This article is a summary of traffic signs used in each country.
Roads can be motorways, expressways or other routes. In many countries, expressways share the same colour as primary routes, but there are some exceptions where they share the colour of motorways (Austria, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden) or have their own colour (the countries comprising former Yugoslavia employ white text on blue specifically for expressways).
When it comes to motorways and route colours, the following schemes are adopted:
Local traffic road signs usually employ black text on white. Exceptions are the Czech Republic (yellow-on-black), Finland (white-on-black), Austria and Spain (white-on-green), as well as Denmark, Iceland and Poland (blue-on-white).
Tourist sighting signs usually employ white on some shade of brown. Detours use black on a shade of yellow or orange.
Typefaces used in road signage varies across countries. Usually a country will have a standardized typeface throughout the country. In some countries however, it is not unlikely to find other typefaces in use - as well as road signs with the wrong typeface printed by manufacturers who default on some other font. The following list show-cases what is the mostly standardized typeface of each country, outlining however significant variations.
The rest of the world usually employs Transport, Highway Gothic or Arial for the Latin text, and a sans-serif font for the non-Latin text which may or may not have a specific name. Libya has the peculiarity of sign-posting in Arabic only and employing no Latin text.
Some countries may prefer to write cities and town names in all-uppercase (among which: Albania, Bangladesh, Burundi, the Czech Republic, Finland, France and former colonies, Ireland for place names in English, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, China and North Korea, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sweden, all of the former Soviet Union except for Ukraine), others instead prefer to use normal mixed case names.
Generally, road signs in African countries closely follow those used in Europe, but most African countries have not ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.
Although the Trans-African Highway network exists, Trans-African route numbers are not signed at all in any African country, except Kenya and Uganda where the Mombasa–Nairobi–Kampala–Fort Portal section (or the Kampala–Kigali feeder road) of Trans-African Highway 8 is sometimes referred to as the "Trans-Africa Highway".
In member states of the Southern African Development Community, road signs are based on the SADC Road Traffic Signs Manual,[10] [11] [12] a document designed to harmonise traffic signs in these countries. However, not all member states have adopted the SADC-RTSM, and those that have may not use all signs listed in the SADC-RTSM or may use regional variations.
See main article: article and Road signs in Angola. Road signs in Angola are particularly modelled on the Portuguese road signs since Angola is a former Portuguese colony. Since the country is a member of the Southern African Development Community, road signs are going to be harmonised with the traffic signs in member states of the Community according to the SADC Road Traffic Signs Manual.
See main article: Road signs in Botswana. Highway signs use white text on green backgrounds.
Road signs in Burundi are similar in appearance to those used in Italy with certain distinctions. They are written in French in uppercase letters.
Road signs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are largely derived on the Belgian road signs since the DRC is a former Belgian colony. They are written in French.
Road signs in Egypt are written in Arabic and English. They use certain elements from those used in the United Kingdom, such as arrows, symbols and the typeface used for English text.
See main article: Road signs in Eswatini.
See main article: Road signs in Mauritius. Road signs in Mauritius are regulated by the Traffic Signs Regulations 1990. They are largely derived from the British road sign system since Mauritius is a former British colony.
See main article: Road signs in Namibia.
Road signs in Sierra Leone are similar in appearance to those used in Italy with certain distinctions. They are written in English in uppercase letters.
Road signs in Somalia are similar in appearance to those used in Italy with certain distinctions. They are written in Arab and Somali.
See main article: Road signs in South Africa.
See main article: Road signs in Tanzania.
See main article: Road signs in Uganda. Road signs in Uganda are largely derived from the British road sign system since the country is a former British colony.
See main article: Road signs in Zambia.
Road signs in Asia differ by country. Typically, Asian countries closely follow Europe in terms of road sign design, which means they are influenced by the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, though a number of countries' signage has been influenced from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), for example Cambodia, Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Asian Highway Network signs are marked using white letters on a dark blue background. In Turkey and Russia, European route numbers are indicated using white characters on a green rectangle and are signposted; however this is not the case in many other Asian countries.
See main article: Road signs in Armenia. Road signs in Armenia are similar in design to those used in the Soviet Union before its collapse in 1991 as the country was a Soviet Socialist Republic until 1991. Modern road signs used in Armenia generally maintain the same design as those used in Russia, with the exception that inscriptions on road signs are written in both Armenian and English, including the stop sign.
