Committee formed by the British government to review signage on British motorways
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Cover of the report
The Anderson Committee, formally, "Advisory Committee on Traffic Signs for Motorways", was a 1957 government committee formed to design signs for the new motorway network under development. A system was needed that could be easily read at high speed. The committee published its final report, Traffic Signs for Motorways, in 1962.
Two graphic designers were commissioned to design the system of signage: Jock Kinneir and his assistant (and later business partner) Margaret Calvert.
In October 1958, the committee presented an interim report to the Minister of Transport, Harold Watkinson.[1] This report was not published.[1]
Findings
The committee came to several findings the design of signage for motorways. Signage should consist of mixed case letters, only capitalizing the first letters of sentences. This deviated from the designs of prior road signs and the then regulations in effect, Traffic Signs Regulations, 1957.[2] This decision was based off research in the United States for traffic signs used on the new Interstate Highway System, a limited-access dual carriageway network similar to motorways. While there was objections to this concept in public, the committee concluded that
The use of blue with white text/symbols colour scheme was decided on for several reasons. A dark background with light lettering was decided upon due to its ease of reading, especially at night when illuminated. By using a distinct color from the black and white signs being used on general purpose roads, a driver is informed by the sign's colour that they are interacting with a motorway when approaching from a general purpose road. While green was considered, following American design practice, the committee settled upon blue for backgrounds as it had better contrast against greenery near motorways and blue was already in use in multiple European countries, and using it would maintain a consistency for motorists.
We find it confused and over-representational, it does not tell well at a distance and it lacks the instant impact which we believe to be essential. ... Moreover, if it is to be incorporated in various traffic signs relating to the motorway, as we originally proposed, we believe it will be impossible...
Advisory Committee on Traffic Signs for Motorways,Traffic Signs for Motorways[3]
Illumination of signage by bottom mounted floodlights was recommended as best practice over top mounted lighting, which resulted in irregular illumination. Reflectorizing signs was recommended as the second best option, where it was simply impracticable to use electric lighting, as reflective signage had diminished performance when using dipped headlamps, which was often necessary due to opposing traffic. There were also minor issues noted about loss of contrast and reflectorised material not appearing as a 'pure white', but these issues were deemed minor.
To identify motorways, the committee considered an existing symbol adopted by the Economic Commission for Europe. The committee disliked the design, finding it poor at identifying at a distance, difficult to impossible to incorporate with other signage. In its place, the committee proposed a circular symbol, which was tested on the Preston Bypass The committee also considered if it was possible to modify the E.C.E. symbol to make it more sutible, and came up with modified design, however were still unsatisfied with the design. It was also suggested that no symbol be adopted, relying on the color scheme alone, which was trialed on the newly opened London-Yorkshire Motorway.[b][4] The committee ultimately left it to the Ministry of Transport to decide on a final symbol design, which would ultimately be the modified E.C.E. symbol.
Motorway symbol adopted by the Inland Transport Committee of E.C.E.
Motorway symbol now suggested for use in this country.
Sign now suggested for use in this country to denote the end of a motorway.
Proposed modification of motorway symbol adopted by the Inland Transport Committee of E.C.E.
Anderson Committee signs
These were the new motorway signs proposed by the Anderson Committee in 1962.[5]
Existing sign to indicate traffic excluded from the motorway
Sign now recommended to indicate traffic excluded from the motorway.
Sign to give warning of approach to end of motorway.
Sign to indicate that the motorway regulations no longer apply.
Advance Direction signs
The committee also made recommendations regarding the posting of signage on general purpose roads for directing traffic to the motorways, as well as near and at junctions interacting with slip roads onto motorways.
Sign to direct traffic to the motorway from distant points.
Advance direction sign on the immediate approach to a junction with the motorway.
Advance direction sign on the immediate approach to a junction with the motorway which incorporates two roundabouts.
Supplementary sign at a junction with, and indicating, a motorway
Junction signs
Slip roads
First advance direction sign for an intermediate junction.
