ROAD safety organisation GEM Motoring Assist is calling on councils to tackle the menace of road signs which are covered by foliage.

Obscured road signs are at best a nuisance for drivers, and at worst can be misleading and dangerous, according to GEM.

GEM road safety officer Neil Worth said: "Road signs provide vital orders and information for drivers, who choose their speeds and actions based on what the signs tell them. If they can't see the signs, then their ability to make safe decisions is compromised, especially if they're on unfamiliar roads.

"In the interests of road safety, we are calling on local authorities to organise some far-reaching cutbacks of trees, bushes and branches so that speed limit and other signs are made as clear as possible to everyone using their roads."

GEM is encouraging drivers to report obscured road signs to the appropriate local authority, and to remember that a limit of 30mph usually applies to all traffic on all roads with street lighting, unless there are signs to say otherwise.