Poor signage, the culprit behind most wrong decisions at the wheel

RACE, BP and CASTROL present a study concluding that 73 % of drivers have made wrong decisions due to problems with road signage.

BP, CASTROL and RACE present a study as part of the campaign #AlVolanteLoImportante, aimed at understanding the external distractions that affect us at the wheel in relation to what drivers encounter on roads and urban streets. The report, in which more than 2,000 Spanish drivers took part, concluded that 73 % of respondents have made wrong decisions because of poor signage.

According to the study’s results, the factors that cause the most distraction are the presence of other road users (55 %), the existence of an accident (52 %) and, surprisingly, confusing signage (48%).

Jorge Castellanos, Coordinator of the Road Mobility and Safety Area at RACE, highlighted in the presentation of the report that for almost half of drivers the signage on rural and inter-urban roads is confusing. “Signs are important to help drivers, and 30 % of road users fail to understand them properly,” he said.

Wrong decisions and changes of direction increase the danger on roads

Many road signs are covered in graffiti and paint, lack colour, have visibility problems, are not large enough or are not placed in the right location. This deficiency in sign maintenance often leads to driver navigation errors, and 3 out of every 4 respondents attribute their poor driving to having made a wrong decision. In addition, 37 % believe that these decisions put road safety at risk.

Although 2 out of 3 surveyed drivers say they focus their attention on signs above the instructions from the satnav, the use of this electronic device has become the main means of guidance to reach the chosen destination and can sometimes lead to confusion.

In the presentation of the study, Ruth Hurtado, Head of Road Safety at BP, made clear that the study’s main objective is none other than to raise public awareness of the danger posed by all these distractions, with concrete figures and data.

Through the #AlVolanteLoImportante campaign and through entertaining videos, games and infographics on its website and social networks, the three companies want to reach the largest possible number of users and achieve, in the future, the goal of zero accidents. Here you can take a fun test to find out whether you know road signs well.

At the presentation of the study, the head of BP’s Road Safety department concluded with good practice advice, including planning our journeys in advance, checking road conditions, programming the GPS before setting off, and never handling electronic devices while driving.