GB2458124A

GB2458124A - Double sided indicator for indicating which side of the road vehicle should be driven, in particular including indication of path to be taken round roundabout

Info

Publication number: GB2458124A
Application number: GB0804015A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph Edmond Deighton; Charles Howard Sterling; Paul Ivor Harper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-03-04
Filing date: 2008-03-04
Publication date: 2009-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 2028-03-04
Also published as: GB0804015D0; GB2458124B; WO2009109772A1

Abstract

An indicator 10 for attachment to a vehicle, e.g. windscreen, has first and second sides that provide indications for driving on the left or right side of the road respectively. The indicator is removed, turned over and reattached by its opposite side when a vehicle is to be driven on a different side of the road. The indicator preferably includes a representation of a road feature, in particular a roundabout, and a representation of a path the vehicle should take to negotiate the road feature dependant on which side of the road the vehicle is being driven. The indicator may be at least partially transparent and may be fixed to the windscreen of the vehicle.

Description

Indicator This invention relates to an indicator for a vehicle, suitable for use when the vehicle is being driven in a country in which cars are driven on the opposite side of the road to that which is familiar to the driver, the indicator indicating the side of the road on which the vehicle should be driven. The indicator is suitable for use both in the countiy unfamiliar to the driver and may be used again on returning to the familiar country to remind the driver to drive on the correct side of the road.

There are many hazards associated with driving on unfamiliar roads, and driving in countries in which cars are driven on the opposite side of the road to that familiar to the driver is particularly dangerous. It is easy to forget, when resuming driving after a short stop, to drive on the side of the road suitable to the unfamiliar country, and familiar features on foreign roads can also confuse. It is known to include one or more aide-memoirs' in the car to assist the driver in these circumstances, in particular it is known to attach an sticker to the windscreen in full view of the driver to remind the driver during driving. Such devices can be expensive and awkward to affix, and do not assist when the driver returns to home but has become accustomed to the foreign roads. En addition, such devices no not necessarily help when the driver has to negotiate familiar features on foreign roads.

The present invention provides an indicator for indicating to a driver the side of the road upon which the vehicle should be driven, and may be used both in the ibreign country where cars are driven on the opposite side of the road, and also on return to the familiar country to indicate to the driver the side of the road upon which to drive. The present invention also assists the driver to negotiate road features successfully both in the foreign country and on return home, to avoid dangerous confusion.

The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view of a first embodiment of the indicator according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a diagrammatic view of the indicator of Figure 1 attached to a car windscreen in several suitable positions; Figure 3 shows the indicator of Figure 1 attached in a reversible position.

Referring now to Figure 1, an indicator is illustrated consisting of a rectangular sheet 10 of flexible plastics material. It will be appreciated that other shapes are equally suitable whether curvilinear or rectilinear. In addition it will be appreciated that while a flexible plastics material is suitable a different material than a plastics may be also suitable.

The plastics material is adapted to adhere to a clean windscreen surface, and is also adapted such that either side of the plastics material will so adhere when attachment is sought.

It is contemplated that the plastics material will generally be clear and transparent, and may include differently coloured regions, the differently coloured regions also being transparent. Some regions of the sheet may be opaque or semi-transparent, in particular some of the coloured regions.

The differently coloured regions on the indicator may be arranged to show, for example, a plan view of a road, and may further show a car on that road in a suitable position, either driving on the right or the left side of the road. The indicator being generally transparent will not obscure the view of the road visible to the driver, and may be positioned on the windscreen such that it is noticeable to the driver, not sufficiently prominent to be distracting but sufficiently pmminent to render the driver sensible of the appropriate side of the road on which to drive.

The indicator may be applied to a vehicle windscreen once a driver of the vehicle commences driving on an unfamiliar side of the road. An advantage of the present invention is that once the driver returns to a country in which vehicles are driven on a familiar side of the road the same indicator may be affixed to a windscreen of a vehicle to be driven, in a reversed orientation, such that the opposite face of the sheet is attached to the windscreen. The arrangement is such that the reversed indicator still indicates to the driver the suitable side of the road for driving.

