Ministry of War Transport

“ We consider it important that the symbols to be used on warning signs should be capable of being fitted with reflectors, and we therefore caused experiments to be made to determine what amendments in the design of symbols would be necessary to enable this to be done. In our view it is sufficient for the reflecting lenses to outline at night a symbol which is distinct from other symbols, but they need not necessarily reproduce the exact detail of the black on white symbol as seen by day ”

“ A few signs have been authorised under peace-time conditions warning traffic of danger arising from the proximity of troops or aircraft. We do not consider it appropriate that signs should be erected for this purpose. It is our view that where there is potential danger from such a cause, the responsibility for ensuring that adequate steps (not involving the erection of signs) are taken to safeguard road users on public highways must rest with the Military Authorities or with the persons responsible for the operation of the aircraft. ”

“ We have been impressed by the frequency and unanimity with which representative associations of road users have emphasised the importance to the safety and convenience of all traffic, of uniformity of practice in the display of legible street name-plates and street numbers. ”

“ We consider that the authorisation permitting the erection of temporary direction signs supplied by the approved motoring and cycling organisations for the temporary diversion of traffic during road repairs, or for the direction of traffic on special occasions such as exhibitions, football matches, race meetings and so on, serves a useful purpose and should be continued. These signs are of a suitable size to incorporate lettering not exceeding 6 in. in height, and may be of the colour or colours adopted by the organisation supplying them, and may bear the badge of that organisation. ”

“ On installations at junctions where pedestrian traffic is regular but not exceptionally heavy, we consider it desirable that additional three-light signals (showing the same signal as the appropriate primary signal) should be provided so that a pedestrian about to cross the road at the junction can see at least one signal immediately facing him. ”

“ At controlled junctions where the carriageway is sufficiently wide, continuous white lines parallel to the central line and on the near side of it, may be provided to form traffic lanes in each of which traffic intending to proceed in a particular direction may take up position. These lanes should in no circumstances be less than 8 ft. wide and should preferably be 10 or 11 ft. wide. Where continuous filtering to the left is permitted, the line nearest to the edge of the carriageway may be continued beyond the stop line and curved to the left. ”

“ When an Order is made prohibiting vehicles in excess of a certain weight from crossing a bridge, the prohibitory signs giving effect to the Order are erected at the bridge. It is frequently desirable to provide in addition an advance sign informing drivers of the restriction, and erected on the route to the bridge at a road junction where an alternative route available to traffic covered by the Order branches off. ”

“ We desire to emphasise the importance of adequate maintenance of traffic signs. Lack of maintenance (e.g. painting and cleaning) may result in serious impairment of the conspicuity and legibility of the sign, particularly as seen by artificial illumination. It is also important that the illuminating equipment be serviced adequately so that a reasonably uniform standard of performance may be maintained. ”

“ In addition to the foregoing provisions, any person by whose order or under whose direction any such excavation exists of such a nature or in such a position that foot passengers or vehicles are in danger of falling into it, shall provide adequate and effective protection around such excavation, unless such protection would obstruct the passage of vehicles using a tramway or light railway, and in that event it shall not be necessary so to protect the excavation, but instead of so doing there shall be displayed conspicuously not less than 4 ft. ”

“ When any materials, rubbish or other thing (hereinafter referred to as an obstruction) are placed upon or any opening or excavation (hereinafter referred to as an excavation) is made in the carriageway of any street within the London Traffic Area so as to obstruct or endanger the passage of traffic over any part of such carriageway it shall be the duty of the person by whose order or under. ”

“ In our view it is most undesirable that advertising signs directly illuminated or fitted with reflecting lenses should be erected in the vicinity of roads in positions where they may distract the attention of drivers from traffic signs or may tend to be mistaken for traffic signs. Highway authorities or local authorities should be given greater powers in this direction than they have at present. ”

“ We are of opinion that by-pass roads should be signposted so as to encourage their use by through traffic. We therefore recommend that in appropriate cases the display of the name of the by-pass, the use of more than one chequer panel on one arrow, and the use of chequer panels to indicate road junctions at distances in excess of one mile, should be specially authorised. A sign of this type is shown in diagram 86. ”

“ The 1933 Committee did not consider it necessary to recommend a sign to indicate a “pinch point” where the width of carriageway between kerb and tramway lines is not sufficient to permit of the safe passage of vehicles of normal width. While these sites are not very numerous and are gradually being reduced in number, we consider that the danger to which they give rise is such as to justify the authorisation of a special sign, and we therefore recommend the introduction of the sign shown in diagram 22. ”

“ The classification of roads is, we understand, reviewed annually, and while we do not suggest that two independent systems of numbering should be introduced, we recommend that if practicable, the alteration of route numbers for signposting purposes consequent on annual revisions of classification, should only be undertaken at intervals of, say, five years. ”