See main article: Road signs in Azerbaijan. Road signs in Azerbaijan are similar in design to those used in the Soviet Union before its collapse in 1991 as the country was a Soviet Socialist Republic until 1991.
See main article: Road signs in Bangladesh.
See main article: Road signs in Cambodia. In Cambodia, road signs are prescribed by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, of Cambodia.[13] Cambodian road signage practice closely follows those used in Europe - with the exception of warning signs which follow the American MUTCD - matching these designs used in other Asian countries like Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
See main article: Road signs in China. A variety of road signs are used in mainland China, specified in the Guobiao standard GB 5678–2009. Most road signs in China, like warning signs, appear to adopt the practices of the ISO standards not intended for use in traffic signage, which are ISO 3864 and ISO 7010.
Direction signs have these colours:
See main article: Road signs in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's traffic signs are derived from the British road sign system, and are bilingual in English and Chinese (English on top, and traditional Chinese characters at the bottom).
See main article: Road signs in Macau. Road signs in Macau are inherited from Portuguese road signage system prior to 1994/1998. Inscriptions are written in Chinese (traditional Chinese characters) and Portuguese.
Road signs in Taiwan are reminiscent of the early 1940s Japanese road signage, which was used in Japan itself until 1950. Overall, Taiwan is lenient towards European road signs in terms of design, but with some influences from road signs used in Japan and China, as well as the MUTCD for guide signs and temporary signs.
See main article: Road signs in Georgia (country). Road signs in Georgia are mostly inherited from those used in the former Soviet Union, but with some modifications in design. Inscriptions on road signs are usually written in Georgian and English.
See main article: Road signs in India. Road signs in the Republic of India are similar to those used in some parts of the United Kingdom, except that they are multilingual. Most urban roads and state highways have signs in the state language and English. National highways have signs in the state language and English.
See main article: Road signs in Indonesia.
See main article: Road signs in Iran. Road signs in Iran mainly follow the Vienna Convention. Text is written in Persian and English.
See main article: Road signs in Israel. Road signs in Israel mainly follow the Vienna Convention, but have some variants. Many signs are trilingual, with text written in Hebrew, Arabic and English.
See main article: Road signs in Japan. Road signs in Japan are either controlled by local police authorities under or by other road-controlling entities including Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, local municipalities, NEXCO (companies controlling expressways), under . Most of the design of the road signs in Japan are similar to the signs on the Vienna Convention, except for some significant variances, such as stop sign with a red downward triangle.
See main article: Road signs in Kazakhstan. The design of road signs in Kazakhstan is largely based on that of the former Soviet Union. Inscriptions on road signs, including the names of settlements and streets, are usually written in two languages: Kazakh and Russian.
See main article: Road signs in South Korea. Both North Korea and South Korea developed their own road signage systems.
Road signs in South Korea are standardised and regulated by the Korean Road Traffic Authority. South Korean road signage closely follows those used in Europe, but with some influences from road signs in Japan. Similar to road signs of Poland and Greece, road signs are triangular, have a yellow background and a red border. Like other countries, the signs use pictograms to display their meaning.
Road signs in North Korea differ by locale. Most of the time, they tend to closely follow China in design (but identically), and some road signs are unique to North Korea (such as an exclamation mark drawn on another sign to indicate other dangers), so they never appear elsewhere. The font used for Latin letters appear to be the same as in China.
South Korea keeps close to the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals as South Korea is an original signatory. On the other hand, North Korea is not a signatory to the convention and instead designs its own signs, creating confusion.[14]
See main article: Road signs in Kyrgyzstan. The design of road signs in Kyrgyzstan is largely based on that of the former Soviet Union.
See main article: Road signs in Laos.
See main article: Road signs in Malaysia.
See main article: Road signs in Mongolia. The design of road signs in Mongolia is largely based on that of the former Soviet Union, despite having never been part of it. Inscriptions on road signs are usually written in Mongolian and Russian.
See main article: Road signs in Nepal.
See main article: Road signs in Pakistan.
See main article: article and Road signs in the Philippines.
