A DRIVER has taken a long, hard look at his life after being confronted with a disappointed face on an electronic road sign.

Joe Turner, 38, went slightly over the limit in a 30mph zone, prompting the LED display to abandon its happy, carefree expression and deliver a look of genuine anguish.

Turner said: “It wasn’t angry. That would’ve been easier to deal with. It was just disappointed, like it expected better of me.

“I drove on but I just couldn’t get the image of that sad f**king face out of my mind. It made me reflect on everything – not just the speeding. Times I’ve let people down. Treated women badly. It all came flooding back.

“I had to pull over to compose myself. I sat in silence for half an hour, reassessing things. This light-hearted traffic warning has really made me ask what sort of person I want to be.”

A local council spokesperson said: “The sad face has been incredibly effective. Most drivers couldn’t care less about the safety of other road users, but they don’t want to let a piece of infrastructure down.”

Turner confirmed he has not gone over a speed limit since and is “trying to be better person in general”. 

He added: “I needed this. Thank you for giving me a second chance at life, road sign smiley face.”