Bad Signage

ChocolateSauce

On motorways in particular, have you noticed that often the exit sign is posted after the exit? And on at least two parts of the M50, I've noticed that there are temporary construction signs actually blocking the view of the signs after the exit.

Do you reckon this will ever be seen to? Or are we doomed to miss our exits unless we already know where we are and where we're going?

drunkmonkey

Have you driven form Cashel to Cork.....there is a broken while line on the road with a solid line on the outside, what that means to me is that it's ok for people on one side of the road to overtake but not the other...
The problem is if you cross the broken white line you'll be moving into the fast lane of traffic coming the other way, absolute maddness, it's a complete death trap, I think one person has already been killed because of it.....:mad:

Edit...

And the signs are a joke 2..

ardmacha

it's ok for people on one side of the road to overtake

It means that you can overtake, if there is no traffic coming the other way!

dogmatix

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

On motorways in particular, have you noticed that often the exit sign is posted after the exit? And on at least two parts of the M50, I've noticed that there are temporary construction signs actually blocking the view of the signs after the exit.

Do you reckon this will ever be seen to? Or are we doomed to miss our exits unless we already know where we are and where we're going?

This is typical of the general incompetence of the NRA. People have been complaining about just this point (and motorway signage in general) for many years, but still nothing is done. I would suggest reading some of Kevin Meyers old articles when he worked in the Irish times to see how long this has been going on - and ignored by the relevent people in charge.

In short it will probably never be fixed.

It seems that there are certain government agencies or semi state bodies where simply siging a contract to become an employee for them immediatley lowers your IQ by at least 30 points.

drunkmonkey

ardmacha wrote: »

It means that you can overtake, if there is no traffic coming the other way!

Your over taking into the fast lane of the oncoming traffic...that's never a good idea....imagne if the M50 didn't have a dividing barrier.....

Mark200

This has to be one of the worst countries in Europe for road signs, and I feel sorry for any tourist who comes over here and rents a car.

When you go to America you see the difference immediately

Mr. Presentable

You are only supposed to overtake when it is safe to do so. That means, in the case mentioned, when the overtaking lane (there is no fast lane) opposite is clear. The case sited allows traffic on this side to overtake when safe. No a difficult concept at all.

Signage though. Typical scenarios in Ireland are:

Signs too late
Signs hidden by poles/other signs
Signs hidden by bushes/trees
No signs at all!

Alun

I've also notoced that there's plenty of instances of distances to exits on signposts being way off, i.e. only 6-700m instead of the advertised 1km. My guess is that they're measuring to the point where the actual 'point of no return' is (or even later, i.e. the end of motorway regs sign, or the end of the off ramp) rather than the start of the off-ramp which is what it should be IMO.

Alun

Mark200 wrote: »

When you go to America you see the difference immediately

They're nothing to write home about either. Whole essays on a road sign where a simple pictogram would do.

murphaph

Indeed, american signage is very hit and miss depending on what state you're in and their road hierarchy is not obvious at all. Interstates, US Routes, State Routes, Business Routes, County Routes. American signage can be very wordy indeed-they seem afraid of pictograms of course their signage evolved in a continent with mostly english speakers whereas in Europe we have so many languages that common pictograms are essential.

I would take our signage over american signage in general though. We are actually improving signage here. Some councils are doing quite good work. Others (especially Dublin City Council) have lots to learn.

Compare urban signage in Belfast to Dublin. No contest.

serfboard

Was in Cork for the weekend, and I suppose it was because I needed the signage more than I usually would, but some of it was shocking :eek:

The amount of signs covered by bushes was unbeliveable.

Redsoxfan

serfboard wrote: »

The amount of signs covered by bushes was unbeliveable.

+1

Driving around our capital's 'leafy' suburbs the past few weeks and this is an issue, e.g. Stillorgan Dual Carriageway to M50 via Dundrum