Sort My Sign: New Campaign Aims To Improve Road Signs
A new campaign is urging motorists to report hidden, confusing and broken road signs to Highways England in a bid to improve their usefulness…
Sort My Road Sign
Transport Focus, a watchdog, has launched its ‘Sort My Sign’ campaign to improve the nation’s road signs. It’s calling on motorists to keep their eyes open for misleading, obscured and broken signs; and to report them to Highways England. The hope is to improve signage on 4,300 miles of motorway and major A-roads. Drivers can report their findings via Transport Focus’ website. Using the supplied information, the watchdog will call on Highways England to make the necessary changes and to call for policy change; ensuring the issues don’t appear again in the future.
Over 140 problems have been reported since the campaign launched a month ago. Many of these have concerned signs covered by vegetation; especially on the A1 and A34. One motorist reported having to make last-minute lane changes. They said, “I have had to make last minute lane changes that were less safe than I would like, but have also chosen to miss exits altogether and return via the next exit. In my view motorway exit signs are not best placed for visibility”.
Not Clear, Not Safe
Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, has pledged to take any reports of faulty signs seriously. He said, “we want to hear from road users about signs and information that aren’t up to scratch. We’ll use what you say to press Highways England to make journeys easier and safer”. He continued, “there is nothing more frustrating than missing your turnoff because the sign was hidden behind a tree or missing crucial information. While we have some of the safest roads there are still too many signs which are broken, confusing or out of date. If it’s not clear, it’s not safe”.
Reporting damaged signs, especially on local roads, has a clear and obvious benefit for communities. But the question has to be asked, why should the responsibility fall on motorists themselves? They all pay road tax, after all. Surely a long-term plan of action would involve Highways England, and local authorities, keeping an eye on signage and on a regular basis? Until then, drivers should drive cautiously on roads they’re not familiar with and take a little time to plan their routes and journeys. This means that, even if they should encounter confusing road signs, they have a better chance of keeping themselves safe and not getting lost.
The Most Confusing Road Signs In The UK (And What They Mean) – https://autoserveclub.co.uk/blog/most-confusing-road-signs/
The End of Road Signs? Traffic Information To Be Beamed Into Cars – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/the-end-of-road-signs-traffic-information-to-be-beamed-into-cars/
