Road Signs and Their Interpretation || highway signs
The second most important item you’ll need to pay attention to when driving, after the other cars on the road with you, is road signs. This is especially true for drivers who are new to the vast open road. The most crucial driving abilities are usually defensive ones.
The sheer number of highway signs utilised can be scary to a novice motorist, even if those of us who have been driving for some time have worked out and learnt what all the signs we see imply.
Even though you may have previously studied about them in your driver’s education classes, I doubt you will be able to remember all of the signs you need to memorise.
We’ve taken it upon ourselves to compile a list of them all for your convenience. For those who wish to learn more about them, we’ll also include a thorough explanation of what they imply.
The significance of road signs
Let’s quickly recap the significance of each traffic sign before we examine each one in detail. Why must we first go over each one of them?
All road users should heed the warnings provided by road signs to safeguard their safety from potential driving dangers and circumstances. They also aid in controlling the movement of other road users, such as bicycles and pedestrians, as well as traffic among cars. Even animals are acceptable here.
Are you interested in learning who decides to post these custom metal signs? Each local government in the state will first hire an engineer. The engineer will then investigate the proposed site for the sign and determine if it would be helpful there. The local authority must approve the sign when the research is finished and the need for it has been shown. So, yes, hanging those signs is not that easy.
Different highways and traffic signals have distinct functions. Let’s review them all and learn them all over again!
Colours on Road Signs and What They Mean
There is a certain hue assigned to each road sign. You can know what a road sign is about just by its hue. During your written driving test, you can be questioned about the following colours:
Red – Situations, where you must stop or yield, are indicated by signs that are red in hue. Red is obviously used for stop signs and yield signs, but it may also be used for other signals like do not enter and the wrong way. No u-turn, no turn on red, and occasionally no parking signs are other instances of red-coloured traffic signs.
Green – Directional signs are green traffic signs. The names of streets, exit signs, mile markers, and signs displaying directions to a specific city or the distance to a particular location all utilise this hue.
Blue – Regulatory signs are not those that are blue in hue. Instead, they highlight travel-related services. These signs are typically located on motorways and highways, pointing drivers in the direction of locations like rest stops, tourist attractions, hospitals, hotels, petrol stations, restaurants, campgrounds, picnic spots, and other facilities that drivers frequently utilise.
Yellow – Yellow traffic signs serve as generic warnings of impending dangers or shifting road conditions. A tiny bridge, a railroad crossing, a no-passing zone, curves in the road, a merging point, a pedestrian crossing, a dead end, an uneven surface, a concealed cross street, or any other number of possible dangers, for instance, may be indicated by road signs in the colour yellow.
Road Sign Forms and Their Meanings
Similar to how various road sign colours may be used to indicate their meaning, a road sign’s form can also be used to do so. These are some common road sign shapes and their definitions:
Octagon – A stop sign will always be shown on a traffic sign that is shaped like an octagon. When this sign is present at a junction, come to a complete stop. Prior to using the crossing, stop at the designated stop line, or bring your car into the junction. If there are any other cars or people on your route, let them go.
Equilateral Triangle – For yield signs, this type of sign is utilised. Give way to traffic. Let cars that are in your path pass by slowing down. If necessary, pause before continuing. If a pedestrian is in the crosswalk or about to enter it, wait until they have crossed the street before moving on.
Pennant – On the left side of the street or highway, you’ll see this sign. You are forewarned of a no-passing zone.
Signs in the shape of a diamond are used as warning devices. You are informed of certain traffic risks by these signs. The words or images on the notice will explain why you should proceed with caution or slowly.
Rectangle – There will be directional or regulatory signage. Vertical signs, like speed limit signs, suggest what you should or shouldn’t do. Horizontal signage provides drivers with instructions or details about services they might need.
Standard Warning Signals
Let’s go into further depth on what constitutes a typical regulatory sign. Pretty much wherever you go, you will be able to view the entire road. They consist of:
As you might have guessed, this sign instructs drivers to halt whenever they see one. The majority of places demand you to stop completely and completely before continuing, and they are usually always accompanied by a line across the road where you should halt.
Yield – This sign is intended to notify you of any impending dangers, poor road conditions, or approaching vehicles (there are signs which signal for you to yield prior to merging to avoid accidents). It entails moving slowly, losing to incoming traffic, stopping when required, and moving forward once it is safe to do so. This is also accomplished by an intersection’s flashing yellow light.
Signs Limiting Speed
These signs are intended to indicate the maximum speed that should be used on a particular road. Some signs denote a single speed, while others denote two speeds—the top and bottom limits set for each type of route. These should be adhered to in order to ensure road safety for everyone using it. They may vary under specific conditions, such as road repair or similar.
The maximum speed for normal cars on a route is indicated by the term “speed limit.” The safest top speed under ideal conditions is indicated by this maximum speed.
Minimum Speed – This sign, which is often found on roads and motorways, denotes the bare minimum permitted speed during regularly circulating traffic.
Truck Speed – Larger vehicles are subject to varying speed restrictions on some roads. The top speed for heavier trucks and vehicles is indicated by this sign.
Combination Speed: Used to avoid crashes on highways and interstates, this speed indicates the top and bottom speeds for all moving vehicles.
Signs for Turns and Lane Use
There are signs indicating where you may and cannot turn, u-turn, take a left turn into oncoming traffic, etc., just as the road itself is painted to designate turning lanes and other similar features. They take the following forms:
No Right Turn: This sign is used to designate a street where a right turn is not permitted. They can be found most frequently in urban centres.
No Left Turn – This sign is used to designate a street where turning left is not permitted. Once more, downtown districts are the most frequented.
No U-Turn – This signifies that a U-turn is not permitted in the vicinity of this sign. Usually, this is due to the location having too much traffic (such as traffic coming from roadside retail areas, oncoming traffic, etc.) to safely permit a U-turn.
Left Turn Only and Right Turn Only – They are typically coupled with the opposite sign’s no-turn counterpart.
Movement Control Symbols
These signs will show the movements a vehicle may make on a certain route and, in some cases, will also show when to begin a movement. This is typically the case at roundabouts, where a given lane will allow you to go either left or right. As follows:
Do Not Pass – This sign indicates that you cannot pass through the place where it is posted, as you could have imagined.
Pass With Care – As you might have imagined, this sign says that you should use caution and common sense when passing through this location.
Keep Right – For this one, you must proceed straight. It frequently appears where a split median starts or when development is taking place.