Motorists are in danger of crashing because of an inability to decipher all the information that is thrown at them on their journeys, according to the director of the RAC Foundation speaking at the Institute of Highways and Transport "Driver Information" conference in London today.
Foundation director Edmund King will tell delegates that signs that are clear, concise, relevant, reliable and timely can improve safety and reduce the number of drivers who get lost each day. Conversely clutters of contradictory signs lead to confusion that can result in collisions.
King will argue that sometimes information overload means that motorists can miss the most important information. Most drivers when concentrating hard to follow directions in an unknown area will turn down the radio and tell passengers to be quiet. They do this instinctively to avoid information overload.
The Foundation’s motoring psychologist has argued that "five plus or minus two" is the amount of messages or points of information that we can think of and take in at any one time. If we are focusing on too many messages then we can miss some crucial information. Driving in a rural area with traffic news on the radio, instructions from satnav, over-complex road signs with four different messages, means we may miss the Flood sign. We may see it but not take it in. We then end up in deep water.
Surveys by the Foundation show that more than half of UK motorists admit to not understanding even basic signs in the Highway Code and over half admit to getting lost during holiday journeys. In urban areas at any particular time up to 15 per cent of drivers are estimated to be lost.
Yet across the UK, thousands of road signs which give route directions, street names, limits or hazards are confusing or have disappeared, been knocked down, obscured with grime or foliage or have been damaged.
A psychiatrist at King’s College, London said that information overload can harm concentration more than marijuana with men twice as likely to be distracted than women. Information overload can reduce a person’s ability to focus as much as losing a night’s sleep.
Roads authorities can play their part by ensuring that road signs spring no surprises and do not contribute to that confusion. Carriageway markings and road signs are a cheap and cost effective way of reducing accidents but only if they are clear, relevant and timely.
King will suggest that road authorities review signing:
- Signage at locations with a history of collisions should be examined to ensure that it is legible and simple to follow. While the onus is on drivers to learn signs and re-visit the Highway Code, confusing and poorly maintained signage can contribute to road collisions.
- Signs should be erected - or road surfaces marked - much further back from all multi-lane entries to tell drivers which lane they need to get into. With better advanced signing, drivers who don’t know a road will be able to get into the correct entry lane sooner and not have to weave at the last moment.
- All road signs should be regularly maintained, cleaned, kept free of foliage and be accurate. Examples of confusing signs have included a bilingual traffic sign in Wales which gave pedestrians contradictory instructions in English and in Welsh or the vandalised sign for Skelmsdale Baths - abbreviated to: "Swim in poo".
King will also argue that journey pre-planning by motorists and use of sophisticated navigation/congestion avoidance systems like Smart Nav can help motorists to avoid confusion caused by confusing signs.
He might have added that fewer speed cameras would help...