The Miami-Florida I-95 Interstate, the Texas-Florence I-20 Interstate, and the Michigan-Florida I-75 Interstate – these are just three of the most dangerous roads in the US to drive. However, you need not travel on any of these to risk your life because the danger of distracted driving may be just across the next street.
Forbes Advisor revealed that nearly 3,000 people lose their lives each year to distracted driving, which is among the leading causes of US road accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), three factors may be responsible for distracted driving –
- Visual distractions on the road, including large billboards
- Manual distractions such as eating or using the phone while driving
- Cognitive distractions like daydreaming, talking, or worrying
Going by this information, it is safe to assume that the “traffic accident road signs” flashed across US cities may be causing more harm than good. In fact, Jonathan Hall of the University of Toronto conducted a study to test fatality figures in Texas (which uses such electronic signs) and made a shocking discovery – such street signage increased road accidents, especially on the following 10 km after the sign was displayed.
This is just one example of poor road signage. However, street signs are more than colorful aesthetics populating busy intersections and suburban roads, right? Keep reading as this article explores the good, the bad, and the ugly of road signage.
Proper Road Signage is Crucial to Road Safety
Road traffic signs are not furniture designed to beautify the roads. They communicate important, even life-saving, information for motorists and pedestrians. Since a picture is worth more than a thousand words, road signage leverages the power of visual interpretation.
In general, all road signs can be divided into the following four categories –
- Regulatory Signs – These signs convey road information applicable at all times or specified intervals. They aim to reinforce traffic laws. For example – the stop or speed limit signs.
- Temporary Signs – These signs warn motorists of temporary obstacles in the way, such as ongoing construction work.
- Signs for Guidance – These signs provide motorists with directional information. For example – mileage signs.
- Warning Signs – These signs warn the driver to slow down or stop because of a potential obstacle or hazard that requires special attention.
Motorists or pedestrians too distracted on the roads to notice signage may end up in a single crash accident or a collision with other vehicles.
Road Signage Problems That Rarely See Daylight
As useful as road signage is, there are still loopholes that make them more of a bane to public road safety than a blessing. Discussed below are the top road signage issues that need more public attention.
1. Attempts to ‘Spice up’ Road Safety
As ludicrous as this sounds, states like Texas and New Jersey have tried to add humor to the mix. For instance – One of the highways of the latter featured a large electronic sign that read, “Slow Down, This Ain’t Thunder Road.” One would consider this to be a poor choice for a busy interstate.
Another sign made a sincere but sassy attempt to restrain drivers from driving under the influence of marijuana with, “We’ll Be Blunt/Don’t Drive High.” As for a third, the message was about protecting the woodlands, “Hold onto Your Butts/Help Prevent Forest Fires.”
There are over 350 such examples, and this is just one US city we’re talking about. The Head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) for the New Jersey division, Robert J. Clark, raised his concerns that such road signage only aids motorists in crashing their vehicles, even if they get to chuckle for a few seconds. Humor has its place, but a busy interstate where minor distractions are inexcusable is not one of them.
2. The Looming Problem of Driver Incomprehensibility
A study by Automotive Fleet found that at least 27% of US drivers still do not understand all important traffic signs. Now, this problem does not have a single party to blame. Such issues may be a mix of –
- Lack of driver awareness regarding the particular sign’s meaning
- Too many signs placed next to each other
- Inability to view the sign during nighttime. This problem further involves causes like poorly-lit roads and reduced visibility.
- Drowsy or distracted driving that made the driver miss the sign
- Signs not being well-placed
- New road signs introduced too frequently
According to a 2022 edition of Reader’s Digest, there are certain road signs so confusing that even driving instructors may get them wrong. The main concern is whether they are common or rare. In any case, motorists must be encouraged to brush up on their driving class theory lessons, constantly updating their knowledge of new and existing road signage.
3. An Alarming Increase in Street Sign Theft
On the surface, this issue may come across as funny, but it is anything but. Street sign theft is on the rise across the US, along with numerous cases of vandalism also reported. However, the reasons behind such theft might shock you, including –
- Home Decorations – Just like some people are fascinated with collecting seashells, others are drawn towards street signs (especially if the sign belongs to a street they’ve lived their whole lives). Such thieves use these signs to decorate their homes (a rather interesting interior décor choice).
- Metal Scraps for a Quick Buck – Many people steal street signs on quiet roads to sell them off as scrap metal and make some easy money.
- Fun and Humor – A few pints of Stella can make even the most law-abiding citizen enjoy some humor at the act of stealing a street sign.
- Open Rebellion – Some thieves need a reason to defy all road safety laws. Not to mention others do it to avoid being charged a ticket (where they pull up a sign and later throw it in the woods 10 miles off).
4. Road Signs Becoming a Ghastly Blight
Introducing a plethora of relevant street signs every now and then only takes away the relevance after some time. Streets across the world are overcrowded with pointless signs that are a visual nuisance at best and a threat to road safety at worst.
On the other end of the spectrum is the lack of proper road signage, especially on important roads and interstates. One infamous example is the newly constructed intersection in Rogers, Arkansas. One of the city’s residents stated to 40/29 News, “It’s a huge safety concern, and increases the risk of my friends or family getting into a car accident.” Residents are demanding traffic signals and stop signs that may help regulate traffic flow.
Rogers, being an extremely busy city, is no stranger to road accidents but when speed exceeds 55 miles per hour on a highway that accommodates 10,000 vehicles a day, a catastrophe seems almost inevitable. Not to forget that car accident lawsuit on such heavy-duty interstates (especially those with no signage) are increasingly complex, requiring an experienced Rogers car accident lawyer to determine the liable party. Things only become more webbed when distracted driving is involved.
According to the Keith Law Group, the accident scene on a signage-less busy intersection like that of Highway 102 can be fatal or cause serious injuries. States must steer clear of leaning on either of the extremes, ensuring proper signage is present at the right place.
5. When Improper Metrics are Involved
Improper metric on road signs was a common problem in the UK. According to the Traffic Signs Regulations of 1994, the distance metrics on road signs must be written in yards or miles. Even then, most road signs across the country had meters as the common metric.
Knowing that this could interfere with a motorist’s ability to calculate distance, pensioner Derek Norman, a retired repair technician for TVs and radios, began taking down or replacing road signs throughout the country.
By 2016, the gentleman had successfully changed or removed nearly 2000 road signs with the wrong metric and even created the Metrication Group. This resistance group took down signs wearing their hallmark yellow jackets and white helmets. This was another problem the public never paid attention to, but a retired humble gentleman did. Derek rendered his services with the Metrication Group till the D-Day of 2023 when he was finally laid to rest.
Collective Efforts for a Universal Remedy
In light of the problem areas exposed by improper signage, the world governments are rigorously making efforts to dispose of worn-down signs, increase public awareness of their meanings, and maintain law and order to reduce instances of sign theft.
A 2022 Bloomberg report stated that the US government had introduced a new road safety rule – all pavement markers must be repainted with new guidelines on retro-reflectivity. The aim is to not just help human motorists see these markings better at night, but also the electronic eyes of self-driving vehicles.
Other than that, there will also be an active placement of smart street signs that use traffic sensors, radar data, and Bluetooth connectivity to communicate real-time road condition information with one another. Using the Doppler Effect, drivers will be alerted of upcoming traffic congestion, wet and slippery roads, etc.
Though a universal remedy is not currently within reach, collective efforts are definitely underway.