Road signs in the Philippines are standardized in the Road Signs and Pavement Markings Manual, published by the Department of Public Works and Highways. Philippine road signage practice closely follow those used in Europe, but with local adaptations and some minor influences from the US MUTCD and Australian road signs. However, some road signs may differ by locale, and mostly diverge from the national standard. For example, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has used pink and light blue in its signage for which it has been heavily criticised.[15] [16]
Regulatory road signs are generally circular, and most warning signs take the form of a triangle. Since 2012, however, a more visibly distinctive design (taken from that used for school signs in the US) has been adopted for pedestrian-related signs: these consist of a fluorescent yellow-green pentagon with black border and symbol.
The Philippines signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals on 8 November 1968, and ratified it on 27 December 1973.
See main article: Road signs in Russia.
Road signs in the Asian part of Russia follow the Vienna Convention, specified in the GOST standard 52290-2004[17] (the Soviet Union was an original signatory to the convention, but only a few post-Soviet states are signatories to the convention). However, direction signs in the Asian part of Russia omit European route numbers, replaced by Asian route numbers, which are dark blue in background with white lettering, with a few exceptions. The same also apples to road signs used in Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Russia signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals on 8 November 1968 and ratified it on 7 June 1974.[18]
See main article: Road signs in Saudi Arabia. Road signs in Saudi Arabia are generally written in Arabic and English. A particular aspect of Saudi signage is that they indicate areas which are forbidden to non-Muslims in the cities of Mecca and Medina.[19]
See main article: Road signs in Singapore. Singapore's traffic signs closely follow British road sign conventions, although the government has introduced some changes to them.
See main article: Road signs in Sri Lanka.
See main article: article and Road signs in Tajikistan.
See main article: Road signs in Thailand.
Road signs in Thailand are standardised and are uniform throughout the country. Since the late twentieth century, Thai road signage practice closely follows the designs used in the United States, Europe and Japan. Road signs are often written in Thai language and display in metric units. In tourist areas, English is also used for important public places such as tourist attractions, airports, railway stations, and immigration checkpoints. Destinations on direction signage is written are written in both Thai and English.
Thailand signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals on 8 November 1968 but has yet to fully ratify it.
See main article: Road signs in Turkey.
See main article: article and Road signs in Turkmenistan. Road signs in Turkmenistan are mostly based on those used in the Soviet Union before its dissolution in 1991. However, modern road signs in Turkmenistan are similar to those used in Turkey.
See main article: Road signs in United Arab Emirates.
See main article: Road signs in Uzbekistan. Road signs in Uzbekistan are very similar in design to those used in the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991, as the country was a Soviet Socialist Republic until 1991, when it declared its independence from the Soviet Union.[20] Modern road signs in Uzbekistan on the one hand follow modern road signs used in Russia from the GOST R 52290-2004 standard, but on the other hand follow road signs from European countries such as Spain, Germany and Italy.[20]
See main article: Road signs in Vietnam.
Road signs in Yemen are regulated under the Republic of Yemen Traffic Signs Manual (RYTSM). They closely follow those used in Portugal with certain distinctions. They are written in Arabic and English.
Previously, the Colony of Aden (which later became South Yemen in 1967 prior to the Yemeni unification in 1990) used pre-Worboys road signs like many former British colonies.
See main article: Comparison of European road signs. The standardization of traffic signs in Europe commenced with the signing of the 1931 Geneva Convention concerning the Unification of Road Signals by several countries.[21] The 1931 Convention rules were developed in the 1949 Geneva Protocol on Road Signs and Signals[22] and a European Agreement supplementing the 1949 Protocol.[23]
In 1968, the European countries signed the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic treaty, with the aim of standardizing traffic regulations in participating countries to facilitate international road traffic and to increase road safety. Part of the treaty was the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, which defined the traffic signs and signals. As a result, in Western Europe the traffic signs are well standardized, although there are still some country-specific exceptions, mostly dating from the pre-1968 era.
The principle of the European traffic sign standard is that certain shapes and colours are to be used with consistent meanings:
The signposting of road numbers also differs greatly, except that European route numbers, if displayed, are always indicated using white characters on a green rectangle. European route numbers are, however, not signed at all in the United Kingdom, Albania, Iceland and Andorra.
