A need to review driving

REARVIEW:A STAGGERING 83 per cent of people had difficulty interpreting the meaning of signs conveying information like speed limits, according to a survey last week. Just 5 per cent of motorists fully understood the meaning of all road marking.

Among the road signs that caused motorists the greatest difficulty was the dangerous corner sign, which 48 per cent incorrectly believed indicated a left turn.

Road markings were the most problematic for respondents, who had difficulty understanding the meaning of the likes of continuous white lines.

Of course, we don’t need a survey to know that there are many motorists out there who have not updated their knowledge of the rules of the road since the day of their test. How many people do you see indicating incorrectly on a roundabout?

I haven’t picked up the Rules of the Road since the day I passed my test, 18 years ago, and there are others who just bought their licences many years ago, but are still legal on the road.

Cars over a certain age need to get an NCT every two years, yet there are no checks on driving habits or knowledge for those using the roads.

The survey shows – unsurprisingly – that those who had most recently done their test were the most knowledgeable about road signs.

Perhaps it is time to insist on a driving test and theory test every five or 10 years to ensure that the motoring public is up to date with their knowledge.