French sign showing the difference between French and Swiss motorway sign colours, on the A411 near Geneva
The main differences relate to
Graphic design details
Local regulatory significance
The colour-coding of directional signs
Local language texts (sometimes bilingual)
The meaning and colour-coding of horizontal road surface markings
Graphic differences
Warning signs in Ireland are yellow and diamond-shaped (as in countries using Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices-influenced traffic signs), and thus differ from the white or yellow, red-bordered, triangular signs found in the rest of Europe
The design of individual pictograms (tunnel, pedestrian, car, etc.), while broadly similar, often varies in detail from country to country
Type of arrows may be different
Fonts of written words
Differences of directional and informatory signage
The colour, shape, text style (bold, capitals etc.), or even an additional sign (pictogram, route number, etc.) of the signage give information about the road class of the indicated route.
^Used to indicate locations like regions, city centres, city districts and tourist locations. In reality, there is no clearcut and consistent usage of the white on green signs; for city centres and city districts, black on white signals are often preferred if the roads leading to them are primary roads.
^The directional signs to motorways are white on green, whereas the directional signs on motorways are white on blue. Compare sign F31 of the Belgian Road Code in green (a directional sign to a motorway, but not on a motorway) with the other directional signs in blue (especially F15, F25, F27 and F29, all of which are also used in blue on motorways): "Code de la route - Article 71. Signaux d'indication (F1-F31)". Retrieved 28 September 2021.
^German traffic law does not recognise the category of "expressways", but there are certain roads commonly referred to as "autobahnähnliche Straßen" ("roads similar to motorways") which, while not being "motorways" in a legal sense, have a very similar profile to motorways. The signs on such roads are not white on blue (as on motorways), but normally black on yellow as on most other primary roads or, in exceptional cases, black on white as on local roads.
^National primary & secondary roads. Route numbers are written in yellow.
^Certain town names may be abbreviated, in this case for Figueira da Foz
^Regional destinations and cardinal directions are written fully in uppercase (e.g. "ALGARVE" or "NORTE"), with the text and background colors being accordingly with the type of road
^Next to AUTOPISTA also used for AUTOVÍA and AUTOBIA
^In Scotland, some signs are bilingual, with Scottish Gaelic text shown on top and in yellow.
^In Wales, all signs are bilingual, with Welsh text shown on top in the same colour as English text.
^Regional destinations consist of upper case cardinal destinations and regions (e.g. "The NORTH" or "The SOUTH WEST") and are only used on motorway and primary road signs
Differences in meanings
Irish rural speed limit sign on a local road
Sometimes similar signs have minor differences in meanings, following the local traffic codes. For example, the Irish "rural speed limit" sign for local tertiary roads takes the appearance of that used to denote the end of all previously signed restrictions used elsewhere in Europe. However this sign, which is always accompanied with a "SLOW" supplementary plate, actually indicates a speed limit of 80 km/h.[2]
Another example is the United Kingdom's "pass either side" sign, which has a more specific meaning. Unlike many countries, the sign indicates that drivers may pass on either side of an obstacle, such as a traffic island, to reach the same destination.[3]
All European countries use the SI system (distances in kilometres or metres; speeds in kilometres per hour; heights, widths and lengths in metres; weights in tonnes) with the exception of the United Kingdom, where distances and speeds are still indicated in imperial measurements (miles or yards and miles per hour). Since 2016, on width and height limit signs both metric and imperial measurements are used (metres and feet & inches), however older signs still show imperial-only measurements [citation needed]. Weight limits have been expressed in metric tonnes since 1981, but signs continued to use an upper case "T" until 2011.
Road surface markings
Longitudinal lines (lanes and margins) and symbols on the carriageway are always white (but in Norway a yellow line separates two-way traffic and in Ireland edge lines are yellow). Temporary markings are yellow in Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, but red/orange in Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Russia, and white in the United Kingdom.
A stop line is always represented by a white thick traversal continuous line, but a give way line may be represented by a white thick dashed line as rectangles (Germany, France, Spain) or by a double-dashed line (United Kingdom) or by a white line of triangles (Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland). In Ireland, give way markings are represented by a single dashed line; on one way streets and entrances to roundabouts it is instead represented by a combination of a single solid line and a single dashed line.
A disc (time-limited) parking place is identified by white lines in Germany and by blue lines in Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and Switzerland. A chargeable parking place is identified by white lines in Germany, France, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, and Switzerland and by blue lines in Italy, Spain and Russia. A parking place reserved for disabled people is bordered in white in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom; in yellow in Italy, Liechtenstein and Switzerland; and in blue in France. Other reserved parking places (bus, taxis) are bordered with yellow lines in Italy, Liechtenstein, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, but with white lines in Germany.
The prohibition of roadside parking can be indicated by a yellow continuous line (Spain, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom), by a yellow dashed line (Austria,[4] the Netherlands and France), by a yellow dashed line with X's (Liechtenstein and Switzerland), a white continuous line (Italy), or else by black-and-white (the Netherlands) or a black-and-yellow (the Netherlands and Italy) kerb markings. Only in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland does a double yellow line (as well as a white zig-zag line in the vicinity of pedestrian crossings) mean "no parking at any time".
The prohibition of stopping / waiting can be indicated by a yellow continuous line (Austria, the Netherlands, France, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Russia), and in (certain cities of) the United Kingdom by a red continuous line (with double red lines extending the meaning to "no stopping at any time). In the United Kingdom, a yellow zig-zag line near hospitals, police stations, and schools means "no stopping".