The Convention recommends that certain signs – such as "STOP", "ZONE", etc. – be in English; however, use of the local language is also permitted. If a language uses non-Latin characters, a Latin-script transliteration of the names of cities and other important places should also be given. Road signs in Ireland are bilingual, using Irish and English. Wales similarly uses bilingual Welsh–English signs, while some parts of Scotland have bilingual Scottish Gaelic–English signs. Finland also uses bilingual signs, in Finnish and Swedish. Signs in Belgium are in French, Dutch, or German depending on the region. In the Brussels Capital Region, road signs are in both French and Dutch. Signs in Switzerland are in French, German, Italian, or Romansh depending on the canton.
For countries driving on the left, the convention stipulates that the traffic signs should be mirror images of those used in countries driving on the right. This practice, however, is not systematically followed in the four European countries driving on the left – the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Malta and Ireland. The convention permits the use of two background colours for danger and prohibition signs: white or yellow. Most countries use white, with a few – such as Finland, Iceland, Poland and Sweden – opting for yellow as this tends to improve the winter-time visibility of signs in areas where snow is prevalent. In some countries, such as France or Italy, white is the normal background colour for such signs, but yellow is used for temporary signage (as, for example, at road works).
European countries – with the notable exception of the United Kingdom, where distances and lengths are indicated in miles, yards, feet, and inches, and speed limits are expressed in miles per hour – use the metric system on road signs.European traffic signs have been designed with the principles of heraldry in mind; i.e., the sign must be clear and able to be resolved at a glance. Most traffic signs conform to heraldic tincture rules, and use symbols rather than written texts for better semiotic clarity.
Albanian road signs are predominantly based on the Italian sign system, hence both follow the same convention on road sign design set out by the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.
Road signs in Andorra are similar to those set out in the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Its direction signage is always white. Other signs, such as warning and regulatory, are identical to those used in Spain.
Unlike other European countries, route numbers are not always shown. This can cause problems for drivers from neighbouring European countries when trying to find an international destination.
See main article: Road signs in Austria.
See main article: Road signs in Belarus.
Road signs in Belarus are visually not much different from road signs used in neighboring post-Soviet countries like Russia and Ukraine. Inscriptions on road signs, including names of settlements, are written in Belarusian or Russian, most often in Belarusian.
See main article: Road signs in Belgium.
See main article: Road signs in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
See main article: Road signs in Croatia. Croatian road signs follow the Vienna Convention (SFR Yugoslavia was the original signatory for Croatia, which is now a contracting party itself).
In the first years following Croatia's independence, its traffic signs were the same as in the rest of the former Yugoslavia. In the early 2000s, replacement of the yellow background of warning signs began, and new signs now use a white background.
See main article: Road signs in Czechia.
See main article: Road signs in Denmark.
See main article: Road signs in Estonia.
See main article: Road signs in Finland.
See main article: Road signs in France.
See main article: Road signs in Germany.
See main article: Road signs in Greece.
See main article: Road signs in Hungary.
See main article: Road signs in Iceland. Although Iceland is not a signatory to the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, road signs in Iceland follow the Vienna Convention guidelines, however, they use a variant of the colour scheme and minor design changes similar to the signs in Sweden.
Until the partition of Ireland in 1922 and the independence of the Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland), British standards applied across the island. In 1926 road sign standards similar to those used in the UK at the time were adopted.[24] Law requires that the signs be written in both Irish and English.
In 1956, warning road signs in the Republic were changed from the UK standard with the adoption of US-style "diamond" signs for many road hazard warnings.[25] A number of regulatory signs were also introduced.
Directional signage is similar to current United Kingdom standards, in that the same colours and typefaces are used. However, Irish text is rendered in a unique oblique variant of the Transport typeface.
In line with the majority of Europe, Ireland uses the metric system, which has been displayed on directional signs based on the Worboys Committee standard since 1977 and, upon adopting metric speed limits, on speed limit signs since 2005.
See main article: Road signs in Italy.
See main article: article and Road signs in Latvia. Road signs in Latvia largely adhere to Vienna Convention guidelines. In detailed design they closely resemble the signs used in Germany.
See main article: Road signs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Road signs in Liechtenstein maintain the same design as road signs used in Switzerland.
See main article: Road signs in Lithuania. Like most post-Soviet states, Lithuania uses the road signs similar to those used in the Soviet Union since Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union. Neighboring Latvia and Estonia already have their own road sign standards, which outwardly differ from Russian ones.
