Traffic sign

“ We recommend that, where the exit slip road joins the all-purpose road at a roundabout, a sign consisting of a large white arrow on a blue ground should be erected on the roundabout to indicate to traffic on the slip road the direction that it is intended to follow round the roundabout. In our interim report we recommended that the standard white arrow on a red ground, illustrated in the Traffic Signs Regulations, 1957, should be used here, and this has in fact been done on the first section of the London-Yorkshire Motorway. ”

“ In places where there is material danger of the road subsiding it should presumably be closed to traffic but if the danger exists only as a remote possibility we do not consider that a warning sign would serve any useful purpose. We do not overlook the relatively wider danger of road subsidence in mining areas but we hope that measures can be taken other than the vague and alarming traffic sign at present prescribed . ”

“ At every stage in the design of traffic signs and in the development of a comprehensive traffic sign system, the increased cost of a higher standard of sign must be balanced against the greater safety resulting and both must be assessed as accurately as possible in relation to amenity before recommendations can be made. We have been very fortunate in the assistance we have received from the Road Research Laboratory in the many tests and experiments which they have carried out to determine the relative efficacy of various aspects of traffic signs. ”

“ In advocating a complete modernisation of traffic signs within five years from the issue of new Regulations we have assumed that highway authorities will proceed immediately with such planning, survey and sign purchase as can be done in advance so that the erection of their new signs will be as little delayed as possible when revised Regulations are issued . ”

“ They therefore include not only roadside signs, but traffic signals, carriageway markings, 'catseyes' and indications on street bollards.
There are four classes of roadside traffic signs, mandatory, prohibitory, warning and informatory. Prohibitory signs (e.g. No entry) give notice of a Statutory Order or Regulation and entail penalties if ignored. Penalties are also entailed if a mandatory sign (e.g. Keep left) is ignored . ”

“ We feel, however, that in designing a traffic sign regard must be paid to the space around the lettering as well as to the lettering itself, and that a sign that completely filled the space available would be so unattractive as to be quite unacceptable. ”

“ This requires signs to be directly lit if they are sited within 50 m of a street lamp forming part of a system of street lighting. However, certain exceptions are permitted in paragraph (4) in column (3) of Item 1. These include the "one-way traffic" sign shown in diagram 652 (see paras 4.35 to 4.37) when sited more than 50 m from a junction, signs placed to indicate the provision of a temporary order, and road works signs on a road where the permanent speed limit is 40 mph or less. ”

“ 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. ”

“ We have considered whether the American practice should be adopted of providing a sign to give warning to the main motorway traffic that vehicles may here be merging with it. We consider that provided the mouth of the entry slip road and the boundary of the acceleration lane are sufficiently clearly marked on the carriageway, a sign of this kind should not be necessary. ”

“ We have considered the criteria to be adopted in determining what place names should be included on directional signs and recommend that on Primary routes they should normally include only the next place of traffic importance since on these high speed roads it is essential to reduce the legend on a sign to the minimum. Exceptions will be necessary but should be made sparingly. A decision as to which places should rank as places of traffic importance should we think, rest with the Departments concerned in consultation with local authorities. ”

“ In siting traffic signs, consideration should be given to the effect on the conspicuity of the sign of the background against which it will be viewed, and to the possibility, in appropriate cases, of improving conspicuity by the provision of an artificial background.
Height of traffic signs
23. The ideal height of the centre of a traffic sign is at the eye level of the persons most concerned with its message. ”

“ Care should be taken to ensure that the signs do not prevent drivers who are entering the roundabout from seeing traffic coming from the right.
C. Three-dimensional Aspects of Sign Design Ministers' control 281. We think the design of many existing signs is very poor and recommend that Ministers should exercise much more rigid control over this aspect of traffic signs. A well designed sign is one which has been planned as a unit, is as simple as possible, as durable as necessary and has a good all-round appearance. ”

“ We feel it should not be necessary to devise a special sign to deal with the rare driver who might venture on to the motorway with insufficient fuel to take him to the next intersection, and we do not therefore consider that there is any need to add such a sign to the number of signs before each intersection which our recommendations necessarily entail. ”

“ This conveys the message 'priority to be given to vehicles coming from the opposite direction'. At the other end of the single lane section, the informatory sign at figure 132 should invariably be used (see paragraph 198) .
(c) Waiting restriction and limited parking signs (Regs. 316 to 324) 83. With the rising volume of road traffic it becomes increasingly necessary to combat urban congestion, and also to prevent stopping on fast through routes in rural areas, by placing legal prohibitions or restrictions upon the occupation of streets and roads by standing vehicles. ”

“ They should be removed when the danger has passed. Many temporary signs are specifically required by the Directions to be removed when the problem they warn of no longer applies, including diagram 574 "ANIMAL DISEASE" and variants of diagram 7010.1 "ROAD AHEAD CLOSED" etc. Diagram 7014 warns of a permanent change in road layout or new traffic signals etc, this sign must be removed within three months of completion of the works (direction 37) . Diagram 7014.1 warns of a reduction in headroom at a bridge. ”

