‘Maybe it went up last week, maybe it’s been there for 10 years.’
Drivers have been naming the ‘least helpful’ on the roads(Image: Getty)
Drivers have been sharing their ‘least helpful’ road signs, saying they often have no idea what to expect after seeing them. One driver took to Reddit to share a picture of the widely-used and very recognisable “road ahead closed” sign, which millions of us will be very used to seeing.
But they explained that a sign which appears on the face of it to be straightforward is anything but, because it “can be placed miles before your destination or turn-off, with no indication at all as to which road or where is closed off, it could not hinder you at all, but if you choose to follow the diversion you’d be taken well out of your way”. They concluded: “I’ve taken to just ignoring them and seeing what happens, most of the time I never even see the road that is meant to be closed.”
Another user agreed, saying: “I usually ignore and hope for the best if it’s not clear where the closure is. Sometimes works out, sometimes not.”
A third said: “I had one on my way home, I ignored it. Five miles later I got home after passing numerous ‘road closed ahead’ signs. The closure was further ahead.”
It prompted a flood of funny observations on other road signs that users have found by turns baffling, confusing or irrelevant. One said: “I’ll raise you ‘new road layout ahead’. Maybe it went up last week, maybe it’s been there for 10 years.”
Another said: “Near me there was a new road layout sign up for years. In fact it’s been up for that long, the road layout has changed again.”
Another sign suggested was the “signal priorities changed” sign, with one user saying: “There’s one near me that’s so old it’s peeling!” On a separate thread, a road user said of the same sign: “When does a ‘signal priorities changed’ sign become redundant? This one is approaching 21 years old (has been in place since 2003). After 21 years, the number of people who remember the previous priority must be very small. Indeed I might be the only one. What happens if they need to change the priority for a second time?”
According to UK traffic regulations, the ‘signal priorities changed’ sign should be in place for no longer than three months.
Another contender put forward for “least helpful” road sign was the one intended to show falling rocks. They said: “I mean [what] are you supposed to do with this information?”
In response, a cyclist said: “One time when I was cycling, I rode into a small rock in the road and punctured. I didn’t see it cos I was looking at the rock fall warning sign.”
The “road ahead closed” sign is used to provide warnings to oncoming traffic about the closure of a road for a variety of reasons, though it does not necessarily mean the road being driven on when you see the sign.
Other signs that have left drivers confused include the ‘blue and red cross’ sign ‘everyone should know’ and a large black and white road sign that left drivers saying they have ‘no idea what it means’.