See main article: Road signs in Malta.
Road signs in Moldova are in some ways similar in design to those used in the Soviet Union before its dissolution in 1991. However, modern road signs in Moldova tend to follow those used in Romania.
See main article: Road signs in Montenegro.
See main article: Road signs in the Netherlands. Road signs in the Netherlands follow the Vienna Convention. Its directional signs are unique in that blue is the only colour used for the background, regardless of the classification of the road.
Information intended for cyclists always appear on white signs with red or green letters.
The Dutch RWS (formerly ANWB) typeface was replaced by a new font, named ANWB-Uu (also known as Redesign), on some signs in the country. The typeface was developed in 1997 and appeared on many signs but has been discontinued since 2015. The language of the signs is typically Dutch, though bilingual signs may be used when the information is relevant for tourists.
See main article: Road signs in Norway.
Signs in Norway mostly follow the Vienna Convention, except the polar bear warning sign, which is a white bear on a black background and a red border. These are the directional signs:
The signs for road numbering are rectangular, and have this colour scheme:
See main article: Road signs in Poland. The road signs in Poland follow the Vienna convention. Poland chose yellow as the background colour for warning signs (an alternative allowed under the convention), rather than the much more widely adopted white. The typeface used on Polish road signs is a bespoke one, created in 1975, replaced the former signage typeface that resembles NT Cornelia typeface[26] and specified by the Regulations of 3 July 2003, as amended.[27] [28]
See main article: article and Road signs in Romania.
See main article: Road signs in Russia.
Road signs in Russia follow the Vienna Convention, specified in the GOST standard 52290-2004 (the Soviet Union was an original signatory to the convention, but only a few Post-Soviet states are signatories to the convention).
European route numbers are signposted on direction signs in the European part of Russia and thus have the green background with white lettering.
In February 2019, the traffic police has supported proposals for the introduction of reduced road signs, the idea was initiated by the Moscow government. They are planned to be installed throughout Russia after a successful experiment. The allowable size of signs will be reduced to 40cm (20inches) in diameter, and in some cases to 35cm (14inches), which is almost half the current standard of 60cm (20inches).[29]
See main article: Road signs in Serbia.
See main article: Road signs in Spain.
See main article: Road signs in Sweden. Road signs in Sweden mostly follow the Vienna Convention, though it notably used yellow for the background of its warning signs. City names are written in uppercase letters.
See main article: Road signs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Swiss road signs mostly follow the Vienna Convention with a few adaptations and exceptions. Distances and other measurements are displayed in metric units.
Signs use one of the four national languages corresponding to the location, with destinations being spelled according to their local spelling, e.g. French: Genève|italic=unset for Geneva.
Bicycle and mountain bike routes, and routes for vehicle-like transport means are white text on falu red background.
See main article: Road signs in Ukraine.
Road signs in Ukraine broadly conform to European norms, and they are based on the road signage systems used consistently throughout the former USSR.
See main article: Road signs in the United Kingdom. Traffic signing in the UK conforms broadly to European norms, though a number of signs are unique to Britain and direction signs omit European route numbers. The current sign system, introduced on 1 January 1965, was developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s by the Anderson Committee, which established the motorway signing system, and by the Worboys Committee, which reformed signing for existing all-purpose roads.
The UK remains the only Commonwealth country to use imperial measurements for distance and speed, although "authorised weight" signs have been in metric tonnes since 1981 and there is currently a dual-unit (metric first) option for height and width restriction signage, intended for use on safety grounds. Additionally, kilometre signs are installed at intervals of indicating the distance from the start of the motorway.
Signs are generally bilingual in all parts of Wales (English/Welsh or Welsh/English), and similar signs are beginning to be seen in parts of the Scottish Highlands (Scottish Gaelic/English).
All signs and their associated regulations can be found in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, and are complemented by the various chapters of the Traffic Signs Manual.
See main article: Gaelic road signs in Scotland.
See main article: Road signs in Wales.
In North America (including Mexico) these colours normally have these meanings. These are standard but exceptions may exist, especially outside the US:
The US Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) prescribes four other colours:[31]
Regulatory signs are also sometimes seen with white letters on red or black signs. In Quebec, blue is often used for public services such as rest areas; many black-on-yellow signs are red-on-white instead.
