Road signs provide essential information for road users and promote road safety. But sometimes there are too many signs. This roadside the clutter creates confusion, distracts motorists and defaces the rural landscape. Not all the signs are essential, and sometimes they are far too large. Often they are combined with artificial gates, dummy cattle grids, red painted roads and white roundels. When used together, they make a rural landscape look urban and a calm village look busy and restless. Rumble strips and humps add considerably to traffic noise.

Traffic calming at Bampton: too much clutter?

A balance is needed. Road safety is paramount, and lower traffic speeds help promote an atmosphere of tranquillity. But have we gone too far? Is there too much clutter on Oxfordshire's roads? Is the quantity of signage and road marking such that it distracts motorists rather than informs them? We would like to hear your views about good signage, and the bad. Is your village being swamped by utter clutter? Are there signs that can be removed or reduced in size? Please let us know.

Contact:
CPRE Oxfordshire Campaign Manager. campaign@cpreoxon.org.uk.

Further Information

• Clutter audits. CPRE has urged highway authorities to carry out "clutter audits" of secondary A, B and lesser roads. An audit of the A32 in rural Hampshire found 70% of the signs could be removed (News coverage on this topic).
• Roadside Clutter (CPRE national website)
• Principles for Road Signage in Rural Areas. A scheme from CPRE Hampshire adopted by Hampshire County Council.

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Roadside Clutter: Reducing Excessive Signage

CPRE Oxfordshire has called on Oxfordshire County Council to reduce sign clutter throughout the road system.[1] Action is particularly needed along the former trunk and main roads where signage has been proliferating for many years. The impact on the visual environment is sometimes severe, especially near settlements, whilst ‘information overload’ means that the road safety benefits of clear directions are probably being eroded. Another outcome would be a worthwhile saving in maintenance and replacement costs.

It is now 20 years since the first permanent road humps to improve safety were installed in Banbury. The County led the way in physical speed control under heavy-handed Ministry regulation, since relaxed. This is a typical example of where intrusive signage could now be reduced in urban areas, in addition to major streetscape schemes. There is also growing evidence that lines and other guidance that help to motorists speed through village streets, is counter-productive. Not only are ‘traffic aids’ unsightly, spoiling the streetscape, they cost money to maintain.

[1] In our response to the Local Transport Plan for Oxfordshire: 2006–2011.