Wednesday 27 February 2013

Bamboozled by road signs?

Confused.com polled 2,000 people on which road signs they found the most confusing and perplexing. The majority of our drivers show little understanding of road signs, with a shocking 93 per cent failing to recognise "no vehicles" signs, according to new research by Confused.com.

How well do you understand the road signs you come across on a daily basis? Exclusive research carried out on behalf of Confused.com shows that Brits may be more confused by road signs than they would like to admit. An astonishing 93 per cent failed to recognise the sign for "no vehicles except bikes being pushed". Meanwhile 83 per cent were unclear on the meaning of the common "Urban Clearway" sign, and 67 per cent were bamboozled by the "no waiting" sign.

Top five confusing road signs




Road signs are 'distracting'.

Almost half of the 2,000 Brits polled – 46 per cent – say they have been distracted by road signs while driving. A lack of understanding when it comes to road signs has resulted in nearly 30 per cent having had a crash, bump or near miss.

The biggest bugbear is road signs used for maintenance, with 43 per cent feeling irritated that they are left out longer than they should be. Councils starting to cull confusing road signs and last month, the Department of Transport revealed 9,000 traffic signs had already been removed from the roads in a bid to de-clutter Britain’s streets. And transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has urged local authorities to continue the cull. He says: "There are too many unnecessary signs blotting the landscapes of our towns and cities. That is why I have published new guidance, to help encourage local authorities to make old, confusing and ugly signs a thing of the past." Shaun Spiers, chief executive of Campaign to Protect Rural England, says he hopes councils made "a spring clean of clutter is one of their New Year’s resolutions". He adds: "Individual signs may be added with the best intentions but before long can sprout into a forest of clutter that degrades our countryside and distracts drivers."

Later....

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