Okayama Prefecture reminding “rogue” drivers of common sense.

For some drivers, mere things such as stop signs or traffic lights are no more than suggestions. It takes signage that’s either eerily ominous or out of the ordinary to get them to actually drive safely.

And that goes for blinker usage too. Apparently people not using their turn signals was so prevalent in Okayama Prefecture that they had to implement new markings on the road, to remind people to actually use them.

Twitter user @GaijinRoman caught the markings on video and expressed his incredible enthusiasm for them as well:

▼ “Something you can only see in Okayama.”

The Japanese text that comes before the star is 合図 (“aizu”) meaning signal.

When he first encounters the markings, his excitement is palpable saying, “Oh! It’s here, it’s here. Look, everyone. There’s stars!”

He then explains that so many “rogues” in Okayama neglected to use their blinker that the prefecture made their own mark on the road to remind drivers to use them. Finally, he says that he had no idea what they were at first and thought they were Hollywood stars. “Rogue Hollywood!”

▼ Apparently Okayama is not alone, as others shared photos of similar markings, like this from Kagawa Prefecture that uses their local specialty: olives.

▼ Or this one from Saga Prefecture that uses the image of a balloon, since they host the Saga International Balloon Fiesta every year.

Japanese netizens were mostly shocked by the fact that Okayama needed to put down such markings in the first place:

“Really, how many people didn’t use their blinkers for this to happen…”
“Use your turn signals, people!”
“I feel like recently there’s tons of people who only use them after they turn, or right before.”
“That’s my hometown for ya! People always call turn signals ‘optional’ there.”
“Those blinker-less rogues!”
“A friend of mine in saw a billboard in Okayama saying ‘Use your turn signal,’ so I guess they need reminders for drivers both looking up and down lol.”

We gotta say, we hope the markings on the road help things out. Because if they don’t work, and billboards don’t work either, Okayama is only going to have one option left: have a giant floating head in the sky command people to use their turn signals.

Source: Twitter/@GaijinRoman via Hachima Kiko
Top image: Twitter/@GaijinRoman
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