What Country Has the Best Road Signs? (motorway, replace, drivers)

[Thegonagle]

I agree that Canada has it pretty well sorted out. (I've only driven in the US and Canada.)

I had no trouble at all driving in Canada. The "ARRET" signs in Quebec were no trouble, because they are the standard red octagon.

Speed limits and distances are in km, but I got used to that quickly. Not wanting to deal with a traffic violation in a foreign land, I observed the speed limits pretty closely, even though the norm there seems to be 5-10 over on highways. Still, I wasn't going to take the chance.

The only thing I that gave me pause was the rapidly blinking green light for a protected left turn (as opposed to a green left arrow) at many intersections, but I figured that one out within seconds by observing other drivers. (I did look it up online later in the hotel room to be sure I was correct--I was.)

[scottfs]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

Sorry, but that is not quite reality. Which of these two signs are you going to be able to decipher from the greatest distance? If you say the second, then you are just guessing. The black text could say anything until you close enough to read it. The red circle with the bar through it will be clear long before you are close enough to read it. If you had to drive down the road and every single sign was white with black text, it would be very difficult to say the least.

No no no, that's not what I meant at all. In your example, both those signs contain words.

Imagine a sign that says "FALLING ROCKS" vs. a sign that just has a monochromatic picture of some rocks falling. Sure, I could probably understand both but my brain could process the words "Falling Rocks" way faster than just a picture.

I'm not saying this is better in every situation but in many it can be...until you don't know the language as I already pointed out.

[flynavyj]

Germany has the best road signs...cause they have the only sign I care about.



In all honesty, I didn't learn much German before I visited the country, but I did review the roadsigns. I thought they were very intuitive and clearly laid out, but I also fell in love with driving while in their country, and am actively seeking a way to get back there to stay for a "while".

[whiteboyslo]

Originally Posted by flynavyj

Germany has the best road signs...cause they have the only sign I care about.

I need to find a t-shirt with that sign on it. Looked all over the souvenir shops there for one; couldn't find it.

Mike

[bg7]

There's not such a big difference between the signage as there is between the placing and visibility of the signage. I have found NY and NJ signage to be generally awful, confusing and often dangerous. Too much ambiguity. The lack of reflective cats eyes on fast road surfaces is also a shame. And those freeway entrances and exits where the entrance onto the freeway id before the exit so people are entering in to the near lane that others are just getting into to exit? What a stupid idea.

Good jobs the speed limits are lower here than in Germany and the UK, the higher speeds would just not work with things being such a mess.

[Yellow Jacket]

I disagree about Canada as I think Germany has the best but Canada is alright though I try to look at the French part of the signs. It keeps my French sharp. That's on the rare occasion I go up there as I have no reason to want to go there.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by scottfs

Imagine a sign that says "FALLING ROCKS" vs. a sign that just has a monochromatic picture of some rocks falling. Sure, I could probably understand both but my brain could process the words "Falling Rocks" way faster than just a picture.

Not if the words are in Czech or Danish. Probably a quarter of all cars on the freeway through Slovenia are driven by drivers who don't understand "falling rocks" in Slovenian. Do you want to be speeding down the highway when a quarter of the drivers do not understand the words for "merging traffic" and will have to react in an emergency if someone pulls into their lane? Even Canada would have to have the words in two languages, and your brain would have to process them both and pick out the one it understands.

Besides, you never have to act fast when you see a road sign. If you needed to act fast, the sign would be placed further ahead on the road. The "falling rocks" sign is placed far enough ahead of the derrumbe that you can plan ahead for the possibility or encountering rocks on the road. It doesn't mean that the rocks are already airborne a few feet above the top of your car. You don't know what a "derrumbe" is? Then you had better hope the Mexicans put up a picture of falling rocks for you.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by scottfs

No no no, that's not what I meant at all. In your example, both those signs contain words.

Imagine a sign that says "FALLING ROCKS" vs. a sign that just has a monochromatic picture of some rocks falling. Sure, I could probably understand both but my brain could process the words "Falling Rocks" way faster than just a picture.

I'm not saying this is better in every situation but in many it can be...until you don't know the language as I already pointed out.

If you look at the smallest sign I posted, you can't read the words "DO NOT ENTER" on either sign. It could just as easily be the Canadian version without the words. But the meaning of the first one is clear anyway, because you can see the red circle and know instantly what it means.

A falling rocks sign would be the same way. As soon as you spot a sign with a pictogram of falling rocks, you will know instantly what it means. If it was a white sign with black text saying "FALLING ROCKS", you would not know what it says until you are closes enough to physically read it. Which could be too late to avoid getting hit by the rocks.

Anyways there are other reasons for having pictograms on signs. Not everyone on the road is proficient in the English language, or they could have a reading disorder.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by flynavyj

Germany has the best road signs...cause they have the only sign I care about.



In all honesty, I didn't learn much German before I visited the country, but I did review the roadsigns. I thought they were very intuitive and clearly laid out, but I also fell in love with driving while in their country, and am actively seeking a way to get back there to stay for a "while".

Sorry but I can't getting the meaning of that sign. It looks like a classic "prohibited" sign, but it actually means "end of restriction". They reversed the meaning around. It must be a German culturally thing. I guess it would make sense if you were German.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by Thegonagle

I agree that Canada has it pretty well sorted out. (I've only driven in the US and Canada.)

I had no trouble at all driving in Canada. The "ARRET" signs in Quebec were no trouble, because they are the standard red octagon.

Speed limits and distances are in km, but I got used to that quickly. Not wanting to deal with a traffic violation in a foreign land, I observed the speed limits pretty closely, even though the norm there seems to be 5-10 over on highways. Still, I wasn't going to take the chance.

The only thing I that gave me pause was the rapidly blinking green light for a protected left turn (as opposed to a green left arrow) at many intersections, but I figured that one out within seconds by observing other drivers. (I did look it up online later in the hotel room to be sure I was correct--I was.)

Yeah, those flashing green lights are irritating, and I believe they are not standard in all the provinces. They should replace those with standard green arrows.

Another weird thing I saw in Toronto are those lighted "X" boxes over the top of pedestrian crossings. They are OK, but a standard pedestrian sign should be adequate.