The present invention therefore provides for a device suitable for attachment to preferably an interior surface of a vehicle, either side of the device being attacheable, such that when attached by a first side the device indicates the correct side of the road to drive in countries where cars are driven on the right, and when attached by a second side indicates the correct side of the road to drive in countries where cars are driven on the left. The device may be releasably attached to a windscreen such that the device may be used repeatedly, both the first and second side being available for releasable attachment. The device may further assist the driver to negotiate features of the road in countries where cars are driven on unfamiliar sides of the road.

In use, a driver may attach the device by affixing a first side of the sheet to an interior surface of a vehicle, for example the vehicle windscreen. The device is thus visible to the driver and may be positioned so that the view of the road is not impeded but such that the driver can easily see the device. Thus attached the device may show a plan of a road with a car driving, say, on the right, and also optionally shows a feature on the road to be negotiated by the car, for example, a roundabout, indicating by use of coloured regions where the driver should position the vehicle. The vehicle may then be driven while in countries in which vehicles are driven on an unfamiliar side of the mad and the driver has a constant reminder of the correct position of the vehicle.

On returning to a country in which vehicles are driven on the opposite side of the road, the driver may have become accustomed to driving abroad, so that the opposite side of the road is now unfamiliar. The device may then be peeled off from the windscreen, turned round, and the opposite side of the device may be attached to the windscreen. The device still shows the driver the correct side of the road to drive in the new country in which vehicles are driven on the opposite side of the road.

The driver therefore has only to buy and attach one item, the item being easy to store, and reuse, such that the device may be used in any country of the world, and will indicate to the driver the correct side of the road to drive irrespective of whether cars are driven on the right or cars are driven on the left in that country. In addition the device may be used in countries where cars are driven on an unfamiliar side of the road and also used on return to countries where cars are driven on familiar sides of the road, as a reminder should the driver forget.

The device is simple to make, simple to use, and does not waste resources.

It will be appreciated that the present invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing examples.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An indicator for attachment to a vehicle, said indicator including a first and second side, each side removably re-attachable to a surface of said vehicle, said indicator including a guide which, with the indicator attached by a first side, provides guidance for a driver driving on a first side of the road, and which, with the indicator removed and re-attached to said same surface by said second side, provides guidance for a driver driving on a second side of the road opposite to said first side of the road.
2. An indicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said indicator is at least partially transparent.
3. An indicator as claimed in claim 2 wherein said guide is provided to said CO partially transparent portion of said indicator.
4. An indicator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said guide includes a representation of a road ahead of said vehicle including a road feature. c'J
5. An indicator as claimed in claim 4 wherein said road feature is a roundabout.
6. An indicator as claimed in claim 4 wherein said road feature is a roundabout and a vehicle
7. An indicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide includes arrows indicating a suggested path.
8. An indicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises a plastics material.
9. An indicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said indicator is substantially rectangular.
10. An indicator as claimed in claim I wherein said surface is an interior surface.
11. An indicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said surface is a vehicle windscreen.
12. An indicator substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. An indicator substantially as herein described with reference to theaccompanying description. Co c c'JAMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED AS FOLLOWSCLAIMS1. An indicator for attachment to a vehicle, said indicator comprising: A plastics film with a first and second side, each side removably re-attachable to a surface of said vehicle, said indicator including a guide which, with the indicator attached by a first side, provides guidance for a driver driving on a first side of the road, and which, with the indicator removed and re-attached to said same surface by said second side, provides guidance for a driver driving on a second side of the road opposite to said first side of the road.2. An indicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said indicator is at least partially transparent.3. An indicator as claimed in claim 2 wherein said guide is provided to said 0) 15 partially transparent portion of said indicator.C4. An indicator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said guide C) includes a representation of a road ahead of said vehicle including a road feature. CoO 20 5. An indicator as claimed in claim 4 wherein said road feature is a roundabout.6, An indicator as claimed in claim 4 wherein said road feature is a roundabout and a vehicle 7. An indicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide includes arrows indicating a suggested path.8. An indicator as claimed in claim I wherein said indicator is substantially rectangular.9. An indicator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said surface is an interior surface.10. An indicator as claimed in claim I wherein said surface is a vehicle windscreen.11. An indicator substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.12. An indicator substantiafly as herein described with reference to theaccompanying description. 0)CC CoC