Motorists have slammed the commonly-seen "road ahead closed" signs, arguing that they are "uninformative", according to new research.
Data shows that 57 per cent of drivers say "road ahead closed" signs do not give enough information, which can make it difficult to continue on their travels.
Three in five motorists complained that they don't inform anyone of which roads are closed, while 56 per cent want information on how far ahead the road is closed.
Concerningly, 15 per cent of drivers don't trust that the signage is up to date, potentially causing serious traffic issues if motorists ignore the signage.
The data, from the RAC, found that 93 per cent of drivers said councils and contractors should provide more information about where the closures are taking place.
They state that this would help remove any uncertainty about when and where the closures are taking place, offering more peace of mind to road users.
A third of drivers said they will follow yellow diversion signs put in place after seeing the red "road ahead closed" sign.
However, the diversion routes taken by motorists differ significantly, especially if they are local to the area and know the roads well.
Research shows that some drivers have little faith in 'road ahead closed' signs
| GETTYDrivers admitted that they rely on their own local knowledge (70 per cent), worry that the diversion will take them miles away (58 per cent), or simply follow their sat-nav (52 per cent).
There are frequently instances where drivers face a long diversion, even if the stretch of road being closed is relatively short.
In one instance last year, drivers were required to follow a diversion of 43.5 miles near Bury St Edmunds, adding around 90 minutes to a standard journey.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, said: "Our research with drivers reveals very clearly that, as things stand, 'road ahead closed' signs are not fit for purpose.
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Some drivers even admitted to ignoring yellow diversion signs and relying on their knowledge of the local area
|PA
"Simply stating 'road ahead closed' is too vague as it doesn’t give drivers enough information about the closures they're approaching and is causing a lack of trust."
Many drivers also admitted that they ignore any signage relating to diversions and road closures, instead relying on luck to get to where they need to be.
More than a third said they drive past the "road ahead closed" sign in hopes that the closed road isn't the one they are travelling on.
A quarter of drivers added that they drive as far as possible to take another road before reaching the closure, disregarding any signposted diversions.
Experts have argued that more information could be included on the road signs to boost trust
| PAMr Williams added: "Our findings also show that in many cases drivers aren't taking official diversion routes, which could cause issues in terms of traffic flow and potentially lead to dangerous situations around essential maintenance works.
"Sat-navs can be useful for finding alternative routes, but they don't get everything right and sometimes won't pick up emergency closures."
The expert noted that drivers deserve to know which signs they need to follow, and it "wouldn't take a lot of effort to improve them".
He highlighted that changes to include key information, like which road is closed and for how long, could go a long way in boosting drivers' trust in road signs.