Comparison Of European Traffic Signs

European traffic signs present relevant differences between countries despite an apparent uniformity and standardisation. Most European countries refer to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. The convention has been adopted by the following countries (including acceding states): Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. The convention has not been adopted by Andorra, Ireland, Iceland or Malta.

Differences between European traffic signs

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.

Differences in meanings

* Sometimes similar signs have minor differences in meanings, following the local traffic codes.
** The United Kingdom's "pass either side" sign indicates that drivers may pass on either side of an obstacle, such as a traffic island, to reach the destination.
** The Irish " rural speed limit" sign takes the appearance of that used to denote the end of all previously signed restrictions used elsewhere in Europe, but actually indicates a speed limit of 60 km/h. It is always accompanied with a "SLOW" supplementary plate.
* 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 . 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, Sweden 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, 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

*Andorra officially uses the '' Swiss 721 (Black 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 the Soviet standard GOST 10807–78. In Russia, the modern standard is GOST R 52290–2004. In Belarus, the according standard is STB 1140–2013 (formerly STB 1140–99). In Ukraine, it is DSTU 4100–2002.
**Ukraine has recently started using the ' typeface, as part of a signage redesign according to DSTU 4100:2021.
*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 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.
*France uses the typeface.
** In the French Basque Country a lighter variant of ''Helvetica'' is used for Basque language place names.
*Germany, the Czech Republic 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. The typeface resembles the ''DIN 1451'' typeface closely.
*Italy, Albania and San Marino use the typeface (with the narrow variant ), 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)''.
*Norway uses the typeface.
*Poland does not use a defined typeface as the letters are defined one-by-one in the national regulation. There are three typefaces resembling the defined one, with two of them distributed as non-commercial freeware – and typefaces. The third one, fully compliant with the regulation is only available for road sign manufacturers.
*Spain uses the (also known as ''CCRIGE'') typeface, which is derived from the British ''Transport'' typeface, and is almost identical to the Italian . Until 2014, (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, the Czech Republic, 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.

Table of traffic signs comparison

Priority

Warning

Prohibitory

Mandatory

Special regulations

Indication

De-restriction

Built-up area limits

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. 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.

Checkpoint signs

See also

Notes

Sources

* European Standard for Traffic Signs - EN 12899-1:2001 ''Fixed, Vertical Road Traffic Signs – Part 1: Fixed Signs, Requirements''

References

{{Traffic signs

Signs
Traffic signs
European road signs