Last year, we published a blog post about the dangers of vandalising safety signs. At the time, these sensless acts were despciably common in Britain, and we regret to announce that little seems to have changed in the intervening months. Here are two shameful stories from this week alone:
Clevedon road safety signs stolen
from the North Somerset Times
Vandals in Clevedon have removed at least seven 30mph speed limit signs, along with multiple child crossing signs, from the town's roads over the last few weeks. The chairman of a local community group stated that it would be a "big job" to check throughout the town and replace the stolen signs, which are necessary to keep motorists driving at safe speeds.
Vandals remove safety signs at Scottish reservoir
from the The Evening Times
Essential safety signs have also been stolen from the site of Balgray reservoir in Glasgow. Reports suggest that signs have been removed, thrown in the reservoir, and even set on fire; a Scottish Water spokesman pointed out that the signs "are there to help save lives" and that "the vandals' actions could put lives at risk".
It's bad enough when signs are defaced and rendered difficult to read, but people who remove them - like the vandals mentioned in the above reports - are even worse. Doing this eliminates the safety warning altogether, potentially leaving people unaware of risks to their own safety. If you see anybody vandalising or removing a safety sign in your neighbourhood, be sure to report it to the authorities - you could be saving lives by doing so!
Photo by Elliott Brown
