Road signs distracting drivers

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Road signs and billboards can lead to drivers being distracted and reacting slower - 4th April 2008

The number of signs and billboards lining the UK's roads could increase the risks for drivers of a car accident claim experts.

Fifty four motorists split equally between males and females took part in an experiment which showed that signs and billboards do distract drivers by affecting the time it takes them to stop.    

Crucially in a real life situation the increased stopping distance could be the difference between avoiding a road accident and actually being involved in one.

The study found that the more road and supermarket signs the motorists drove past, the more the distance required to stop increased. Also their reaction time to danger was increased by the presence of more billboards and signs.

The dangers of increased stopping distance are obvious, particularly if the vehicle is involved in a pedestrian accident, where it would greatly increase the chances of serious injury or even death.

Oliver Clark a researcher at Hull University said: "The difference of a metre and a half could be the difference between life and death. "Lives could be saved if the number of adverts and signs were reduced.”