Obviously, traffic controls are necessary to keep drivers safe. However, some experts do complain that road signs themselves can be a distraction, and that can lead to accidents.
Most of the time, when you think about driver distractions, you think about the radio, people talking in the car, cellphone use or something else of this nature. But what if the very signs designed to tell you how to drive safely end up pulling your eyes off of the road? After all, anything that makes you look away from the traffic around you is a distraction.
Some have even gone as far as saying that stop signs themselves are distractions. Part of the problem is that many stop signs are no longer as simple as they once were. Under the main stop sign, you’ll find additional signs telling you that it is a four-way stop or that cross traffic does not stop.
Or, consider red lights. You are allowed to turn right on a red, after you come to a stop. But you cannot always do so. Some red lights have signs prohibiting it. In some cases, these signs actually contain certain hours — 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., for example — during which turns are prohibited.
Suddenly, you’re not just at a light. You’re taking seconds or minutes to try to read this sign, in small print, and decipher exactly what it means you are allowed to do. One little mistake can lead to an accident.
Have you been hit by a distracted driver or someone who made a mistake at an overly complex road sign? If so, you must know what options you have to seek financial compensation.