Second advance direction sign for an intermediate junction
Third advance direction sign for an intermediate junction
Exit distance markers, to be placed 300, 200 and 100 yards in advance of the beginning of the deceleration lane.
Supplementary exit sign for use where there is not room for place names
Junctions of two motorways
On approach to junctions with other motorways, the provision of three signs, with In situations where motorways converge, signage was recommended to advise drivers of the merger, the rectangular blue sign at a half-mile before the merger, and the red triangular sign at the merger.[7] In situations where a separation, a traffic island, is being used at the merger point, the 'Traffic island - Don't change lane' sign was to be used.[8]
Advance direction sign for a cloverleaf junction
Overhead sign for cloverleaf junction
First advance direction sign for a junction of two motorways.
Design for second advance direction sign for a junction of two motorways.
First warning sign for a convergence of two motorways.
Second warning sign for a convergence of two motorways.
Warning of traffic island
Signs for obstructions
Due to the high speed nature of the road, signage warning of unexpected obstructions from accidents or poor weather conditions is critical, to ensure drivers do not encounter these hazards at 70 miles per hour.[9] The design of these signs deviated from the standard blue and white, instead using red and white scheme; white symbols on a non-reflective red background, with a reflective red border, which would result in a white words or symbols within a red border at night, when illuminated by headlights.[10] The signs were designed to be portable, carried in police vehicles and deployed as needed when accidents occurred.[11][12]
Emergency sign to be placed 1.000 yards in advance of obstruction.
Emergency sign to be placed 900 yards in advance of an accident.
Emergency sign to be placed 600 yards in advance of an obstruction
Emergency sign to be placed 300 yards in advance of an obstruction
Emergency sign for use, where appropriate, at gaps in the central reservation.
Emergency sign to indicate the route to be followed past an obstruction.
Emergency sign to indicate prohibition of entry.
Sign to be placed after an obstruction
Signs for Services
The committee recommended that service areas be signed similar to junction slip roads, with signs at one mile and a half mile in advance of the slip road. The symbols of fuel, meals, snacks and parking were selected. Symbols indicating telephones and toilets are omitted, as every service will have these facilities, so marking them is redundant. The including of fuel and parking was a decision to emphasize the presence of these critical facilities to drivers to minimize unnecessary stopping on the motorway.[13][14]
Sign to be erected, where appropriate, after each intersection along the motorway.
Sign to be erected half a mile in advance of a service area.
Sign to be erected at the beginning of the deceleration lane leading to a service area.
Supplementary direction sign indicating a service area.
Alternative design for supplementary exit sign indicating a service area
Sign at the entrance to a service area to indicate that the motorway Regulations no longer apply.
Miscellaneous signs
The committee introduced two warning signs specific for unusual conditions that may exist during the early days of motorways, where a motorway may temporary terminate while a future section of the route is under construction.[15] As result, drivers may encounter unusually sharp bends or reductions from the three lane configuration to two lanes, as the current route might be intended as a slip road once construction of the entire route was complete. The original northern terminus of the London-Yorkshire Motorway[c] at what is now Junction 18, had such a lane reduction.[15][16]
Sign to give warning of a bend
Sign to give warning that the motorway narrows
Legacy
The Anderson Committee's recommendations were not accepted by all. David Kindersley published an article in Traffic Engineering & Control in December 1960, disagreeing with the concept of using mixed-case lettering instead of capital letters as well as the large signs of signs.[17] Further, he wrote Later research revealed a mixed conclusion, the currently used, all capital font, MOT Serif was superior in a specific format: signs with narrow spacing between each line and the edge of the sign.[18] However, on larger signs, where text was not close to edges or other text and there was space, no advantage was found using MOT Serif.[18] The signage proposed by the Anderson Committee would be further revised and updated in 1975, by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1975.[19]
This article incorporates text published under the British OpenGovernmentLicence: Traffic Signs for Motorways - Final Report of Advisory Committee and Traffic signs: report of the committee on traffic signs for all-purpose roads
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