New research released from Confused.com has revealed that the vast majority of Brits don’t understand the road signs they come across on a daily basis.
Further to this, over three-quarters (76%) of Brits think that distraction caused by road signs can be dangerous; a concerning statistic given that nearly half (46%) have been distracted by road signs whilst driving.
Brits’ lack of understanding when it comes to road signs has resulted in nearly a third (30%) having had a crash, bump or near miss. Of these people, more than four in five (81%) had to fork out up to £600 on car repairs.
With these statistics in mind, it may not come as a surprise to hear that the Department of Transport reports we have around 9,000 redundant road signs which need to be revised. Four out of five (82%) Brits agree with the Government’s plans, with over 40% believing that the public should vote for which signs are reviewed.
Nearly a quarter (23%) of Brits feel that road signs aren’t useful, and more than half (52%) feel confident enough driving without the need for ‘roadside furniture’. Part of this could be because Brits confess to being confused by road signs, as found by a list created by Confused.com and voted for by the public.
Recent Government changes spark debate
Confused.com’s research was commissioned in response to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin’s call for a crackdown on unnecessary road signs which are cluttering the countryside. The Department for Transport is currently revising its ‘Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions’, for implementation in 2014.
Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com says:“Our research suggests that many accidents are actually caused by redundant or perplexing road signs. It is clear that the Government needs to do a better job in educating people on what road signs mean in order to improve road safety. Any accidents caused because of distracting road signs will affect car insurance premiums, which will in turn cost the consumer more money.”
In order to voice the public’s opinion on road signs, Confused.com is running an online petition where you can vote for which road signs should be revised via http://www.confused.com/car-insurance/confusing-road-signs . Any road sign which receives more than 5,000 votes will be petitioned to the government.
