INSTALLERSUPPORT
Eight New Road
Signs to Quell
Road Rage
» A NEW SERIES OF ROAD SIGNS HAVE
been proposed to help warn drivers about common
motoring issues such as parked cars narrowing
residential roads, and even smelly areas of the
countryside. In a bid to keep motorists more
informed about the road conditions they may face
and help to reduce instances of frustration behind
the wheel, the experts have released their design
proposals.
A spokesperson for LeaseVan.co.uk said: “Too
much information is never a bad thing, and knowing
more about the conditions you face when behind the
wheel can help drivers keep calm and concentrated,
improving road safety.That’s why we’ve put forward
eight suggestions for new signs that could prove
invaluable on modern British roads.
“From common problems in residential suburbs
to typical motorway frustrations and aids for drivers
unfamiliar with a particular area, it wouldn’t take
much time, effort or money from the Department
for Transport to get our useful suggestions put up in
suitable locations.”
1. Parked cars
creating single
lane roads
In suburbs and
residential areas across
the country, vehicles
are routinely and legally
parked on one or both
sides of the road. This
leads to only a single lane
being available for traffic
from both directions, on
either side or straddling
the middle of the
carriageway. Motorists
unfamiliar with an area
should be warned of
this so that they can
proceed with caution and
respond appropriately if
they encounter opposing
traffic.
2. Merge lanes
one by one
Few things infuriate
polite drivers on British
roads more than a rude
motorist trying to nip in
and jump the queue or
box them out and block
their entry when lanes of
traffic merge. For those
light on manners, a sign
should be placed before
merging lanes to order
motorists to be fair. A car
from each lane ought to
slot in one by one like
shuffling a deck of cards,
particularly in busy urban
areas with increasing levels
of congestion.
3. Active hours for
long term roadworks
Drivers are routinely
frustrated to see a lack
of activity when stuck in
delays caused by lengthy
and long-term roadworks,
especially when travelling
early in the morning or
late in the evening.
Particularly where
smart motorways are
being installed and around
town centres, plenty
of potentially annoyed
motorists could be calmed
if more information was
available. Simply letting
road users know the
working hours of the
teams, at sites of significant
highways upgrading or
problem solving, would
allow all to be more
understanding.
‘give motorists chance to close
their windows and air vents’
4. Permanently
narrow lanes
ahead
Whether it’s because
anti-terrorist barriers
encroach onto the
carriageway or simply
cash-strapped councils
trying to squeeze an
extra lane in on busy
routes where the roads
that weren’t built for it;
and are often barely wide
enough for many of the
larger modern cars on
the market, as well as
most vans, lorries and
buses.
5. Areas with
high numbers of
pedestrians
Standing this sign
before packed high
streets, near train or bus
stations, outside sports
stadiums or multipurpose
arenas, on school
run routes, and at other
busy places could aid
drivers unfamiliar with
the area.
6. Pungent parts
of the country
Drivers should be given
advanced warning before
driving through an area
dominated by farmland
where manure is often
spread on the fields, near a
pig farm or past a factory
giving off a strong odour.
This would give motorists
chance to close their
windows and air vents to
stop the suffocating smell
getting inside their vehicle.
7. Top speed isn’t
always possible
To help stop any
instances of road rage
before they start, UK
motorists could be warned
ahead of stretches of road
where they may not always
be able to travel at the
speed limit; business parks
taking lots of deliveries
from large lorries on tight
roads, in shopping areas
where lots of entrances
and parking spots are
packed in, near beauty
spots with nice scenery,
and on roads where
drivers often lose their
bearings or get nervous.
8. Routes used by
lots of cyclists
In the interests of focusing
on road safety and
reminding motorists to
be considerate of riders,
vehicle drivers should
be warned when they’re
travelling on a road on
which they’re likely to
encounter lots of twowheeled
road users.
LeaseVan.co.uk
28 » JUN 2020 » CLEARVIEW-UK.COM