Danger ahead for drivers who can't read signs
Many motorists struggle to identify common road signs with two out of three unable to recognise the sign warning of a zebra crossing ahead, a survey reveals today.
The poll also shows nearly half do not understand a “no motor vehicles” symbol and 15 per cent failed to identify the maximum speed limit sign.
Just 12 per cent of motorists correctly identified all eight signs they were shown.
Road safety charity Brake, which carried out the survey of 2,050 people, said the results proved the need for tougher driving tests and regular retesting for older drivers. Spokeswoman Katie Shephard said: “Many drivers don’t re-read the Highway Code after passing their test. This means 55-year-olds who passed their test at 17 have been driving a shocking 38 years without refreshing their knowledge of the rules of the road.
“Driving is one of the most hazardous things people do on a daily basis and we urge all drivers to refresh their knowledge of the Highway Code to help keep themselves and others safe. We are lobbying the Department of Transport to review the entire testing regime in the UK.”
Maggie Game, of Direct Line car insurance, which took part in the poll, said: “Road signs play a central role in mitigating many of the risks on our roads. If motorists don’t understand what a sign is trying to communicate, the risks increase significantly.
“With two-thirds of motorists failing to recognise a zebra crossing sign, it is easy to see why there were 773 people killed or injured on crossings in 2007.”
Meanwhile a separate survey reveals that many motorists hate driving. A lack of parking, confusing one-way systems and traffic jams are to blame. Pete Markey, of insurers More Than, which commissioned the survey of 1,536 drivers, said: “It’s not just the big cities that are blighted by poor planning, traffic hotspots and a lack of parking spaces.
“Our research shows it’s an issue that is winding up motorists the length and breadth of the country.”
