(Road) Signs of the Times
IF ROAD signs were an economic indicator of how a country was doing then I believe we would get a very poor rating from the World Bank. Investors would shy away from putting money in the country because funds are not going to the road signs but into hands of corrupt officials. In meetings I have personally joined, it was claimed that funding for road signs in the Philippines are padded two to three times more than the actual cost to compensate for all the people whose signatures are needed for projects.
Road signs are very important to the driving public for several reasons. First, they tell us what we can or cannot do on the roads. Second, they warn us about possible danger zones up ahead and third, they tell us where different services are or our location in reference to where we want to go.
Unfortunately, a lot of our road signs are not properly maintained or even manufactured to the right specifications. When road signs are old and dilapidated then how can we be expected to read them? If road signs do not follow international standards then how can people understand them? It is funny but the different government agencies are even fighting over this simple standardization.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) actually published a book to develop, establish and maintain a standardized system of signs and pavement markings on all roads in the Philippines. It is clearly stated there how signs should look, what materials should be used on them and how they should be installed. Unfortunately, with every change in government administration we get officials who are not experts on signs but have the power to implement radical changes. Overnight they make changes to the city which do not follow any local or international standard like the use of the color pink in signs and end up confusing an already under-educated driving public.
In our regular classes on road safety for drivers the last seven years, it is very interesting how people react to road signs and some are confused at what they mean. When I flashed NO Overtaking sign which clearly has a black and red car on it (it is mounted on a circular sign which is outlined in red indicating that it is prohibited), I have had easily 10 instances when drivers gave NO Color Coding for an answer! This is just the tip of the iceberg with signs being manufactured in sub standard colors, shapes and actual designs!
Materials used for signs have also been neglected. The reflective material used on 90 percent of the signs on the roads today are made with technology that has been around since the 1960s. Engineer grade reflective material produces only 50 percent of the brightness of Engineer grade prismatic reflective material which costs almost the same price. Use of substandard materials by government contractors has cost the country more money by having to replace signs more often or complete replacement from the beginning because of its ineffectiveness.
In line with President Noynoy’s call on all concerned government agencies to make roads safer after several major road accidents last July, I believe some specific action should be made on the country’s road signs:
- Replace all old and dilapidated road signs;
- Use the standard international signs as outlined by the DPWH;
- Use correct materials and sign sizes to increase visibility;
- Start on the barangay level to promote change on a level which can implement changes quickly;
If there is a law on the regulation of these signs (and there is!) then we must simply enforce and follow it. Poor enforcement of international standards shows weak governance. I believe to move the Philippines forward we need to show our countrymen that visible change is all around them. It will make our roads safer and will highlight the development of the country. Indeed, a good sign is a sign of good business.
http://business.inquirer.net/money/features/view/20100831-289837/Road-Signs-of-the-Times
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