As motorists spend more and more time assessing the road surface, they can easily miss out on other essentials of the driver’s tasks.

One thing they can all too easily miss is signposts, which are easy enough to miss at the best of times when trying to find their way on an untravelled route.

There are also warning and safety signs adorning our streets.

Which way?

While concentrating on the road ahead, navigation and other road users, not to mention the potholes, seeing the correct signs are becoming even more difficult for another reason.

Like the state of our road surfaces, our street furniture also seems to be going unloved and uncared for.

The RAC is calling on local authorities to inspect all the signs on their networks and ensure they are clear and visible to drivers.

The plea follows a survey that found that half (53%) of drivers frequently notice road signs obscured by vegetation.

Road markings are also suffering from wear and tear and are not being repainted at anything like their previous frequency.

To the limit

According to the survey, 42% of respondents admit to accidentally breaking the speed limit because they couldn’t see signs to indicate otherwise.

But this unkempt vegetation isn’t just causing issues for road sign visibility – it’s also creating danger for motorists at junctions or roundabouts.

Of those who notice road signs are obscured, four in five (81%) drivers said too much foliage makes it difficult to pull out of a junction or roundabout safely.

As a result, more than half (58%) of drivers questioned felt strongly that foliage shouldn’t be allowed to grow out of control as it compromises road safety.

Additionally, a third (28%) said they expect foliage to be cut back, considering how much they pay in council tax.

Growing issues

Alice Simpson, RAC Breakdown spokesperson, says natural growth is generally a welcome signal of nature’s beauty and wonder.

However, she adds, “it’s an entirely different matter if vital information like speed limit changes aren’t visible”.

“It’s especially concerning that speed limit signs are often the hardest to detect,” adds Simpson.

“Drivers are left guessing what the legal limit is before they spot a smaller repeater sign. Any amount of excessive speeding puts everyone on the roads at grave danger, especially on minor and local roads where there’s a greater number of pedestrians.

“Drivers shouldn’t be left to rely on their local knowledge and navigation apps to know if there’s a change in speed limit or if a junction is approaching.”

But Simpson points out, “Of course, it’s still the motorists’ responsibility to drive at an appropriate speed, whether a road sign is visible or not.”

“While we realise local councils are under enormous pressure financially, we nonetheless ask them to inspect all the signs on their networks and do everything in their power to ensure they are clear and visible to drivers, as it’s these signs that can save lives.”