Kenya motorists understand that our road markings cannot match the standard of countries with 10 times our per-capita economy but, with the resources we do have, which signs and markings should be prioritised? Jerry.
All signs and markings should give drivers “helpful” information, and some give specific “instructions”. Absolute priority should be given to those which warn of something potentially hazardous which may not be immediately obvious even to an alert and competent motorist in a fully roadworthy vehicle. In a phrase, “booby traps”.
Perhaps the prime example of these is speed bumps (on open roads with potential ambient speeds of 100 kph) the majority of which are illegally severe and some of which are effectively invisible (at night, or in severe weather conditions, or, in clear daylight but in the shadow of roadside trees).
The proper signage and marking of these is already law: they should be preceded by a retroreflective warning sign (which should always be a consistent distance either side of the obstacle – circa 100 metres); the bump itself should be painted with diagonal chevron stripes (to distinguish it from a zebra crossing) in a retroreflective high-contrast colour, and there should be reflective posts at the exact location of the bump, red on the left and white on the right.
Rumble strips are an excellent addition, but they too should be at a consistent distance from the hazard (in every instance!) just lumpy enough to be discernable but gentle enough never to upset the handling of vehicles in any way at all.
While that is being done, the bumps themselves should be “shaved” to the legally stipulated height and length dimensions. In practice this would require the majority to be halved in height and/or doubled in length.
As bumps are installed primarily for the benefit of their immediate roadside communities, those communities (including their admninistrative personnel and departments) should be responsible for ensuring their compliance with these exact requirements in all respects. If any “bump” community is unable to warrant and maintain that condition, the bump should be removed.
As every motorist knows, there are other signs and markings which have, um, room for improvement – not in some complex and fussy way, but in at least two fairly basic requirements: they should be legible (at the likely speed and distance at which they will be read) and in the right place (especially in respect of transitions between broken and solid carriageway lines). Yellow carriageway dividers and the solid white clearway edge lines could usefully be twice as broad.
Given the extremely variable and mixed nature of our traffic, our driving expertise, and the inordinate difference between the flow and the slow, yellow contraflow lines would benefit from a transition from wide-spaced broken lines, to close-spaced broken lines and curvy keep-in arrows before becoming continuous, and unless that is done they should be treated as “guidelines” (not a rule) by law enforcement. Where an absolute limit is required, there should be double (!) continuous lines side by side.
