"No road markings" sign, what are they for?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Fri 14 Jun 2019 15:36
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - badbusdriver

Driving home from work today and i came upon a couple places where there were signs up warning drivers of there being no road markings. I was mulling it over and came to the conclusion that i don't know what they are for. As a driver, it will become immediately apparent that there are no road markings once the road markings stop, so why do drivers need to be warned of this in advance?. Are there drivers out there who, unless they see those signs and get on to a section of road with no markings, will suddenly become unable to place their car at the correct side of the road?, if so, surely that will be the case whether they see the sign or not. The only possible explanation i can come up with is that there are people out there so alarmed by the notion of a road with no markings that they will go out of their way to avoid them, in which case the signs will give them the opportunity to turn around and find an alternative route with road markings.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 14 Jun 2019 16:06
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - Brit_in_Germany

One effect would be that a road junction could turn into one where no car has priority in the absence of road markings. I think the sign is really saying "be careful".

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 14 Jun 2019 16:08
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}

I have experienced this sign many times over 5 decades of driving. If you want the facts spelled out, here goes.

Sometimes, existing road markings are obliterated by resurfacing or surface planing prior to re-surfacing. A 'No Road Markings' sign will be erected temporarily to warn drivers that priority , like give way and traffic separation, markings may be temporarily absent, and they should exert caution regarding other vehicles. The markings will be restored.

Look after yourself on such a section and slow down.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 14 Jun 2019 16:31
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - badbusdriver

If there were no road markings at a junction, or on a stretch of road where trafiic from one direction would normally have priority over the other, fair enough. But these were two stretches of maybe 100-200 meters each, on a single carriageway road, with no junctions.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 14 Jun 2019 16:42
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - daveyjp
There are dozens of road lines, all are used to indicate hazards.

Without lines you have no idea what hazards may be present so cannot adjust your driving accordingly. Not everyone using a road uses it on a regular basis so road lines can be important.

However, our Council have just resurfaced a road through a small area of town near us which is a busy and thriving local shopping street, but also busy with traffic as it links with the ring road. There are of course no road markings.

It has a sensible 20 limit and the Council have been monitoring road speeds. They have found that with no road markings average speeds have been reduced so they won't be putting any central road markings back.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 15 Jun 2019 07:25
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - expat

It is probably a posterior covering exercise. The council and its insurance company are worried that some one will have an accident and sue them saying that it was because there were no lines on the road. The sign enables the council to say "You were warned so it wasn't our fault".

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 15 Jun 2019 09:58
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - CHarkin

It is probably a posterior covering exercise. The council and its insurance company are worried that some one will have an accident and sue them saying that it was because there were no lines on the road. The sign enables the council to say "You were warned so it wasn't our fault".

You are right of course, its just one of the very many regulations that people doing road works need to comply with and there is no discretion given as to how necessary it is.

Calling it posterior covering is a little cynical, I would call it a defence against an overly litigious motoring public that will construe anything they can to blame someone else. Protecting the public purse against vexatious claims. Most councils are self insured so any payment comes straight out of taxes.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 15 Jun 2019 16:27
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - daveyjp
Councils aren't self insured, they could never afford to be.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 15 Jun 2019 16:46
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - CHarkin
Councils aren't self insured, they could never afford to be.

Yes they are. They can't afford not to be.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 15 Jun 2019 19:34
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - focussed

I looked this up and an FOI request came up re Birmingham City Council as of of 2017.

They have an insurance fund of £8.3 million for claims against the council and public liability insurance max liability any one claim £40 million for which they pay a premium of £441,000 PA.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 15 Jun 2019 20:19
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - Terry W

They are the opposite of most other signs - they make you aware of the blindingly obvious unless you routinely drive with eyes firmly shut.

They are similar to the "slow down heavy rain/fog/ice" although more often than not I assume it is because nobody in "motorway signs central" has switched the sign off.

Most signs are of course corruptions of reality - a demonstration that it is not what you tell people but how you tell it: :

  • smart motorways - a way to save money by increasing accidents
  • roadworks, average speed cameras - no visible eviidence for miles that any work is being done (although occasionally one does see half a dozen high viz jackets looking at a hole).
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 15 Jun 2019 23:55
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - CHarkin

I looked this up and an FOI request came up re Birmingham City Council as of of 2017.

They have an insurance fund of £8.3 million for claims against the council and public liability insurance max liability any one claim £40 million for which they pay a premium of £441,000 PA.

