Research by vehicle history specialists HPI suggests that many of us have forgotten what we learnt about road signs for the driving test.
UK drivers with different ages and driving histories were challenged to draw road signs including No overtaking, Roundabout, Give way and End of motorway.
Next, they were asked to identify the signs for Sharp bend, Double bend, No waiting/Controlled Zone, Uneven road and Congestion.
In the final test, the drivers were asked questions on what UK speed limits can apply for certain traffic signs without numbers, or driving when on certain types of roads.
The results showed that motorists' knowledge is quite hit and miss when it comes to road signs and speed limits.
In the key findings from the drawing test:
- 50% of people couldn't draw a 'Stop' sign
- 55% of people couldn't draw the 'No overtaking' sign
- 90% of people couldn't draw the sign for a 'Roundabout', and were just as confused by the 'Mini-roundabout' sign
- Only 15% of people could draw the 'End of motorway' sign
- 70% of people didn't know how to draw the 'Give way' sign
- Almost half of people (45%) didn't know how to draw the 'One-way system' sign
In the second part of the test:
- 55% of people couldn't identify what the 'Sharp bend' sign was, with the majority of people mistaking it for 'Turn right'
- Only 20% of people could identify the 'Mini-roundabout' sign
- 95% of people didn't know what the 'No waiting' sign was
- None of the drivers surveyed could explain what the 'Uneven road' sign meant
- 35% of people couldn't identify the sign for 'Congestion'
The speed limit questions revealed that:
- 12% of people thought the speed limit on a dual carriageway was 80mph -- 10mph over the actual limit
- 56% didn't know the speed limit for a van on a motorway
- 60% of drivers got the dual carriageway speed limit wrong
If these stats have set alarm bells ringing, says HPI, it wouldn't hurt to get out the Highway Code and brush up on your signs and symbols.
How well do you know the signs found on UK roads? Could you draw them from memory?
Could you draw the 'Give way' sign from memory? Research by @my_hpi finds UK #drivers struggle to remember common #road signs
Tags:
car, code, dangerous, driving, geoffrey, highway, insurance, motor, signs