Missing road signs cause confusion

POLOKWANE – Missing road signs and unmarked roads continue to pose a danger to motorists, with visitors to the city suffering the most as a result.

During the school holidays that have just ended, even more people who are unfamiliar with the area visited the city. Review received several complaints regarding the confusion missing road signs were causing some visitors.

In one such incident that nearly resulted in a collision, a missing one-way directional sign at the intersection between Devenish and Plein Street that was knocked down in a car accident over two weeks ago, Marlette Smit, turned the wrong way into Devenish Street. “It is very humiliating, not to mention dangerous, when you accidentally drive the wrong direction in a busy one-way street because you are new to the city and there are no road signs showing it is a one-way street,” she said.

Johann de Venter is another motorist who said he had been involved in, and observed, countless accidents because of missing road signs and unmarked roads. He said in a recent incident that occurred on his way to taking his children to a school concert, a woman failed to stop at the stop sign on the corner of Bendor Drive and Genl Maritz Street and collided with his vehicle. “She said she had not seen the markings on the road and the stop sign was missing or broken off,” he said.

Another missing traffic sign where accidents have occurred is on the corner of Bulawayo and Klipdam Street in Ladanna. Elna Smith, who is a teacher at the school at this intersection, said her classroom afforded a clear view of the intersection in question and she saw vehicles failing to stop on a daily basis. “I have seen police and government vehicles, and even fire department vehicles skip the stop sign,” Smith said.

Studies done by traffic control institutions have shown that speeds can actually increase up to between 6 and 10km per hour between stop signs because motorists try to make up for time they feel they have lost by having to stop. Where a stop sign is not visible, the chance of a motorist failing to stop at the intersection therefore becomes greater.

Polokwane Municipality spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said the repair and replacement of traffic signs depended on the availability of stock and materials. He said there were no specific timeframes in which these signs had to be replaced.