How Safe is Our Road Signage?
02 March 2020
When on the roads we are governed by signage. Whether it is telling us directions, what lanes we should be in and which ones we shouldn’t be in or alerting us to hazards on the road. But how many of them can we actually see? A transport watchdog has warned that poor signage is forcing drivers into making reckless manoeuvres. So, what can you do and how can you protect yourself from obscured signage?
As a school minibus leasing specialist, at Marshall Minibus we understand you want every journey to be a safe journey. Therefore, we will look at the importance of signage, what you can do to help improve it and how best to prepare for obscured signs.
In an age of sat-navs and GPS devices, road signage may now seem redundant, but not everything can be replaced by technology. Signs are the universal language of our roads, providing motorists with important information at each step of their journey. They also don’t run on battery power so when your phone is charging, they are your only guide on the roads.
This is why when signs become obstructed it is a big problem for all road users. Transport Focus has set up the “Sort My Sign” campaign to help fix our signage. How it works is if you see a sign that is broken, partially visible or inaccurate, report it and then these will be mapped by Transport Focus to press Highways England to fix their signage.
However, signs are not going to be fixed overnight which means on your next minibus journey you may be affected by obstructed signage. The best way to prepare for this without the overreliance of technology on your journey is careful planning before you set off. Knowing your route beforehand will help reduce the chance of getting caught out by poor signage.
During your journey expect other motorists to be affected by obstructed signage. For example, on the motorway if a driver misses early signs that their exit is coming up, they may make a last-minute dash across the lanes. This makes them a huge danger to those between them and their exit so be vigilant and prepared.
At Marshall Minibus, the safety of your journeys is always the priority. That is why we are always on hand to offer safety advice and guidance for all your minibus adventures. To find out more about our school minibus leasing and minibus finance services, visit our “Why Use Us” website page or call us directly on 01480 220444.
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