Poor road signs can lead to trouble ahead

WE were told recently, after another tragic weekend of road deaths, that driver misbehaviour — speed, alcohol, etc — is the primary cause of accidents. Another reason, I believe, is bad or non-existent road signage.

I have a German driving licence. To obtain this I had to take 20 hours of lessons from a trained driving instructor, including driving at night and on a motorway. I also had to attend a set number of classes on driving theory.

Despite this, I have often found myself in dangerous situations in Ireland due to poor road signage, markings or layout.

The most frightening incident happened about a year ago on the N8. Coming off the M7 at the Portlaoise roundabout, turning left for Cork, there was no indication that I was now on a two-way system. The presence of metal barriers on both sides of the road led me to believe I was still on the motorway.

I was just about to overtake a truck when I saw traffic coming towards me. The metal barriers should not be the same as those on a motorway; arrows should be painted on the road to indicate two-way traffic.

All that’s needed is commonsense, and it wouldn’t cost a fortune.

Greta Kelly

Maulnagearagh

Clonakilty

Co Cork