“ Warning signs (other than portable temporary signs) , whether authorised for general use or for use at specific sites only, should be surmounted by the standard red triangle.
(b) The red triangle is the recognised symbol giving warning of potential danger, and the word “Danger” should never appear on a traffic sign. ”

“ 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 French highway code stresses that this sign has a dual significance. Drivers must not only stop but also (as is indicated by the inverted triangle) give way to traffic on the priority or major road. This is an important distinction and we recommend that it should be emphasized in our own Highway Code.
We recommend that the Stop sign be used only at junctions where visibility is so bad that it is imperative to stop on every occasion. ”

“ A sign should not be sited where it might encourage pedestrians to look the wrong way when stepping into the road, e.g. where pedestrians first cross a general traffic lane flowing in the opposite direction to the bus lane. Where pedestrians cross a road that has a contra—flow bus lane, a central refuge adjacent to the lane should be provided. The sign to diagram 963 or 963.2, varied to LOOK LEFT with the symbols facing right, should be located opposite the refuge as shown in figure 15-12. ”

“ Diagram 73 shows two sides of a reversible sign which we recommend should be authorised for use for controlling traffic where some temporary restriction of the carriageway width (e.g. because of road repairs) makes it necessary to work alternating one-way traffic. ”

“ We are conscious, however, of the importance of siting large motorway signs with the interests of the surrounding landscape and of their own visibility very much in mind, and we consider that to help this a tolerance of a hundred yards either way should be allowed in implementing these recommendations. Where reflectorised signs are used great care is needed to ensure that no other street furniture intervenes between them and the direct beams of light from oncoming traffic at night, which would thus cast a shadow over the sign itself. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Normally it is used either for play streets (where vehicles are admitted only for access) or for shopping streets closed to vehicles and where even ridden pedal cycles would be a hazard to pedestrians. The sign must always be used in combination with a supplementary plate to either diagram 618 or 618.1. The signs are used where the prohibition applies to the whole of the road in both directions; they should not be used to indicate one-way or tidal-flow traffic systems. ”

“ The Functions and Classification of Signs
1.23 Signs are used to control and guide traffic and to promote road safety. They should only be used where they can usefully serve these functions. Warning signs will not, for instance, promote road safety if used widely where there is no unusual degree of danger. On the other hand their omission where guidance, control or danger warrants the use of a sign is not in the best interests of road users. ”

“ Where there is a gap in the central reservation and traffic can turn right into the dual carriageway from the side road, "no entry" signs might be beneficial to deter drivers from turning into the wrong carriageway. Where the junction is controlled by traffic signals, the signs would usually not be necessary. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Variations in distance of up to 10% are generally permissible, but if an appreciably greater variation seems required other alternatives should first be investigated. Steps should be taken to deal with obstructions to the visibility of signs. Over-hanging trees and shrubs should be cut back and bus stops moved if necessary. Standing vehicles may have to be prohibited if the sign cannot be sited to be free from such obstruction.
1.55 Permanent features which cannot be altered such as bends, hill crests, narrow verges, buildings etc will necessitate the special siting of signs. ”

“ Although there is no specific requirement to provide the sign, it is helpful to both pedestrians and drivers, particularly where the pedestrian zone has a carriageway and separate footways, as it indicates that normal traffic conditions resume. Where it is clear that a fully paved road has come to an end, and there are very few exceptions to the prohibition of vehicles, it might not be necessary to provide an end sign. Where a sign is provided, the roundel shown in the upper panel will be a grey—coloured version of that shown on the entry sign. ”

“ The sign shown in diagram 53 is erected on both sides of the road at the beginning of the restricted section. The sign shown in diagram 54 is erected on the reverse side of that shown in diagram 53 to indicate the end of the restricted section to traffic leaving that section. The sign shown in diagram 55 is erected at intervals along sections of road provided with a system of street lighting, but on which no 30 m.p.h. speed limit is in force. ”

“ We therefore recommend that warning, mandatory and prohibitory signs should be of the sizes set out in the table at Appendix VI. On narrow-verged country roads carrying slow traffic or at urban sites where space is restricted smaller signs will no doubt have to suffice and could be specially authorised but the standards set should be adhered to as closely as possible.
The size of informatory (other than directional) signs will usually depend upon the nature of the symbol and/or legend which they carry and the category of the road on which the sign is erected. ”

“ Provided that there is no side road entering from the left, the GIVE WAY sign to diagram 602 may be mounted above the mini-roundabout sign on this approach. The transverse marking to diagram 1003 and the triangular marking to diagram 1023 must then also be used (see Chapter 5, para 8.17) . The GIVE WAY sign should not be used where a road enters from the left of the approach in question, on the stem of a T-junction or on any arm of a four-way junction, as experience has shown that drivers can be confused into believing they have to give way to traffic approaching from the left. ”