What Country Has the Best Road Signs? (2013, Germany, lane)

[KaaBoom]

I have to say that Canada probably has the best road signs in the world.

First I think the United States Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) has done an amazing job of developing road signs. Easy to read fonts. Perfect colors, to convey the message. Example black on yellow for warning signs.

However the Canadian Manual of Standard Traffic Signs Manual of Standard Traffic Signs & Pavement Markings seems to take it to an even higher level of perfection with more use of pictograms and less words on the signs.

A lot of European roads signs look nice, but they are too small, hard to read, and the colors are just all wrong.

Any other opinions on the best road signs?

[whiteboyslo]

I took a trip to Germany just last October and drove quite a bit. MOST of the signs were pretty intuitive; I was impressed. I didn't bother to learn a lick of German before I left, but I had no issue understanding what they were trying to convey, mostly because they rely heavily on pictures and not so much on words. I suppose that has to be common practice in places like Europe given the wide range of languages spoken in such a relatively small space.

FWIW, there were a few that stumped me, but I found a free app on the iPad that ran me through all of them and 5 minutes later I was good to go.

Mike

[dkf747]

I prefer American signs over most European signs, but there are some different ways that they post them that I like better. I like how the do a sign at the beginning of a zone, and then an exiting that zone sign at the end. I don't see that here often, except for "End Road Work" signs.

[Jude1948]

I loved the signs in England when we visited several years ago. One restroom had a sign over the sink "Now wash your hands". One bank had "Please remove cylcle helmet"..Two old people with cane crossing the road, Picture of frogs crossing and of course sheep crossing.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by whiteboyslo

I took a trip to Germany just last October and drove quite a bit. MOST of the signs were pretty intuitive; I was impressed. I didn't bother to learn a lick of German before I left, but I had no issue understanding what they were trying to convey, mostly because they rely heavily on pictures and not so much on words. I suppose that has to be common practice in places like Europe given the wide range of languages spoken in such a relatively small space.

FWIW, there were a few that stumped me, but I found a free app on the iPad that ran me through all of them and 5 minutes later I was good to go.

Mike

Yeah, I don't like the German signs too much. I don't like the small triangle warning signs. They just don't have the same impact that the large black on yellow warning signs in North America do. I especially don't like the large yellow diamond priority road signs. I don't get the purpose of it. Seems like it should be kind of obvious if you are on a priority road. The signs ("Yield" or "Give Way") should be on the minor road. No need for anything on the main road. And whats up with the "prohibited" red circle signs that don't have the slash through the middle? I though that was a universal symbol.

Honestly I've never been to Germany, but I think I'd have a real hard time ever getting used to German road signs.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by dkf747

I prefer American signs over most European signs, but there are some different ways that they post them that I like better. I like how the do a sign at the beginning of a zone, and then an exiting that zone sign at the end. I don't see that here often, except for "End Road Work" signs.

Seems to me that "END WORK ZONE" signs are pretty common here in the western US. But I'd be irritated too, if it wasn't posted. I don't want to have to guess, if I'm through it or not.

[scottfs]

I've never driven in another country before so I don't know what I'm missing. I will say that I prefer road signs with actual words rather than pictures. Easier to read a couple words than decipher what some picture means. Same reason I like my car's temperature controls to say VENT and FLOOR and HEAT, etc rather than a picture with arrows of where the air is going.

Now I suppose that might be totally different if I was in a country where I couldn't speak the language...

[whiteboyslo]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

And whats up with the "prohibited" red circle signs that don't have the slash through the middle? I though that was a universal symbol.

Honestly I've never been to Germany, but I think I'd have a real hard time ever getting used to German road signs.

Well, as you can see in the pic you posted, a slash through the sign in Germany doesn't mean 'prohibited'. It means 'end of' whatever the sign is. Honestly, driving in Germany was not all that bad. The cities get a bit nutty, but you could say that about our major metropolitan areas as well. And the Autobahn is a blast, but much more stressful than driving stateside. Speed limit changes all the time, and you have to stay on your toes with the amount of lane changes that occur and variation in speeds, but they make it work.

Mike

[jtur88]

Almost every country in the world uses International standard sighs, which are logical and legible and do not depend on knowing any language. But there is a great deal of variation in how effectively countries use their signs. In many countries they are almost absent.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by scottfs

I've never driven in another country before so I don't know what I'm missing. I will say that I prefer road signs with actual words rather than pictures. Easier to read a couple words than decipher what some picture means.

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.