Warning sign

“ 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. ”

“ In some Continental countries the difficult problem of quickly providing warning of an emergency is met by allowing drivers to place warning devices on the carriageway. In Italy, for example, certain vehicles are required to carry a triangular warning sign which can be placed on the carriageway not less than 50 metres in advance of an obstruction . We think that signs of this sort may be of help in reducing the risk of accidents at the scene of an emergency, particularly on motorways and other high speed roads . ”

“ A square sign bearing the letter “P” in white on a blue ground, to denote a parking place. The sign now used for this purpose in this country is of this form. (See paragraph 103.)
(ii) A rectangular sign bearing an equilateral triangle in light colour on a dark ground, to indicate a need for caution on the part of drivers, e.g. when approaching a school. Explanatory lettering or a symbol may be added. In this country no distinction is made between types of warning signs.
(iii) A sign indicating the position of a first-aid post organised by an officially recognised association. ”

“ It is important therefore that sight lines are properly maintained so that the intended warning is not compromised. Care in siting can minimise future problems of obscuration. Sight lines should not cross private land as it will be difficult to control the growth of vegetation or the placement of other obstructions. It is equally important that warning signs should not be placed where they will obstruct the view of other signs. e.g. advance direction signs. Such problems might be avoided by siting the sign further from the hazard, or on the right hand side of the road. ”

“ Nor is a warning sign normally required when a stack-type advance direction sign is used, except where the layout will not otherwise be apparent, eg at a staggered crossroads Signs are required at junctions controlled by traffic signals only in the circumstances described in para 8.3. Exceptionally, warning signs may be provided in addition to advance direction signs where visibility is so poor that drivers are unable to obtain an adequate advance view of the junction or the directional signs associated with it. ”

“ Clearly, if this island is to serve its purpose, and is not to be a source of confusion and danger, it must be preceded by an adequate warning sign which makes it clear that there is an island ahead and that vehicles may pass either side of it, depending only on the side of the road they happen to be on already. ”

“ If the hearing or the sight of the workers concerned is impaired, including impairment by the wearing of personal protective equipment, measures must be taken to supplement or replace the signs concerned.
12. Areas, rooms or enclosures used for the storage of significant quantities of dangerous substances or preparations must be indicated by a suitable warning sign taken from paragraph 3.2 of Part II, or marked as provided in paragraph 1 of Part III, unless the labelling of the individual packages of containers is adequate for this purpose. ”

“ 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 . ”

“ We have set out in paragraphs 192 to 198 our suggestions for a single and homogenous system of warning devices for road works.
Homes for the aged, blind and disabled 121. Our Regulations do not prescribe a sign to indicate to drivers that they are approaching old people's homes or homes for the blind or otherwise disabled, nor is there a Protocol sign for this purpose. But requests are frequently made for signs of this type and we have considered them.
Experience shows that where a sign is erected to draw attention to conditions which are not constant, it is soon likely to be ignored. ”

“ XVI The turnings of life seldom show a sign-post; or rather, though the sign is always there, it is usually placed some distance back, like the notices that give warning of a bad hill or a level railway-crossing. ”

“ The use of studs fitted with reflecting lenses should not be permitted on pedestrian crossings.
(f) In the interests of uniformity no form of carriageway marking other than studs spaced as specified in (b) above should be permitted at pedestrian crossings.
Advance warning sign
182. Normally no advance warning sign, is required at pedestrian crossings, but where special conditions (e.g. at isolated crossings outside 30 m.p.h. speed limit areas) justify an advance warning, the sign recommended in paragraph 66 and shown in diagram 44 of Appendix VI should be used. ”

“ This is to ensure that drivers have the necessary time to respond to the warning. Appendix A sets out recommendations for the distance from the hazard at which a sign should be sited. If it is impracticable to place a sign within about 10% of the recommended distance, it should be sited further upstream of the hazard at the nearest practicable point. It may be appropriate to supplement it with a distance plate to diagram 572 (see section 18) . A sign should not normally be sited more than 10% closer than the recommended distance, as this would be unlikely to provide sufficient warning. ”

“ In either circumstance we consider that drivers need some indication of the type of animal which they are liable to meet. We therefore recommend that where the danger of animals justifies a warning the appropriate sign as shown at figure 54, 55, 56 or 57 should be used; when erected on unfenced roads the signs should be supplemented by a plate as at figure 70. We think, however, that use of these signs should continue to be centrally controlled by the Minister to ensure reasonable and uniform use and particularly to prevent proliferation to an extent which might invalidate their usefulness. ”

“ The red light stands for no through traffic; the green light stands for passage permitted; and the yellow light stands for warning.
Article 27 Warning lights, warning signs or protective safety facilities shall be put up at the level crossing of railroads and roads. Where there are no guards for a railroad crossing, warning signs shall be put up at a certain distance from the crossing.
Article 28 No units or individuals shall, without authorization, put up, remove, occupy or damage traffic signal lights, traffic signs and traffic line markings. ”

