No punctuation

Local authorities in various parts of the UK are opting to remove punctuation marks from roadsigns so as to remove confusion. The move comes in the wake of numerous complaints from concerned members of the public that roadsigns contain incorrect grammar. The authorities in the UK's second largest city, Birmingham, have already taken steps to remove apostrophes from roadsigns because council staff spend too much time dealing with complaints over the correct use of punctuation on signs. The Apostrophe Protect
July 6, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Local authorities in various parts of the UK are opting to remove punctuation marks from roadsigns so as to remove confusion. The move comes in the wake of numerous complaints from concerned members of the public that roadsigns contain incorrect grammar. The authorities in the UK's second largest city, Birmingham, have already taken steps to remove apostrophes from roadsigns because council staff spend too much time dealing with complaints over the correct use of punctuation on signs. The Apostrophe Protection Society has criticised the move while the Plain English Campaign has refuted suggestions from some official sources that it ruled in favour of the removal of apostrophes from roadsigns. Road safety campaigners are not thought to be prioritising the risks posed by vehicle occupants arguing over the correct use of an apostrophe and whether or not a word is possessive or an abbreviation as a threat to other road users.

Related Content

  • Motorcycle type approval deal for Europe
    November 29, 2012
    The Members of the European Parliament have now approved the regulation on the approval of two- and three wheelers. This included a number of amendments which have been welcomed by motorcyclists as a compromise. The regulation is setting new rules and technical requirements for manufacturers who sell motorcycles in the European Union. The new rules were intended to improve safety for motorcyclists but in the original form, these would have been expensive to implement and would have resulted in substantial c
    Read More
  • A macro website launched for microsurfacing processes
    October 9, 2018
    RoadResource.org as a go-to website for surfacing information is now live When RoadResouce.org went live – quietly - in July it was the end of two years of hard work by three major US associations for pavement preservation. But there was no grand party or ceremonial pushing of the “go live” button, says Doug Hogue, vice president and general manager of VSS Macropaver. “For all of us in the industry July is a busy period that left little time to celebrate on the opening day,” says the 51-year-old chartere
    Read More
  • Workzone safety protects workforce and drivers
    May 3, 2012
    Highway construction work zones are dangerous places, and anything that can improve safety is welcomed as Patrick Smith reports. The safe and efficient flow of traffic through work zones is a major concern to transportation officials, industry, the public, businesses, and commercial motor carriers. This is the view of the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which has developed the Highway Work Zone Safety Program to reduce the fatalities and injurious crashes in work zones, and to enhance traffic oper
    Read More
  • Just stop arguing and build the thing
    December 15, 2017
    The news that the preferred route has been announced for a new road and tunnel link that will bypass the UK’s famous Stonehenge stone circle comes after years of debate. The project is for the construction of a new 13km dual carriageway link and includes a 2.6km stretch of tunnel, which is the subject of some controversy. Because of the archeological importance of the area, the tunnel has been decided as being the best option for the new route. Building a tunnel will allow much of the important archeologi
    Read More

Highlighted Content