Nearly one-in-five drivers say they have accidentally broken the speed limit because a road sign was hidden by overgrown trees, branches or hedges, according to a new survey commissioned by the RAC. Of the 1,400-plus motorists who took part in the survey, roughly 94 per cent said they had seen road signs covered by overhanging foliage, with more than half reporting they regularly encountered signs obscured like this. Speed limit signs, stop signs and give way signs were reported to be the most difficult to see clearly. Overgrown greenery blocking signs will also cause big problems for your car, because their speed-limit warning and adaptive cruise control systems rely heavily on onboard cameras being able to read road signs, in addition to GPS and sat-nav data. What’s more, of those surveyed, four out of five said foliage had also made it difficult to safely pull out of a junction or roundabout, with 21 per cent telling the RAC they had missed a turn because of this problem. Even more concerning was that five per cent said they had accidentally ignored a give way sign. RAC spokesperson Harriet Hernando said: “It’s concerning that so many drivers have broken the speed limit because they haven’t been able to see a road sign that has been obscured by foliage. While a small number have accidentally ignored a give way sign, the effects of doing so can be catastrophic.” Homeowners should be aware that councils could ask them to remove any unpruned trees, hedges or shrubs if they are blocking a public road or footpath. So the RAC is advising people to check if any plants growing on their properties have spilled on to public roads or pavements, and to cut any that have back, to try to ensure signs are clearly visible. Failure to do so could result in a possible fine, which is something that 58 per cent of the people who took part in the survey said they were not aware of. Those who have strayed over the speed limit because they couldn’t see a sign that was either completely blocked or obscured can sometimes use this to appeal a speeding ticket. Meanwhile, any road signs that are obscured should be reported to the council, or the National Highways if they are on a motorway or major A-road.