Many US states and Canadian provinces now use fluorescent orange for construction signs.[33]
Highway symbols and markers
Every state in the U.S. and province in Canada has different markers for its own highways, but uses standard ones for all federal highways. Many special highways – such as the Queen Elizabeth Way, Trans-Canada Highway, and various auto trails in the U.S. – have used unique signs. Counties in the US sometimes use a pentagonal blue sign with yellow letters for numbered county roads, though the use is inconsistent even within states.
In Australia, the five states have alphanumeric markers for their own highways, based on the Great Britain road numbering scheme of 1963. Tasmania was the first state to implement this scheme in 1979.[34] "M" roads signified motorways, "A" roads signified primary highways, "B" roads signified less significant roads and "C" roads linked smaller settlements. Western Australia never implemented the alphanumeric scheme, instead retaining the shield system.[35]
Units
Distances are displayed using the metric system in all countries except for the United States, where English units are used. However, the MUTCD 2000[36] and 2003[37] editions developed by the Federal Highway Administration contain (but rarely used) metric versions of the signs, some of which do get used outside of the US, in particular, Belize and Guyana.
Languages
Where signs use a language, the recognized language/s of the area is normally used. Signs in most of the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are in English. Quebec uses French. In contrast, the New Brunswick, Jacques-Cartier, and Champlain bridges, in Montreal (as well as some parts in the West Island), use both English and French, and a number of other provinces and states, such as Ontario, Manitoba, and Vermont use bilingual French–English signs in certain localities. Mexico uses Spanish. Within a few miles of the US–Mexico border, road signs are often in English and Spanish in places like San Diego, Yuma, and El Paso. Indigenous languages, mainly Nahuatl as well as some Mayan languages, have been used as well.
In both Canada and Mexico, pictorial signs are common compared to the US, where some signs are simply written in English.
Typefaces
The typefaces predominantly used on signs in the US and Canada are the FHWA alphabet series (Series B through Series F and Series E Modified). Details of letter shape and spacing for these alphabet series are given in "Standard Alphabets for Traffic Control Devices", first published by the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) in 1945 and subsequently updated by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It is now part of Standard Highway Signs (SHS), the companion volume to the MUTCD which gives full design details for signfaces.
Initially, all the alphabet series consisted of uppercase letters and digits only, although lowercase extensions were provided for each alphabet series in a 2002 revision of SHS. Series B through Series F evolved from identically named alphabet series which were introduced in 1927.
Straight-stroke letters in the 1927 series were substantially similar to their modern equivalents, but unrounded glyphs were used for letters such as B, C, D, etc., to permit more uniform fabrication of signs by illiterate painters. Various state highway departments and the federal BPR experimented with rounded versions of these letters in the following two decades.
The modern, rounded alphabet series was finally standardized in 1945 after rounded versions of some letters (with widths loosely appropriate for Series C or D) were specified as an option in the 1935 MUTCD and draft versions of the new typefaces had been used in 1942 for guide signs on the newly constructed Pentagon road network.
The mixed-case alphabet now called Series E Modified, which is the standard for destination legend on freeway guide signs, originally existed in two parts: an all-uppercase Series E Modified, which was essentially similar to Series E, except for a larger stroke width, and a lowercase-only alphabet. Both parts were developed by the California Division of Highways (now Caltrans) for use on freeways in 1948–1950.
Initially, the Division used all-uppercase Series E Modified for button-reflectorized letters on ground-mounted signs and mixed-case legend (lowercase letters with Series D capitals) for externally illuminated overhead guide signs. Several Eastern turnpike authorities blended all-uppercase Series E Modified with the lowercase alphabet for destination legends on their guide signs.
Eventually, this combination was accepted for destination legend in the first manual for signing Interstate highways, which was published in 1958 by the American Association of State Highway Officials and adopted as the national standard by the BPR.
Uses of non-FHWA typefaces
The US National Park Service uses NPS Rawlinson Roadway, a serif typeface, for guide signage; it typically appears on a brown background. Rawlinson has replaced Clarendon as the official NPS typeface, but some states still use Clarendon for recreational signage.
