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Cape Town - Is there scope for motorists to drive in towns and cities without road signs? In some African and Asian countries that is practice is being put in use.
News site Vox.com, takes an in-depth look at a design concept called 'shared space' and looks at whether motorists and pedestrians can co-exist when signals are removed.
Vox says: Some cities in Europe are undergoing a fascinating transformation: they’re getting rid of all of their road signs. That’s thanks to a design concept called “shared space,” where urban planners drastically lessen the presence of traffic lights, signs, and barriers, encouraging all forms of transportation to share the road.
Do you think a town without road signs would work in SA? What do you think can be done to curb road deaths locally? Email us
There’s evidence that drivers often totally ignore road signs, so the heightened risk forces commuters to remain on high alert as they pass through an intersection, in theory leading to safer travel.
But by stripping cities of their traditional traffic control systems, they leave disabled residents in the dark — and that’s sparked a powerful debate of how to balance ease of movement with all residents’ needs.
Watch: Road signs suck. What if we got rid of them all?
