JUST HOW MANY ACCIDENTS ARE CAUSED BY BAD ROAD SIGNS?

The author discusses, with examples, the possibility that misleading road signs can cause accidents. He suggests that perhaps not enough guidance or training is given to the engineers responsible for their positioning. Two cases are given of signs involving a roundabout that was not there. In one case, signs indicated that the non-existent roundabout should be entered the wrong way, in the other case the author was involved in a collision with traffic that had been directed around the wrong way. A survey in Newcastle-upon-Tyne has shown that many motorists do not know the basic road signs. Also it has been suggested that the present pelican crossing is not distinguishable as a pedestrian crossing and the flashing amber light often leads to confusion between pedestrian and motorist. To avoid this confusion it is proposed that the European blue pedestrian crossing sign should be adopted in this country. /TRRL/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00036870
• Corporate Authors:

  IPC Science and Technology Press Limited

  IPC House, 32 High Street
  Guildford, Surrey  England 
• Authors:
  • Smith, G S
• Publication Date: 1976

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 157-158
• Serial:
  • Applied Ergonomics
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0003-6870
  • EISSN: 1872-9126
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00036870

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Comprehension; Compression; Crashes; Crosswalks; Defects; Drivers; Errors; Location; Position fixing; Roundabouts; Traffic circles; Traffic crashes; Traffic signs
• Uncontrolled Terms: Position
• Geographic Terms: Europe; United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 2209: Comprehension; 5238: Defect (tech); 1772: Driver; 6440: Error; 8034: Europe; 9061: Location; 1659: Pedestrian crossing; 438: Roundabout; 553: Traffic sign; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00163846
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: Analytic
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 27 1977 12:00AM