Taxi drivers have proposed ten new road signs for Britain’s cities - including warnings about potholes, rickshaws and school run congestion zones. They have also identified ten senseless signs they say should be scrapped such as warnings about horse-drawn vehicles and migratory toads on roads.
And Highway Code updates that cabbies suggest include bans on texting, wearing killer heels and relying on Google Maps while driving.
等紅燈時想用一下臉書；過馬路時想回個Whats app，這些隨時隨地都在低頭玩手機的人被稱為『低頭族』。隨著智慧型手機的普及，低頭族也越來越多，因此由於低頭而頻繁引發的車禍，也漸漸引起人們的關注。
初到英國旅遊的遊客，可能會被當地複雜、繁多的路標搞得暈頭轉向。為了與時俱進，以及讓人們意識到低頭的危險性，近日，倫敦的計程車司機提出增加「前方有路坑、人力車出沒道路、學校擁擠區等」10項新路標。
此外，倫敦最近出現9起自行車騎士在公路被撞的意外事故，英國計程車司機聯盟因而向交通法規部提議，新增自行車轉彎警示路標、司機開車時若光腳或穿高於三英寸的鞋子則為非法、開車時依賴 Google Map 或發短信，則會被開單罰款。針對行人，則新增警示標識如過馬路別發訊息、戴耳機聽音樂使注意力不集中等，且亂闖紅燈是違法的。
- Pothole (n.) 路坑
- Rickshaw (n.) 人力車
- Congestion (n.) 壅塞；擠滿
- Senseless (adj.) 無意義的；無目的的
- Scrap (v.) 報廢
The navy's biggest aircraft carrier is being scrapped this year.
海軍最大的一艘航空母艦今年就要被當作廢鋼鐵處理了。
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| Distraction: The drivers questioned said they want road signs put in place to warn them of pedestrians texting while crossing the road. |
Nearly 600 London black cab drivers - famous for their forthright views - were asked about new ways of improving road safety. An overwhelming 79 per cent wanted the minimum driving age upped to 18 and more than half, 56 per cent, think new drivers should face a night time curfew.
Nearly three quarters, 73 per cent, think elderly drivers should have to re-sit their test at the age of 70, while 55 per cent want jaywalking, or wreckless road crossing by pedestrians, made illegal in the UK, as it is in the US.
When it comes to new road signs, six in ten want one warning of ‘Craters Ahead’ to be put on badly potholed roads, while more than half, 52 per cent, would like to see a warning of ‘Rickshaws clogging up road’ in areas like London’s West End where they slow down traffic.
近600位倫敦計程車被問到如何改善道路安全的新途徑，有79%的人認為應該把駕駛最低年齡限制調升到18歲；56%的人覺得新手司機應該要有宵禁時間；將近四分之三的人希望70歲以上的老年駕駛者，應該再做一次道路駕駛測驗；55%的人則認為不計後果的亂穿越馬路是違法的。
當談到新路標，60%的人想要「前方有路坑」的提示標識；52%的人希望在倫敦西區看到「人力車出沒道路」的警語。
- Forthright (adj.) 直率的
She gave him a forthright answer . 她給了他一個坦率的答覆。
- Curfew (n.) 宵禁
The military regime decided to impose a curfew.
軍政府決定實行宵禁。
- Re-sit (v.) 重考; 補考
- Jaywalking (n.) 不遵守交通規則胡亂穿越馬路
- Wreckless (adj.) 不計後果的
- Clog up 堵塞；阻塞；塞滿
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| Hazard: Taxi drivers said that pedestrians should remove their headphones before crossing the road. |
英國交通部顯示數據表明，英國每年有近五分之一的交通事故都和司機使用手機有關。此外，行人過馬路時因專注手機或音樂造成的交通事約佔十分之一。分析認為，行人和司機若都能注意到那些警示，事故發生率有望大大降低。
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| Suggestions: The cabbies put forward 10 new road signs, including warnings about bicycles, middle-aged men in Lycra and congestion outside schools. |
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| Unnecessary: The drivers also wanted to see the back of outdated signs, including warnings of horse drawn vehicles in the road. |
The final proposal from 21 per cent is that there should be a single, consistent design - a red circle with a red slash through the picture - when something is outlawed, and to avoid confusion, they said that the current alternative ‘No’ design - a red circle containing a picture - should be scrapped.
Taxi drivers said they also wanted to ditched the 'horse drawn vehicles likely to be on the road’ as they believe it is outdated, and 57 per cent want to do away with ‘migratory toad crossing’, as they cabbies think stopping for toads would cause accidents.
Hailo founder Russell Hall said: 'Cabbies have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to road safety - they are an authority on city streets. It’s important that we stop and take the time to reassess road safety and what works for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike to ensure we move with the times. The new road signs address modern day life. Potholes are a common gripe of all drivers and something to be wary of on UK roads.’
最後的建議是為了避免混淆，應該要有統一、一致的設計。過時的路標也應該報廢，如馬拉車出沒等。
英國一項關於交通App的創辦人Russell Hall説：「在道路安全方面，計程車司機有著第一發言權，路標應該與時俱進，重新評估以確保司機、行人和騎行者在路上都是安全的」。
- Consistent (adj.) 前後一致的；始終如一的
This evidence is not consistent with what you said earlier. 這項證據與你先前所說矛盾。
- Outlaw (v.) 禁止、限制；宣布為不合法
I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日煙草製品會禁止銷售。
- Ditch (v.) 【俚】拋棄, 丟棄
He ditched an old TV set . 他丟棄了一臺舊電視機。
- Outdated (adj.) 舊式的；過時的
We reject outdated notions of national sovereignty .
我們拒絕過時的國家主權概念。
- Toad (n.) 蟾蜍、癩蛤蟆
- Finger on the pulse 緊跟潮流
- Gripe (n.)【口】不滿, 牢騷
My main gripe is , there's no hot water there . 我主要不滿的是, 那兒沒有熱水。
- Wary +of (adj.) 謹防的、謹慎的；小心翼翼的
I'm a bit wary of driving in this fog . 在這樣的濃霧中開車我要小心一點。
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2509417/The-signs-London-taxi-drivers-like-see.html#ixzz2n2fH9V3W
