Obscured Road Signs

westv

I was just looking on Google Streetview to check a route and I came across this sign which is pretty much unusable. It's from 2025 so I have no idea if it's clear now but going back over previous years it seems to often be covered. Are there any major signs known of that are even worse?

forgotmyname

Early 2000's I used to drive an HGV and covered the Cotwolds, one place we went to the little town/village was a 30mph
zone and had the road north was downhill and had national speed limit signs with heavily overgrown bushes which
obscured them and the speed camera right before the national speed limit applied.

The vehicle naturally increased speed on the downward slope, I could see the top of the camera from my high seating position but the average
car would just see the the speed limit change. If they dared to speed up before the signs the camera would have got them.

They always stated the cameras were not to make money and yet only the bushes on the camera side were trimmed so they had a clear
view or the motorists but never the side that would make the camera visible to them.

Ditzy_Mitzy

Yes! Once came a cropper in Southend-on-Sea further to a one-way street sign having been obscured by a poorly-parked pantechnicon. Unaware of the sign, I turned out of a junction against the permitted flow of traffic and drove for a short distance the wrong way. Realized fairly quickly that something looked wrong about the road, then turned round and corrected myself. Fortunately, it was a very quiet time of day, so didn't encounter any oncoming cars.

flaneurs_lobster

I'm going to post a picture of a hedge and say there's a six-way roundabout sign, a traffic light and a speed camera under that lot……

Nasqueron

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82090961#Comment_82090961

Any competent driver knows the speed limits do not change until you pass the limit sign - people speeding up in a 30 in anticipation of going into a 60 are knowingly breaking the law (same as those who start to slow down and finish after they pass the sign), therefore cameras are not there to make money, rather catching people with lead feet

oldagetraveller1

I got done for speeding many years ago. Change from a 40mph limit to 30mph. The 30 sign was totally obscured by trees.

Yes, there were lamp posts in both the 40 and 30.

I saw the P.C. with the handheld device, and wrongly thinking it was still a 40 limit, didn't slow down. 42 mph in a 30 zone.

The P.C. agreed that the sign was not visible. In spite of pleading my case, by letter, and quoting the P.C.'s remark, fine and endorsement.

Baldytyke88

There are often 2 speed limit signs, but I believe only 1 is required. How many people are now using satnavs, making signs less useful?

westv

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82091357#Comment_82091357

Were the lamposts all the same distance apart? Did the court assume you were supposed to guess the limit change?!

flaneurs_lobster

Adjacent LA to mine have recently introduced a (pretty much) blanket 20mph limit. One boundary where the limit starts is halfway along a stretch of dual carriageway where the limit used to be 50 for it's length (and still is on 'my' side).

There are skid marks.

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82091541#Comment_82091541

Surely signs are always more useful than satnav?

EssexExile

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82091174#Comment_82091174

I've never understood why one-way streets have regular signs along them saying you are going the right way, but nothing on the back of them to tell people they are going the wrong way.