Nearly 1 in 3 drivers have MISSED motorway junctions because ‘The sign was obscured!’

It’s not bad enough that motorcyclists have to contend with other road users doing things like using mobile phones, drink-driving or driving under the influence of drugs when out on British roads – there’s now a report that says a third of them are so dozy about driving on motorways that they MISS A JUNCTION because they claim that signs are obscured.

Large vehicles and overgrown bushes have apparently come under the spotlight after a report by the group, Transport Focus, which found that 29% of drivers say that they’d driven past a motorway junction they needed because the sign for it was either ‘blocked’ or ‘difficult to read’.

Those who have missed an ENTIRE motorway junction went on to say that nearly three-quarters of them had done so because a large vehicle like a lorry or coach had blocked their view (clearly the concept of slowing down or changing lane in time hadn’t occurred to the driver in question), nearly half had also said that overgrown trees or bushes blocked the very large blue motorway sign whilst just over a third claimed that the sign itself was in such a poor state of repair that they couldn’t read it.

Only 47% of those who took part in the report said that they use Sat Nav systems on the motorway.

Transport Focus said that, based on its report, Highways England should: “Review the position of junction numbers on road signs to ensure maximum visibility for the safety and convenience of all road users”.