“ 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 . ”

“ References in these directions to a sign shown in a diagram in schedule 1 shall include references to a variant of the sign which is specified in Schedule 1 as being a permitted variant.
(4) Nothing in these Directions shall have effect so as to authorise any person not authorised to do so to place on or near a road any object or device for warning traffic of a temporary obstruction. ”

“ Authorities responsible for road works should ensure in advance that their contractors are aware of the Code and they should make it a condition of contract that the correct warning signs are properly erected and afterwards removed. ”

“ 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 ”

“ Local people's governments at or above the county level shall be responsible for putting up the security warning signs in the format uniformly prescribed by the state, and the locations for the signs shall be jointly determined by the authorities in charge of restricted military zones and the local people's governments at or above the county level. ”

“ It's a pity you didn't put it on the board with the farrago of nonsense, by which you hope to attract the attention of all the fool bodies in the town."
"Don't speak disrespectfully of my sign, sir," quoth the little barber, waxing wroth. "My sign is an excellent sign—the admiration of the whole village; and let me tell you that it is not in spite and envy to put it down, let spite and envy try as hard as they can. The genius which suggested that sign is not destined to go unrewarded." ”

“ And this light is twofold; it is a light of warning, and it is a light of holy example.—A light of warning. If you look at a great railway station at night, you will see numbers of lamps, some showing a red, some a green, some a white light. These are all warnings to the many trains leaving or entering the station, and upon them depends the safety of hundreds of lives. If the signal man fails to show the red light when there is danger, wholesale destruction follows. Dear hearers, there are times when we are called upon to show the danger signal. ”

“ At first passers-by would cross in fear and trembling to the other side of the street whenever this mournful sign met their eyes, but as the number of cases increased people became hardened to the danger. ”

“ If an alarm comes—no matter of what kind—don't be frightened, but stand in front of and protect her from being seen, until she says to you: 'Sauve qui peut?' That will be her signal for you to run and scream, and do whatever the rest are doing. ”

“ Care should be taken to ensure that signs are not so sited as to be obscured by existing structures nor liable to be overgrown by trees, hedges or herbage. If this risk cannot be avoided by siting, the growth must be regularly cut and we refer to this in paragraph 289. Where the target value of a sign is impaired by the background against which it is viewed, it should be provided with a surround which effectively draws attention to it. ”

“ Signals may be executed, first, exclusively by bodily action; second, by action of the person in connection with objects, such as a blanket, or a lance, or the direction imparted to a horse; third, by various devices, such as smoke, fire or dust, when the person of the signalist is not visible. When not simply intended to attract attention they are generally conventional, and while their study has not the same kind of importance as that of gesture signs, it possesses some peculiar interest. ”

“ Emergency Signs 72. Signs will be needed from time to time to indicate temporary obstructions of the carriageway in the event of accident or when road works are being carried out. We cannot emphasise too strongly the need to ensure that clear and early warning is provided of any obstruction occurring on these high speed roads. This will call for quicker and more informed thought and action than anything that the road traffic authorities in this country are likely to have encountered in the past. ”

“ I silently resolved to have a burglar alarm installed before the next day came to an end. I would take no more chances, rest assured of that, as this business was taking a decidedly serious aspect. It took me well into the night to put the room into any semblance of order, but the events of the evening had driven all thoughts of sleep from my mind.
I was handicapped by the oath of secrecy and I did not dare report this matter to the police because of the publicity that such a proceeding would entail. No, it was to be a battle of wits, and I must fight it alone. ”

“ At certain junctions where control is not exercised by traffic signals, police, or a Stop sign there will nevertheless be a need for a sign in addition to the new transverse carriageway marking which we advocate in paragraph 224. We therefore recommend for this purpose the sign at figure 8. Since avoidance of accidents will depend upon drivers obeying the sign we believe that it should be given a legal mandatory significance and the meaning of 'proceed so as not to cause inconvenience or danger to traffic on the major road'. ”

“ If a device can emit both continuous and intermittent signs, the intermittent sign should be used to indicate a higher level of danger or a more urgent need for the requested/imposed intervention or action than is indicated by the continuous sign. ”

“ N. B. Much practice is necessary to enable members to exchange this signal in such a manner as not to attract attention.
2d. The Signal of Danger—This signal is for use when Miss Jane, or any other foe-woman, heaves in sight. It consists in rubbing the nose violently, and at the same time giving three stamps on the floor with the left foot. It must be done with an air of unconsciousness.
3d. The Signal for Consultation.—This signal is for use when immediate communication is requisite between members of the Society. ”

“ Signs, whether natural or arbitrary, which gain acceptance, especially if they are shortened, are ‘conventional.’ ‘Mimic action’ refers, e.g., to the sign for sawing, the side of one hand being passed to and fro over the side or back of the other.’Pantomime’ means, e.g., when the signer pretends to hang up his hat and coat, roll up his sleeves, kneel on his board, guide the saw with his thumb, saw through, wipe his forehead, &c. ”