Saturday 14 January 2012

Street graphics

Most mornings, as I walk to work, I pass these road markings that look decidedly like monster's teeth.



I have often wondered just what they indicate. It seems odd that Ipswich Borough Council decided to paint them on one side of the road, clearly assuming that this residential road accommodates traffic going in either direction at the same time, which it doesn't. Whoever took this decision didn't consider that local people parked their cars outside their houses, which effectively turns this road into a single lane—most days the triangles on the pavement side are completely hidden from view.

I Googled 'road markings' and I couldn't find the meaning of these anywhere. I found examples of two triangles painted on traffic calming speed humps, pointing in the direction of the traffic flow, (rotated 90 degrees to these), but they are something different.

There are more of these 'teeth' on the same road just before, (or after, depending on which way you look at it), a one way bridge.



If anyone knows what these abstract graphic marks are meant to communicate, please let me know.

7 comments:

Redstocking said...

is it part of the '20s plenty' zone?

Dubdog said...

Could be, although I don't even recall seeing any road signs indicating 20 mph. I'll check.

Dubdog said...

Strange still that if it is it isn't listed on either the direct.gov.uk, or the ukmotorists.com sites I looked at.

Dubdog said...

If it is/was a '20's plenty' zone, then the signs have been removed.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I'm pretty certain it's to do with "traffic calming" zones to alert drivers of pedestrians. You see them in certain areas on the road like you've shown, or on flat and long speed bumps.

Steve Urry said...

Supposedly a psychological trick when approaching a lower speed limit.
Good picture here as they enter a 30 zone from a 50.
http://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=241706