This article was edited on 7 August 2020 following feedback from commentators Yellow lines have been with us since the late 1950s, but were first officially codified in the Traffic Signs Regulations & General Directions in 1964. The system has evolved over time but it still poses numerous headaches for those seeking to manage traffic. … Continue reading The case for yellow line reform
Category: Traffic Sign Design
The Evolution of Motorway Signs – Part Two
The completion of the Preston Bypass provided some useful lessons in motorway signing. Firstly it was realised that mounting signs on scaffolding was a bad idea - the final report even goes so far as to describe them as "frankly temporary", and the more familiar tapered concrete supports that lasted until the 1990s developed from … Continue reading The Evolution of Motorway Signs – Part Two
Height Restrictions and the Correct Approach
Last month I was invited to provide a presentation to the IHE Traffic Signs Panel once more, and this year I focused on a problem that causes numerous difficulties for both managers of highway networks and the railway system alike. There are an estimated 1,800 bridge strikes a year on the network which on average … Continue reading Height Restrictions and the Correct Approach
A Mini-Rantabout Mini-Roundabouts
Not strictly a total signs post this, but recent discussions over on SABRE (and on Twitter) suggest that there is a serious inability to get these features right. This in turn has major safety implications as misuse of mini-roundabouts can cause confusion and thus collisions. Naturally, the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges manages to … Continue reading A Mini-Rantabout Mini-Roundabouts
The M40 Bunny Sign
Quite possibly the most well known motorway sign in the UK is the "M40 Bunny" sign. Why is it called this, you ask? Well... look at it... The less safe-for-work description is "the M40 Playboy Bunny sign", but it doesn't really look like that logo. Or so I am told. Picture credit: unknown I do … Continue reading The M40 Bunny Sign
The Evolution of Motorway Signs – Part One
On 5 December, the Preston Bypass passed its 60th year in service. It started off as a humble eight-mile length of road that many would barely recognise from today, with intermittent ‘soft’ shoulders and only two lanes in each direction. A wide grassy central reservation allowed for future expansion and there was only one interchange … Continue reading The Evolution of Motorway Signs – Part One
Housing Development Signs
One of the biggest sources of problematic traffic signs are temporary ones. These are often thrown together with little consideration for legibility or utility and act to simply tick a box in many cases. What this article is about though are those signs that lead the way to new housing developments. These signs are notorious … Continue reading Housing Development Signs
IHE Traffic Signs Conference 2018
On Thursday, 29 November I was invited to provide a short presentation to the Institute of Highway Engineers Traffic Signs Conference. Given the overall theme of the conference was the launch of the new style Traffic Signs Manual and to see how traffic authorities were adapting to the new Regulations which have now been in … Continue reading IHE Traffic Signs Conference 2018
Twenty’s Plenty (of Headaches for Sign Practitioners)
I'm not debating the presence of using 20 mph as a speed limit in urban areas, that is not the point of this article. I am writing to differentiate between 20 mph Zones and 20 mph Limits, as plenty of signing practitioners still get this wrong. Here is a brief overview of the history and … Continue reading Twenty’s Plenty (of Headaches for Sign Practitioners)
Expressways and why they’re not going to work.
Those who have been keeping up with the many, many pages of documents flying out from DfT towers recently will have heard of 'Expressways'. This is a, supposedly, new concept where higher quality all-purpose routes will be transformed into what is essentially a motorway, but not for viewers in Scotland as this is a Highways … Continue reading Expressways and why they’re not going to work.