Georgia, in the past, used uppercase Series D with a custom lowercase alphabet on its freeway guide signs; the most distinctive feature of this typeface is the lack of a dot on lowercase i and lowercase j. This was discontinued in 2012.[38] More recent installations appear to include dots.[39]
The Clearview typeface, developed by US researchers to provide improved legibility, is permitted for light legend on dark backgrounds under FHWA interim approval. Clearview has seen widespread use by state departments of transportation in Arkansas, Arizona,[40] Illinois,[41] Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia. The Kansas Turnpike Authority has also introduced Clearview typeface to some of its newer guide signs along the Kansas Turnpike, but the state of Kansas continues to use the FHWA typefaces for signage on its non-tolled Interstates and freeways.
In Canada, the Ministry of Transportation for the Province of British Columbia specifies Clearview for use on its highway guide signs,[42] and its usage has shown up in Ontario on the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway in Toronto and on new 400-series highway installations in Hamilton, Halton and Niagara, as well as street signs in various parts of the province. The font is also being used on newer signs in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec.
It is common for local governments, airport authorities, and contractors to fabricate traffic signs using typefaces other than the FHWA series; Helvetica, Futura and Arial are common choices.
See main article: Road signs in Australia. For road signs in Australia, this is covered by AS 1742 which is unofficially known as Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Australia, and it serves as a similar role to the FHWA MUTCD.[43] As a result, road signs in Australia closely follow those used in America, but some sign designs closely follow the ones used in the United Kingdom.
See main article: Road signs in Canada. For road signs in Canada, the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) publishes its own Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Canada for use by Canadian jurisdictions.[44] Although it serves a similar role to the FHWA MUTCD, it has been independently developed and has a number of key differences with its US counterpart, most notably the inclusion of bilingual (English/French) signage for jurisdictions such as New Brunswick and Ontario with significant anglophone and francophone population, a heavier reliance on symbols rather than text legends and metric measurements instead of imperial.
The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) also has historically used its own MUTCD which bore many similarities to the TAC MUTCDC. However, as of approximately 2000, MTO has been developing the Ontario Traffic Manual (OTM), a series of smaller volumes each covering different aspects of traffic control (e.g., regulatory signs, warning signs, sign design principles, traffic signals, etc.).
Road signs in Central American countries heavily influenced by US MUTCD but used metric units instead of imperial/US units and regulated under Spanish; Castilian: Manual Centroamericano de Dispositivos Uniformes para el Control del Transito, a Central American equivalent to US MUTCD published by the Central American Integration System (SICA).[45]
See main article: Road signs in Mexico. Road signs in Mexico are influenced by road signs in America, and are published under Manual de Dispositivos para el Control del Tránsito en Calles y Carreteras. It serves as a similar role to the FHWA MUTCD, but is independently developed and has a number of key differences with the US counterpart, and the language used is Mexican Spanish. Like Canada but unlike America, Mexico had a heavier reliance on symbols than text legends, and metric measurements instead of imperial.[46]
See main article: Road signs in New Zealand. New Zealand road signs are generally influenced both by American and European practices.
Warning signs are diamond-shaped with a yellow background for permanent warnings, and an orange background for temporary warnings. They are somewhat more pictorial than their American counterparts. This is also true for Canadian and Mexican signage.
Regulatory signs also follow European practice, with a white circle with a red border indicating prohibitive actions, and a blue circle indicating mandatory actions. White rectangular signs with a red border indicate lane usage directions. Information and direction signs are rectangular, with a green background indicating a state highway, a blue background for all other roads and all services (except in some, where directional signage is white), and a brown background for tourist attractions.
Before 1987, most road signs had black backgrounds – diamonds indicated warnings, and rectangles indicated regulatory actions (with the exception of the Give Way sign (an inverted trapezium), and Stop sign and speed limit signs (which were the same as today)). Information signs were yellow, and direction signage was green on motorways and black everywhere else.
Road signs in Papua New Guinea are standardised and closely follow those used in Australia with certain distinctions. They are written in English.[47]
See main article: Road signs in the United States. Road signs in the United States are, for the most part, standardized by federal regulations, most notably in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and its companion volume the Standard Highway Signs (SHS). The MUTCD was most recently updated on 19 December 2023, when the 11th edition was released,[48] and became effective on 18 January 2024, 30 days after publication. States have two years after the effective date to do one of the following options: adopt the revised MUTCD, adopt the revised MUTCD with a state supplement, or adopt a state-specific MUTCD.[49]
See main article: article and Road signs in Puerto Rico. Road signs in Puerto Rico share the same design as those used in the mainland United States, but with inscriptions in Spanish instead of English, since Spanish is an official language in Puerto Rico.