“ The supply by commercial firms of traffic signs incorporating advertising matter should not be permitted.
We have not thought it appropriate for us torecommend whether responsibility for the supply and erection of approved bus stop signs should rest with highway authorities or with transport undertakings, but we see no objection to the transport undertakings providing and erecting these signs, subject always to the consent of the highway authorities. ”

“ The use of self-cleansing reflector studs of approved pattern set in longitudinal white lines has proved of great benefit to traffic. We recommend that their use for this purpose should be formally authorised by the Minister. On intermittent lines the studs should be set in the centre of alternate gaps, i.e. at 36 ft. centres. On continuous lines a spacing of 12 ft. is recommended. Studs of this type should not be used on the carriageway in any other circumstances, nor should they be laid down on roads where the standard of street lighting is such that headlamps are not used. ”

“ Where one-way traffic working imposed by statutory Order or Regulation requires all vehicular traffic to turn to left or right, it may be helpful to supplement the standard roadside signs with markings on the carriageway. ”

“ We recommend its retention, but consider that it should be supplemented by a local approach sign wherever the traffic volume justifies that course. It seems to us that the requirement that the driver should be given “clear information in good time as to his proper route at places where he might otherwise be in doubt” (paragraph 106 (i) ) applies to local signposting no less than to through signposting. The driver who hesitates by reason of doubt as to his route at a junction is a possible source of danger to other traffic. ”

“ The provision, erection and maintenance of traffic signs is primarily the duty of the highway authorities, but the authorisation given to highway authorities to use or permit the use of signs supplied by certain approved organisations, viz. the Royal Automobile Club, the Royal Scottish Automobile Club, the Automobile Association and the Cyclists’ Touring Club, has worked well in practice and has been of particular value in connection with direction signposting, and we recommend that it be continued. ”

“ In the method of control known as the flexible progressive system the signals at a number of adjacent junctions can be co-ordinated in such a way that traffic may proceed at a uniform speed along the main thoroughfare without being held up at each successive intersection, while at the same time frequent opportunities are given for cross traffic to proceed. ”

“ On roads outside congested urban areas, the division of the carriageway into traffic lanes by intermittent white lines assists the orderly movement of traffic and thus contributes to safety. These lines form a particularly valuable aid to driving at night and in fog.
In the past it has been common practice, on two-way carriageways of approximately 30 ft. width, to lay down intermittent white lines dividing the carriageway into three traffic lanes. The central lane was intended to be used by overtaking traffic proceeding in either direction. ”

“ A continuous longitudinal white line should be laid along the centre line of a two-way carriageway on the approach to a junction. Where a stop line is provided the central longitudinal line should extend up to the stop line. Elsewhere it should be stopped sufficiently far back from the junction to permit turning traffic to negotiate the junction without crossing the continuous line. On the open road the length of the line should be 100 ft., but in built-up areas a shorter length, generally not less than 50 ft., may be adequate. ”

“ We consider that in a number of cases insufficient attention has been given to the siting of signs from the point of view of conspicuity. The need to place signs where the road user will have an unobstructed view of them 1s obvious, but it is less generally realised that the character of the background against which the sign is seen has an important bearing on conspicuity. ”

“ We are of opinion that where some temporary restriction of the carriageway width (e.g. because of road repairs) makes it necessary to work alternating one-way traffic, the appropriate authorised signs for control of traffic have not been used as frequently as is desirable. ”

“ Cases may arise where it is not immediately obvious to the drivers of approaching vehicles that the width of carriageway on or under a narrow bridge is insufficient to take more than one line of traffic. ”

“ Laboratory investigations carried out at our request suggest that a sign brightness of from 15 to 20 equivalent foot-candles will give adequate conspicuity and legibility on well-lighted streets, and at the same time will not cause discomfort or glare in unlighted or poorly lighted streets. We recommend that these results should be checked by full-scale street tests, including tests in brightly lighted shopping streets, as soon as conditions permit, and that appropriate recommendations should subsequently be issued to highway authorities. ”

“ Numbering should be carried out on a uniform system and where there are, or will ultimately be, buildings on both sides of the street, odd numbers should be on the left side and even on the right, starting from that end of the street which abuts on the more important traffic route. ”

“ Inside each panel is shown the route letter (A for Class I, B for Class II roads) and route number, together with the name of the next place of importance. Where a road is not of sufficient through traffic importance to justify classification, only the name of the place to which it leads is shown. The layout of the arrows and panels need not show an exact plan reproduction of the junction, but should give the driver an indication of the relative positions and directions of all the roads entering it. ”