Car accident signs in the UK

Personal injury claim firms receive thousands of car accident compensation claims from those that have suffered personal injuries as a result of car crashes and other road accidents every year. There are so many distractions on the roads and different things to take in while driving that it isn't any wonder that car accidents are so rife in the UK today.

What distractions?
If you're a hormonal male you've probably taken your eyes off the wheel to have a sideward glance at an attractive woman walking along the roadside. If you're the superstitious type you've probably taken your hand off the wheel to salute a magpie. If you're a music lover you've probably got carried away singing along to your tunes and forgotten where you were on more than one occasion. If you're a dreamer you've probably spent a few moments gazing into the distant scenery only to regain full consciousness and remember that you were supposed to be driving with your full attention on the road. Car accident risk alert!

Information overload
We are part of the information age. We now have so much access to so much stuff via the television (terrestrial, digital and satellite), radio, print media, internet and some of us still have a few dusty old books hanging around.

The tables have turned; our kids are educating us and our parents are learning about the cultures of people they are meeting in chat rooms all over the world. There is so much to know and so many ways of gaining information but are our little brains finding it all a bit too much to cope with?

Well it appears so. The latest warning says that road signs, the very things that are designed to increase road safety, decrease the chance of car accidents and subsequent personal injuries occurring, are in fact a big distraction and a huge potential danger.

The RAC foundation has cited evidence that the average driver can only handle three or four pieces of information at a time when behind the wheel.

When you consider that while driving we not only have to concentrate on the road ahead, behind and to the side; keep our hands on the wheel and change gear but also use the clutch and accelerator; observe warning, speed, traffic update, direction and place name signs; watch out for red traffic lights; listen out for radio traffic report information and adhere to advice from satellite navigation systems or helpful volunteers, it really is of no surprise why our little brains can't cope and that car accidents occur.

So what's the answer?
According to the RAC Foundation many of our road signs are damaged, obscured or have disappeared, making the motorist's chore even more of a challenge.

Edmund King of the RAC Foundation believes that when it comes to road signs less is most definitely more and he commented: "Let's make the signs clearer, let's make them plainer, let's have only the signs that we really need."

But in the meantime what else can you do to avoid the risk of car accidents that can cause personal injuries to yourself, your passengers, pedestrians and other road users?

Avoiding car accidents
If you are making a trip that you are unfamiliar with then it is a good idea to plan your car journey well in advance. Planning your journey not only prevents you from arguing with your navigator about the quietest/quickest/more picturesque route to take but it also prevents you from having to crane your neck and stretch your eyes to see if the next exit is your turn off point.

Go to AA route planner (www.theaa.com) or have a look at Google Maps (http://maps.google.com) and get a comprehensive list of the exact roads that you need to take as well as the anticipated duration of your complete journey so that you can read and remember it.

Route planners can also help when scheduling breaks in your journey because they will mark out service stations where you can stop to stretch your legs, get some fresh (ish) air and a drink in order to avoid driving fatigue, another major cause of car accidents.

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About the author:
Online personal injury compensation claim specialists, with a 97% claim success rate. Call 0800 197 32 32 or visit http://www.the-claim-solicitors.co.uk for more details.

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Tags: accident compensation claims, accident risk, car accident compensation, car accidents, car crashes, personal injuries, personal injury claim, potential danger, road accidents, road signs