Road signs in Caribbean and Latin America vary from country to country. For the most part, conventions in signage tend to resemble United States signage conventions more so than European and Asian conventions. For example, warning signs are typically diamond-shaped and yellow rather than triangular and white. Some variations include the "Parking" and "No Parking" signs, which contain either a letter E or P, depending on which word is used locally for "Parking" (Spanish Spanish; Castilian: estacionamiento or Spanish; Castilian: parqueo, Portuguese Portuguese: estacionamento), as well as the Stop sign, which usually reads "Pare" or "Alto". Notable exceptions include speed limit signs, which follow the European conventions, and the "No Entry" sign, often replaced with a crossed upwards arrow.
Of all the countries in South America, only 4 countries Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela have signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Chile is also the only country in South America to have ratified this convention.
See main article: Road signs in Argentina.
Road signs in Bolivia are regulated by the Manuales Técnicos para el Diseño de Carreteras standard which is based on the United States' MUTCD (FHWA), Central America's Manuales Técnicos para el Diseño de Carreteras (SICA), Colombia's Manual de Señalización Vial (Ministry of Transport), and Chile's Manual de Carreteras.[50] Thus, road signs used in Bolivia generally have many similarities to road signs used in the United States, Central America, Colombia and neighboring Chile.
See main article: Road signs in Brazil.
See main article: Road signs in Chile.
See main article: Road signs in Colombia. Traffic signs in Colombia are classified into three categories:
Warning signs are very similar to warning signs in United States. They are yellow diamond-shaped with a black symbol (the yellow colour is changed to an orange colour in areas under construction). In certain cases, the yellow colour is shifted to fluorescent yellow (in the School area sign and Chevron sign).
Mandatory signs are similar to European signs. They are circular with a red border, a white background and a black symbol. Stop sign and Yield sign are as European, except the word "Stop" is changed for "Pare" and the Yield sign has no letters; it is a red triangle with white centre.
Information signs have many shapes and colours. Principally they are blue with white symbols and in many cases these signs have an information letter below the symbol.
See main article: Road signs in Cuba. Road signs in Cuba are very similar to those used in European countries and generally conform to the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. On September 30, 1977, Cuba acceded to the Convention. Cuba still uses a circular STOP sign, with a triangle inside, which was used in the past in several European countries.
See main article: article and Road signs in Ecuador. Road signs in Ecuador are regulated in Manual Básico de Señalización Vial[52] [53] [54] and Reglamento Técnico Ecuatoriano. RTE INEN 004-1:2011. Señalización vial.[55] Signs are similar in design to those used in the United States.
Ecuador signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals on November 8, 1968 but has yet to fully ratify it.[56]
Road signs in Guyana generally follow the same design as those in the United States and are based on the MUTCD with the exception that some signs are reversed since the country drives on the left.[57] However, most of current signs found in Guyana, are non-compliant with MUTCD standards.[58] [59] Metric speed limit signs in km/h are found in Guyana, while in the United States such signs with speed limits in km/h are extremely rare, usually seen near the borders with Canada and Mexico, both of which use the metric system.
Road signs in Haiti are standardized road signs closely following those used in France with certain distinctions. They are written in French and Haitian Creole.
Road signs in Paraguay are regulated in the Manual de Carreteras del Paraguay standard developed by the Ministry of Public Works and Communications .[60]
Road signs in Peru are regulated by the Manual de Dispositivos de Control del Tránsito Automotor para Calles y Carreteras,[61] developed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Peru. This standard is based on the United States' Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) developed by the Federal Highway Administration,[62] Colombia's Manual de Señalización Vial and Chile's Manual de Señalización de Tránsito.[63] As a result, road signs in Peru are similar in design to those used in the United States on one side and in neighbouring Chile and Colombia on the other side.
Road signs in Suriname are particularly modelled on the signage system used in the Netherlands since Suriname is a former Dutch colony.
Road signs in Venezuela are regulated in Manual Venezolano de Dispositivos Uniformes para el Control del Tránsito and are based on the United States' MUTCD.[64]
