Road-safety warning signs

Road safety warning signs, in addition to pavement markings, are provided to warn road users of potentially hazardous conditions on or adjacent to the road. These signs speak of conditions which require caution from the driver and may require a reduction in speed to ensure safety of the driver and of other road users. For example, road warning signs and pavement markings are provided to inform road users about presence of speed bump, winding road, intersection, pedestrian crossing, rail crossing, hospital, school, wild animals, steep curve etc.

Some road warning signs also provide a speed limit to advise road users about the speed they should maintain to cross that particular area safely.

One of the reasons of road mishaps in our country is lack of road warning signs and pavement markings as drivers are not aware that they need to be cautious or need to slow down because of a hazardous condition ahead of them.

To control the speed of vehicles, speed bumps have been installed in several locations throughout the country. Speed bump is certainly an effective way to reduce the speed of vehicles. However, the issue is that due to lack of warning signs and pavement markings to advise road users about the presence of speed bump, many road users have to detect speed bump at a time when they have to either slow down abruptly to cross it safely or just pass it at the speed they are driving. But both of these driving behaviours are resulting in accidents.

When a driver slows down abruptly, his car is getting hit by the vehicle that is trailing behind him. The vehicle that is trailing is not getting enough time to react and slow down to avoid collision. While a driver passes a speed bump at a high speed, sometimes drivers of lighter vehicles or riders of motorcycles and bicycles are getting thrown over, causing serious injuries to them. To prevent such mishaps at speed bumps and other hazardous locations, the authority should provide road safety warning signs, in addition to proper pavement markings to warn road users about presence of hazardous conditions.

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