Signs and markings critical to leap in road safety

30 June 2011

Motor Industry and Highways Sector Must Unite to Save Lives, report claims

The two heavyweights in road and car safety, EuroRAP and Euro NCAP, have joined forces to call on the motor industry and the highways sector to work together to ensure that technologies now available in the showroom reach their potential of saving thousands of lives.

In a consultation document issued jointly by the safety organisations, Roads that Cars can Read, EuroRAP and Euro NCAP assert that the condition of road signs and markings could be the greatest hurdle in reaping the benefits of new in-car safety technology.

According to the report, technologies now arriving in new car showrooms are forecast to save thousands of European lives as they trickle down into universal use. Increasingly cameras and sensors are used to read the road ahead and help the vehicle react early if drivers are heading into danger. Though, obscured signs or faded road markings are hard to read whether using the naked eye or an in-car camera. The new report includes a survey of six countries to probe how signing and marking practice still varies around Europe after more than half a century of international conventions.

Roads that Cars can Read is a Consultation Document which is seeking the views of road users, road authorities and the motor industry across Europe. The paper will be discussed as a workshop taking place in Windsor on 30th June 2011 with participants from all groups involved.