Different typefaces in texts
A sign with the use of Transport font in Icelandic
Andorra officially uses the Swiss 721 (Bold Condensed) typeface, which is identical to Helvetica. However, some signs use the Caractères and Carretera Convencional typefaces.
Austria and Slovakia use the Tern typeface. Austria used the Austria typeface until 2010. Slovakia used the Universal Grotesk typeface from Czechoslovakia era until 2014.
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Greece, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Russia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine use the Arial Bold and/or Helvetica Bold typefaces in mixture with other official typefaces.
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine use typefaces based on one specified in a Soviet standard ГОСТ 10807–78 (no longer valid in Russia since January 1, 2006).[5][6] In Belarus, the according standard is СТБ 1140–2013 (formerly СТБ 1140–99).[7] In Ukraine, it is ДСТУ 4100–2002. In Russia, it is ГОСТ Р 52290–2004.[8]
Ukraine has recently started using the Road UA [uk] typeface, as part of a signage redesign according to ДСТУ 4100:2021.[9][10]
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, and Serbia use the SNV typeface. Liechtenstein and Switzerland used this typeface until 2003.
Cyprus uses the Helvetica typeface.
Denmark uses the Dansk Vejtavleskrift typeface. The typeface is derived from the British Transport typeface.
Estonia uses the Arial Narrow Bold typeface.
Finland uses a typeface developed in the 1960s by the former national board of roads and waterways.[11]
Germany, Czechia and Latvia use the DIN 1451 typeface.
Greece uses a modified version of the British Transport typeface on most regular roads; motorway signs use a modified version of DIN 1451.
Hungary does not use a defined typeface as the letters are defined one-by-one in the national regulation.[12] The typeface resembles the DIN 1451 typeface closely.
Italy, Albania and San Marino use the Alfabeto Normale [it] typeface (with the narrow variant Alfabeto Stretto), a heavier version of the British Transport typeface.
Luxembourg uses the Helvetica, Caractères and SNV typefaces, often inconsistently.
The Netherlands uses typefaces derived from FHWA typeface: ANWB/RWS Cc (narrow), Dd (medium) and Ee (wide).
Poland does not use a defined typeface as the letters are defined one-by-one in the national regulation.[13] There are three typefaces resembling the defined one, with two of them distributed as non-commercial freeware – Drogowskaz and Tablica drogowa typefaces. The third one, fully compliant with the regulation is only available for road sign manufacturers.
Spain uses the Carretera Convencional [es] (also known as CCRIGE) typeface, which is derived from the British Transport typeface, and is almost identical to the Italian Alfabeto Normale. Until 2014, Autopista (derived from FHWA series E modified) was used for motorways.
Sweden and Åland use the Tratex typeface. Åland formerly used the Finnish typeface in mixture with Tratex.
Switzerland and Liechtenstein use the ASTRA-Frutiger typeface since 2003.
Turkey uses two typefaces derived from the FHWA typeface. O-Serisi is used for motorways and E-Serisi is used for all other roads.
The United Kingdom, Iceland, Ireland, Malta and Portugal use the Transport typeface. An oblique variant of Transport is used in Ireland for Irish text.
Motorway typeface is used for route numbers on United Kingdom and Ireland motorways, and for exit and route numbers in Portugal.
In Albania, Armenia, Andorra, Belarus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland. France, Greece (partly), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Monaco, Russia, San Marino and Sweden, destinations on direction signs are written in capital letters. In Ireland, they are written in all-capital letters in English and in mixed-case letters in Irish. In Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Greece (partly), Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine both capital and lowercase are used. In Spain, destinations reached by motorway are written in capital and lowercase, while those reached by other roads are written in capital letters. In the United Kingdom and Portugal, regional destinations names and cardinal directions are written in capital letters, while the remaining destinations names are written in capital and lowercase.
Under the Vienna Convention the begin and end built-up area signs imply a change between built-up area and rural traffic rules including speed limit. In many European countries the dark background with light coloured text version of the sign is intended for information only.[14] Poland uses white text on a green background (E-17a/E18a) to show the political boundary of a place as information and uses the black on white pictogram version (D-42/D-43) to designate the change of traffic rules.[15]
^Always produced on non-urban roads, in urban settings only, if badly visible; mandatory priority given to pedestrians – always applicable on any pedestrian crossings even without sign.
^The square tunnel sign is used in advance of and at the entrance of the tunnel. The colour of the tunnel sign containing the tunnel name depends on the classification of the route where it is placed.
^Indicates hospital with emergency station open 7/24.
^Means only presence of hospital, rest home, or the like. Is an educated indication to be quiet and to drive carefully.
^The sign may be rectangular or circular, colours can be varied and the names and logos of bus operators may be added.
^Green for national roads and white for regional and local roads.
^The name above the horizontal line is the name of the next village or town (not the name of the current place), the name(s) below the line mention the next major settlement(s), and optionally, the distance to them.
Sources
European Standard for Traffic Signs - EN 12899-1:2001 Fixed, Vertical Road Traffic Signs – Part 1: Fixed Signs, Requirements
^Österman, Tuomas; Miettinen, Saija; Ronkainen, Kaisa (2005). "Opastusmerkkien luettavuus" [Readability of guidance signs] (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Tiehallinto. Archived from the original(PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
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