MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT Report of the Traffic Signs Committee 18th April 1963 LONDON HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE 1963 Printed image digitised by the University of Southampton Library Digitisation Unit Membership of the Committee Chairman: Sir Walter Worboys, b.sc., d.phu.., hon.a.rj.b.a., hon.f.s.i.a., f.r.i.c. Mr. J. F. A. Baker, c.b., m.i.c.e., m.i.mun.e., Mr. F. R. Dinnis, m.i.c.e., m.i.mun.e., a.m.t.p.i., Mr. E. J. Dodd, c.b.e., Sir William Glanville, c.b., c.b.e., d.sc., m.i.c.e., f.r.s., Mr. D. R. Greig, Mr. R. B. Hodgson, Mr. J. Howe, R.D.I., f.r.i.b.a., f.s.i.a., Col. S. Maynard Lovell, o.b.e., e.r.d., t.d., m.i.c.e., a.m.i.mun.e., a.m.t.p.i., f.i.h.e. Mr. J. M. Richards, c.b.e., a.r.i.b.a., Mr. P. F. Shepheard, b.arch., f.r.i.b.a., a.m.t.p.i., f.i.l.a., Mr. L. Hugh Wilson, o.b.e., f.r.i.b.a., dist.t.p., m.t.p.i., Secretary: Miss J. E. Chamberlain. Membership of the Working Party Chairman: Mr. T. G. Usbome, Mr. A. W. Christie, m.a., b.sc., Mr. F. M. Hale, b.sc., a.m.i.e.e., f.i.e.s., Mr. R. L. Moore, m.sc., a.inst.p., Mr. J. A. Riach (Retired February 1963), Mr. P. A. Toole, a.m.i.c.e., m.i.h.e., Secretary: Miss J. E. Chamberlain, Assistants: Mr. E. Ede, Mr. K. Unwin. Printed image digitised by the University of Southampton Library Digitisation Unit Contents Paragraph No. Terms of Reference 1 Method of Working 2 Scope of the Review .3-5 Synopsis of Principal Recommendations 6-22 Introduction 23- 39 Present and Future Needs ........ 23- 25 General Principles ......... 26 Criticisms of Existing United Kingdom Signs .... 27- 28 Signing Systems Abroad 29- 32 Comparison of Systems ........ 33- 35 Preference for 1949 Protocol System 36- 39 General Design Considerations 4ft- 49 Lettering ........... 40- 44 Colour and Shape ......... 45- 48 Size ............ 49 Review of Signs 50-256 A. Signs Giving Definite Instructions ...... 51- 87 (a) Mandatory signs ........ 51- 62 (b) Prohibitory signs 63- 82 (c) Waiting restriction and limited parking signs .... 83- 87 B. Warning Signs 88-129 C. Informatory Signs ......... 130-191 (a) Directional signs 131-160 Origin of present system 132 The influence of motorway signs 133 Requirements of the Protocol 134 Criticisms of present signs 135 General changes advocated 136 The selection of Primary routes 137 Primary routes in urban areas 138 Colour of Primary route signs 139-140 Lettering 141 Variations in letter size on a single sign 142 Route numbers ......... 143 Route symbols ......... 144 Chequer symbol ......... 145 The selection of place names on directional signs . 146 Design rules for directional signs 147 iii (87707) A 2 Printed image digitised by the University of Southampton Library Digitisation Unit Paragraph No. Sign types 148 Standards of directional signposting 149 Advance direction signs ..... 150 Local advance direction signs 151 Direction signs ...... 152 Urban direction signs ..... 153 Route confirmatory signs .... 154 Ring roads 155 Use of local junction names on directional signs 156 Place name signs 157-158 Footpaths and bridleways .... 159 Roads used as public paths .... 160 (b) Other informatory signs .... 161-191 D. Temporary Signs 192-208 <a) Signs required by obstructions on the highway 192-202 Road works 192-198 Accidents and emergencies 199-202 (b) Signs erected by the motoring organisations . 203-204 (c) Signs erected by the police 205 (d) Signs erected by highway authorities 206 (e) Other temporary signs prescribed in the Regulations 207-208 E. Miscellaneous Signs ..... 209-217 (a) Bollards ; 209-212 (b) Refuge indicator lamps 213 (c) Traffic cones 214 (d) Bus stop signs 215 (e) Street name plates and numbering of premises 216 (f) Signs indicating services in by-passed towns and villages 217 F. Authorised Signs 218-220 G. Carriageway Markings 221-244 (a) Types of marking 222 (b) Transverse markings 223-225 Broken white lines 224 Continuous white lines 225 (c) Longitudinal markings 226-230 The double white line system 226 Hazard warning markings 227 Lane lines . 228 Edge of carriageway marking 229 Continuous yellow line . 230 (d) Other markings . 231-237 (e) Colour of markings . 238-239 (f) Surface texture of markings and the use of steel studs and plates 240 (g) Higher standards of road marking 241-243 (h) Maintenance 244 IV Printed image digitised by the University of Southampton Library Digitisation Unit Paragraph No. H. Traffic Signals 245-251 252-256 I. Pedestrian Crossings ........ The present position ........ 252 Stud markings. ......... 253 Zebra markings 254 Beacons 255-256 Other Considerations ........ 257-293 A. Illumination 257-263 B. Siting and Mounting ........ 264-280 Distance and spacing ........ 264-267 Height ....••••• 268 Position in relation to the carriageway 269-272 Alignment 273-274 Method of mounting 275-276 Overhead mounting 277 Duplication of signs ...