Numbers on motorway signs could be causing accidents as drivers make dangerous decisions at junctions

MOTORWAY signs are being blamed for a rise in careless driving, as poor visibility could be causing drivers to make dangerous decisions.

A watchdog has called for signs to be redrawn, claiming Highways England needs to review the layout of junction numbers after claims too many were hidden by trees or high-sided lorries.

A report published by Transport Focus claims obscured junction numbers frequently led to drivers making last-ditch manoeuvres to pull off the motorway, including swerving across two or three lanes and driving over solid white chevrons - and some even reversed back along the motorway after missing a turn-off.

The watchdog said part of the problem was junction markers were usually positioned in the bottom left-hand corner of motorway signs, where they were easily blocked from drivers' vision.

It called for Highways England to move all numbers to the top left of signs to make them more visible.

Department for Transport figures show there were 752 accidents around motorway junctions in 2017, including nine fatal crashes and 90 causing caused serious injuries.

And almost one in six accidents on motorways happened at junctions.

Traffic has increased more quickly on motorways than other roads in recent years, with 68billion miles driven on motorways last year.

That's an increase of 30 per cent over the past two decades, and is three times the increase in usage on other roads.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, said that the position of junction numbers "can lead to careless driving, which could perhaps be prevented".

A survey of drivers by the watchdog found 17 per cent admitted to having made a "potentially unsafe manoeuvre" because the junction number was obscured.

And a further 29 per cent said that they had missed a junction after failing to notice the number.

Of those who had trouble recognising junction numbers, 74 per cent said that the main problem was large vehicles in the inside lane, while 47 per cent cited "overgrown vegetation" and others complained of views being obscured by damage to signs or poor lighting at night.

One motorist said: "In my view motorway exit signs are not best placed for visibility. Many of these were installed in the 1970s when lorries were much smaller and fewer in number."

The report said: "In light of these findings, Transport Focus recommends that Highways England reviews the position of junction numbers on road signs to ensure maximum visibility for the safety and convenience of all road users."

Highways England told The Times: "We welcome any research which we can add to our own insight to help us better understand road users' needs and improve their experiences on our roads."