An introduction to signs
Road signs, often known as traffic signs, are signs placed beside or above roads to advise or instruct drivers. Simple milestones made of stone or wood were the first indications. Later, signs with directing arms were added, such as the wooden fingerposts at bus stop bus in Saxony and the fingerposts in the United Kingdom. Many nations have implemented pictorial signs or other simplified and standardized signs in order to improve traffic safety and eliminate linguistic barriers as a result of the increase in traffic volumes since the 1930s. These graphical signals are typically based on international norms and substitute symbols for words. Originally created in Europe, these signs have been embraced to varied degrees by the majority of nations.
Standards
A certain level of consistency in traffic signing between nations has been made possible by international agreements like the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. To minimize misunderstanding, several nations have also unilaterally adopted the practices of other nations.
Types
There are various categories into which traffic signs can be divided. For instance, eight types of signs are defined in Annexe 1 of the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals (1968), which as of June 30, 2004, has 52 signatory nations:
- Priority
- Prohibitory or restrictive
- Mandatory
- Danger warning
- Special regulation
- Information, facilities, or service
- Direction, position, or indication
- Additional panels
The following categories apply to signage in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand:
- Bicycle
- Emergency management
- Expressway
- Freeway
- Guide
- Informational
- Railroad and light rail
- Recreation and cultural interest
- Regulatory
- Route marker
- School
- Street name
- Temporary traffic control
- Warning
- Welcome
Jurisdictional differences
The Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices serves as the legal standard for pavement markings and traffic signs in the United States, defining their categories, placement, and graphic requirements.
At a specific distance from the interchange, advance directional indicators that provide information for each direction appear. Some nations only provide information for left and right directions, not for the road ahead. Drivers can prepare for the exit by using advance directional signs. For example, change lanes, slow down, and confirm that this is the right exit.
Since drivers would be missing exits without them, they are typically posted on motorways and expressways rather than on bus stop bus smaller routes. The first approach sign for a highway exit is typically positioned at least 1,000 meters away from the actual interchange, though every country has its own protocol. Before the actual interchange occurs, there are usually one or two further advance directional signs after that sign.