•••••• 278-279 Position of directional signs in relation to junctions . 280 C. Three-dimensional Aspects of Sign Design 281-282 . • • • • • .281 Ministers’ control . Appearance of the backs of signs 282 D. Materials for Sign Construction 283-284 E. Maintenance 285-290 291-293 F. Sign Clutter .....•••• Administration 294-305 A. General Considerations and Recommendations .... 294-300 B. Change-over to Recommended Signs 301-304 C. Change-over Publicity ........ 305 Detailed Summary of Recommendations Acknowledgments Appendices I. List of Organisations Consulted H. Illustrations of Recommended Signs HI. Two Protocol Signs not Recommended IV. Standard Colours to be used for Signs, Posts and Fittings V. Table of Letter Heights for Directional Signs VI. Table of Sizes for Warning, Mandatory and Prohibitory Signs VH. Table of Siting Distances for Advance Direction and Warning Signs VD3. Rules for the Design of Road Signs v Printed image digitised by the University of Southampton Library Digitisation Unit TRAFFIC SIGNS COMMITTEE REPORT the Rt. To Hon. Michael Noble, M.P., Secretary of State for Scotland and the Rt. Hon. Ernest Marpies, M.P., Minister of Transport. 1. Terms of Reference We were asked to review traffic signs all-purpose roads, as distinct 2. on from motorways, including roads in urban areas and to recommend what changes should be made. Method of Working We were appointed in December 1961. We held our first meeting in January 1962. We have held twenty meetings in all most of them lasting the whole day. These meetings included several journeys to inspect experimental signs which had been put up by the roadside in town and country. We have not worked through sub-committees but have been assisted by a Departmental Working Party which included representatives from the Road Research Laboratory. The Working Party studied in detail all sections of our field of work and submitted to us working papers which provided a most useful basis for our discussions. At the outset members of the Working Party visited Continental countries and were asked to put before us detailed comparisons of Continental and British practice. Without the help of the Working Party it would have been quite impossible for us to cover so complex a field in a little over a year. Scope of the Review 3. We should begin by defining the meaning and explaining the implications of the terms ‘traffic signs’ and ‘all-purpose roads’. 4. Traffic signs are defined in the Road Traffic Act 1960 as 'any object or device (whether fixed or portable) for conveying to traffic on roads, or any specified description of traffic, warnings, information, requirements, restrictions or prohibitions of any description specified by regulations made by the Minister and the Secretary of State acting jointly or authorised by the appropriate Minister, and any line or mark on a road for so conveying such warnings, information, requirements, restrictions or prohibitions’. They therefore include 1 Printed image digitised by the University of Southampton Library Digitisation Unit ) — — not only roadside signs, but traffic signals, carriageway markings, ‘catseyes’ and indications on street bollards. There are four classes of roadside traffic signs, mandatory, prohibitory, warning and informatory. Prohibitory signs (e.g. No entry give notice of a Statutory Order or Regulation and entail penalties if ignored. Penalties are also entailed if a mandatory sign (e.g. Keep left) is ignored. With few exceptions they may both be erected only with the approval of the Minister*. Warning (e.g. Steep hill) and informatory signs (e.g. Car park) may with few exceptions be erected at the discretion of the highway authority. All must conform with existing Regulations and Directions unless specially authorised. Pedestrian crossing markings (e.g. zebra crossings) may only be used when the Minister has approved a crossing place or scheme of crossing places. Light signals may be erected only after the approval of the Minister. Carriageway markings (e.g. warning lines) may be laid down at the discretion of the highway authority provided they are precribed in Regulations or specially authorised. There are estimated to be in the United Kingdom approximately: 250.0004,000 mandatory signs, 190.000 prohibitory signs, 900.000 warning signs, 270.000 informatory signs, of which 220,000 are directional signs, traffic signal installations. 5. All-purpose roads are roads upon which by right of common law all classes of traffic are permitted, whereas from motorways certain classes of traffic such as learner drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are legally excluded. There are 194,300 miles of all-purpose roads in the United Kingdom : ; of these 8,300 miles are trunk roads, 20.000 miles are class I roads, 17.000 miles are class II roads, 49.000 miles are class III roads, 100.000 miles are unclassified roads.