Road signs in Israel are regulated by the Ministry of Transportation in the Division of Transportation Planning, most recently set forth in June 2011. [1]
They generally use the same pattern of colors, shapes, and symbols set out in the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, which are also used in most countries of Europe and the Middle East. Despite this, Israel is not a signatory to this convention.
Signs employ three scripts – Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin – and are written in Hebrew and Arabic, the two official languages of the country, and in English.
The stop sign, however, instead of displaying words in three languages, or even just in English as required by the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, conveys its meaning through the depiction of a raised hand.
Israeli road sign regulations provide for the following fonts to be used: Tamrurim for Hebrew script, Medina for Arabic script, and Triumvirat (a Helvetica derivative) for Latin script as well as numbers. [2] However, these rules are not consistently followed; some signs use Highway Gothic or Clearview for the Latin script.
Signs warning of hazardous conditions or dangerous situations bear a black-on-white symbol inside a red-bordered triangle.
With the exception of the special shapes used for "Stop" and "Yield" signs (respectively, an octagon and a downward-pointing triangle), signs giving orders are circular and are of two kinds:
Signs giving information are generally rectangular (sometimes pointed at one end in the case of direction signage).
Highways in Israel are classified as:
Route-marker signs are also color-coded:
Most directional signs to towns and cities are:
The sign for permitted parking features a white-on-blue "P" for "parking" enclosed by the Hebrew letter Het ("ח") for "hanaya" (Hebrew : חניה), which also means "parking").
The sign informing users that they are on a priority road is a white-edged yellow "diamond" (i.e. a square turned through 45°).
Road signs in Sweden are regulated in Vägmärkesförordningen, VMF (2007:90), and are to be placed 2 metres from the road with the sign 1.6 m from the base for motorized roads. Except for route numbers, there are a maximum of three signs on a pole, with the most important sign at the top. All signs have a reflective layer added on selected parts of the sign as is custom in European countries; most larger signs also have their own illumination.
Road signs in Malaysia are standardised road signs similar to those used in Europe but with certain distinctions. Until the early 1980s, Malaysia closely practice in road sign design, with diamond-shaped warning signs and circular restrictive signs to regulate traffic. Signs usually use the Transport Heavy font on non-tolled roads and highways. Tolled expressways signs use a font specially designed for the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) which is LLM Lettering. It has two type of typefaces, LLM Narrow and LLM Normal. Older road signs used the FHWA Series fonts typeface also used in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Road signs in Singapore closely follow those laid down in the traffic sign regulations used in the United Kingdom, although a number of changes over the years have introduced some slight deviations that suit local road conditions. Road signs in Singapore conform to the local Highway Code under the authority of Singapore Traffic Police.
Road signs in Thailand are standardized road signs similar to those used in other nations but much of it resembles road signage systems used in South American countries with certain differences, such as using a blue circle instead of a red-bordered white circle to indicate mandatory actions. Until the early 1980s, Thailand closely followed American, European, Australian, and Japanese practices in road sign design, with diamond-shaped warning signs and circular restrictive signs to regulate traffic. The Department of Railway maintains a standard on the typeface used in the sign, with custom made type for Thai text, unofficially named "Thang Luang" (อักษรทางหลวง) and a small derivation of FHWA Series fonts typeface, which is used on American road signage, for Latin text. In most Bangkok Metropolitan Area's routes, TS Lopburi is still used.
Road signs in Iran are regulated in the INSO standard 14815-1. They generally follow the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.
The design of road signs in Poland is regulated by Regulation of the Ministers of Infrastructure and Interior Affairs and Administration on road signs and signals. The Annex 1 to the regulation describes conditions related to usage of the road signs – size, visibility, colors and light reflections, typeface and text, criteria of choosing the type of foil to signs faces, colorful specimens and schematics.
A wide variety of road signs are displayed in the People's Republic of China.
Road signs in Hong Kong are standardised by the Transport Department. Due to being a former British territory, the road signage in Hong Kong is similar to road signs in the United Kingdom, with the addition of Traditional Chinese characters.
Road signs in Sri Lanka are standardized to closely follow those used in Europe with certain distinctions, and a number of changes have introduced road signs that suit as per local road and system. Sri Lankan government announced by a gazette that aimed to get a facelift and introduction of over 100 new road traffic signs. The new change will be replaced in colour and sizes and introduction of Variable-message sign & electronic digital sign boards in express highways. The Japanese government has granted LKR 1.24 billion to implement message signs in expressways.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a signatory to the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Therefore, road signs do not differ much from the rest of Europe, such as Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and North Macedonia. Ministry of Transportation of Bosnia and Herzegovina regulates them. Bosnia and Herzegovina drives on the right as with the rest of Europe, except for Cyprus, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom. Bosnian and Herzegovinan road signs have two scripts, Latin and Cyrillic script.
Road signs in Laos generally follow those used in most European countries as set out in the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Despite this, the country itself has never signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Inscriptions on traffic signs are in Lao, the national language of Laos. However, English is also used for stop and important public places such as tourist attractions, airports, railway stations, and immigration checkpoints. Both Lao and English are used on directional signage.
Road signs in France refer to all conventional signals installed on French roads and intended to ensure the safety of road users, either by informing them of the dangers and regulations relating to traffic as well as elements useful for decision-making, or by indicating to them the landmarks and equipment useful for their travel on the national territory. They generally largely follow the general European conventions concerning the use of shape and color to indicate their function. France is a signatory to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. France signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals on 8 November 1968 and ratified it on 9 December 1971.
Road signs in Vietnam follow Chinese and French road signs. Some signs are written in both Vietnamese and English. The signs are prescribed by the Vietnam Ministry of Transport with the 2019 standardization being the up-to-date regulations.
Road signs in Armenia are similar to the signs of other post-Soviet states and most European road sign systems. Armenia is a signatory of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. The Ministry of Transport regulates these icons, while the police enforces them. Road signs ensure transport vehicles move safely and orderly, as well as, to inform both pedestrians and motorists of traffic rules.
Road signs in the Philippines are regulated and standardized by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Most of the signs reflect minor influences from American and Australian signs but keep a design closer to the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, to which the Philippines is an original signatory. The Philippines signed the convention on November 8, 1968, and ratified it on December 27, 1973.
The road signs, used on the Serbian road network, are regulated by the "Regulation of Traffic Signs", which was last time modified in 2017.
Road signs in Portugal are governed by the Regulamento de Sinalização do Trânsito of the Republic of Portugal.
Road signs in North Macedonia are regulated in Правилник за сообраќајните знаци, опрема и сигнализација на патот / Pravilnik za soobraḱajnite znaci, oprema i signalizacija na patot.
Road signs in South Africa are based on the SADC-Road Traffic Sign Manual, a document designed to harmonise traffic signs in member states of the Southern Africa Development Community. Most of these signs were in the preceding South African RTSM.
Road signs in Cyprus are regulated in Law of Street. They follow the road signs used in most European countries, including European Union countries, to which Cyprus joined in 2004, as set out in the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Cyprus acceded to the Convention on 16 August 2016.
Media related to Road signs in Israel at Wikimedia Commons