That is qualified self insurance where the council pay the claims directly but insure themselves against the mega stuff that would otherwise bankrupt them. £441,000 would not look at a premium to fully insure a council like Birmingham. If you ever see a vehicle certificate of insurance for a council vehicle is says on it that it the council that insure it. I have been in court twice as a defence witness for a council and rest assured because the money comes out of their coffers they defend claims with everything they have and to be fair the courts knowing what councils are up against are quite sympathetic.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 16 Jun 2019 13:51
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - Bilboman

Does anyone know what happens when a vehicle equipped with Lane Departure Warning technology (LDW) or Lane Keep Assist (LKA) suddenly enters an area with no lane markings? I have visions of bongs, gongs and alarms, flashing lights and the car either slamming the brakes on or else hurling itself into the verge.
Humbug to all this modern technology is what I say - when I learnt to drive I relied on POE (pair of eyes) and BIMH (a brain in my head) but I suppose things have moved on, for better or worse.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 16 Jun 2019 22:52
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - Smileyman

wonder what they do when there is snow on the road ... all markings quickly covered over!!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 17 Jun 2019 00:48
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - ExA35Owner
  • Double whites missing - increased risk of unwise overtakers
  • Edgelining missing - research shows this increases head-on collisions by quite a margin, particularly at night
  • Hazard marking of central white lines missing - less info to the driver
  • Yellow lines etc removed - greater obstruction hazard
  • Hatched areas removed - reduction of safe areas for (e.g.) right turning traffic

But I'm amused by the "Cats Eyes Removed" signs (and yes, the signs are without the apostrophe).

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 17 Jun 2019 01:38
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - Terry W
  • Double whites missing - increased risk of unwise overtakers
  • Edgelining missing - research shows this increases head-on collisions by quite a margin, particularly at night
  • Hazard marking of central white lines missing - less info to the driver
  • Yellow lines etc removed - greater obstruction hazard
  • Hatched areas removed - reduction of safe areas for (e.g.) right turning traffic

All very rational but unless you are a very regular user of a particular bit of road you would be unaware of what the missing markings were - if you are a regular user you don't need the markings anyway.

General good practise is to revert to the basic driving rules anyway - have regard for visibility, weather, grip, bends, camber, light/dark, urban/country/mway/single track etc etc.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 17 Jun 2019 08:56
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - RaineMan

They have been quite active resurfacing around here in recent weeks - just hope it lasts better than some of last year's efforts. Lines used to be redone fairly quickly but now seem to be left for many weeks.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 7 Oct 2023 19:43
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - Paulfwb

Thanks for your post!

I have been driving on the continent for over twenty years, so I'm a bit fusty when it comes to UK rules. Here in Switzerland, when there are not "give way" signs we must give way to traffic from the right, no matter the relative sizes of highways.

Does the same apply from the left, in the UK?

I hope you can advise.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 7 Oct 2023 22:43
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - bathtub tom

I haven't come across a junction in the UK without 'give way' markings for over fifty years. Perhaps some do still persist in rural roads, in which case common sense prevails. I don't recall any highway code advice on the matter.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 7 Oct 2023 23:02
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - Andrew-T

I haven't come across a junction in the UK without 'give way' markings for over fifty years. Perhaps some do still persist in rural roads,

Some are slowly developing as councils postpone repainting road markings which have worn off over the last few years.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 16 Oct 2023 21:54
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - HGV ~ P Valentine

The rule is unless road signs say otherwise, or are controlled by traffic lights or some other means, you always give way to traffic coming from the right.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 7 Oct 2023 23:03
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - barney100

No road markings has a quite simple explanation, you have found yourself in Basingstoke. There are so many roads here where the markings have just gone and are not repainted. Unfortunately it is very difficult to complain as our local council is not responsible, it falls to the county council who of course have the whole county to look after.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 8 Oct 2023 11:26
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - shauncwalsh

A year or so ago signs appeared on the A6 between Stockport and Buxton saying "Cats eyes removed"

A few days later an identical sign appeared just down the road saying "Mice very happy"

Somebody put a lot of effort into making that sign!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 16 Oct 2023 21:52
"No road markings" sign, what are they for? - HGV ~ P Valentine

I agree with you, but maybe to stop people thinking it is a 1 way street, like people believe that a roundabout with no road markings is only for single file traffic and normal roundabout rules do not apply.

Maybe to stop people driving in the middle of the road and having to swerve to avoid oncoming traffic.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link