and speed limit signs painted on the road (36 per cent) have gone.
Around one in five motorists also identified worn hatched markings (diagonal white lines separating lanes or protecting turning zones), unbroken bus and cycle lane outlines, zebra crossings and cycle boxes/advanced stop lines at traffic lights as areas that have been neglected by local authorities.
Licence holders say this is triggering increased risk levels of journeys as they frequently are needing to guess where lanes are (63 per cent) or driving in the wrong lane (38 per cent).
Almost a fifth say they've had a confrontation or been beeped at by another road user as a result of not being able to see markings on the tarmac.
Separate research carried out for the latest RAC Report on Motoring identified faded road markings and poor drainage as the joint second biggest safety dangers (38 per cent) with roads themselves, second only to potholes (80 per cent).
A significant 84 per cent of drivers believe that road safety in their areas would be improved if road markings were repainted.
And 91 per cent wish their local authority did a better job ensuring painted road markings are clearly visible.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: 'It's frightening to think almost one in five drivers have had a near-miss as a result of faded road markings and more than one in 10 have overshot a junction.
'Leaving these most vital markings to just wear away makes no sense whatsoever.
'While there's clearly a cost to maintaining them, the cost of letting them disappear doesn't bear thinking about.
'While the Government has just published the country's first road safety strategy in more than a decade, this is one key area that shouldn't be forgotten.
'We urge them to work with councils to rectify this situation.'
