Road signs in South America

Road signs in the countries of South America such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela mostly follow road signs used in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and Central American countries. Signs are mostly based on the United States' Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), sharing many similarities in design to road signs used in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central American countries.

Of the countries in South America, only Suriname and French Guiana, a French overseas territory, use European-style road signs based on the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, including triangular red-bordered warning signs as in mainland Europe. Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela are the only four South American countries that have signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. ^[1] Chile is also the only country in South America that has ratified this convention.

The vast majority of South American countries use yellow diamond-shaped warning signs as well as in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America. Recognizing the differences in standards across Europe and the Americas, the Vienna Convention considers these types of signs an acceptable alternative to the triangular warning sign. ^[2] However, UN compliant signs must make use of more pictograms in contrast to more text based US variants. Indeed, most American nations make use of more symbols than allowed in the US MUTCD.

Overview

Argentina

Main article: Road signs in Argentina

Bolivia

Road signs in Bolivia are regulated by the Manuales Técnicos para el Diseño de Carreteras standard which is based on the United States' MUTCD (FHWA), Central America's Manuales Técnicos para el Diseño de Carreteras (SICA), Colombia's Manual de Señalización Vial (Ministry of Transport), and Chile's Manual de Carreteras. ^[3] Thus, road signs used in Bolivia generally have many similarities to road signs used in the United States, Central America, Colombia and neighboring Chile.

Brazil

Main article: Road signs in Brazil

Chile

Main article: Road signs in Chile

Colombia

Main article: Road signs in Colombia

Traffic signs in Colombia are classified into three categories – warning, regulatory and information. ^[4]

Warning signs are very similar to warning signs in United States. They are yellow diamond-shaped with a black symbol (the yellow colour is changed to an orange colour in areas under construction). In certain cases, the yellow colour is shifted to fluorescent yellow (in the school area sign and chevron sign).

Regulatory signs, both mandatory and prohibitory, are circular with a red border, a white background and a black symbol.

Information signs have many shapes and colours. Principally they are blue with white symbols and in many cases these signs have an information letter below the symbol.

Ecuador

Main article: Road signs in Ecuador

Road signs in Ecuador are regulated in Manual Básico de Señalización Vial ^[5] and the Ecuadorian technical standard RTE INEN 004-1:2011Señalización vial. ^[6] Signs are similar in design to those used in the United States.

Ecuador signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals on November 8, 1968 but has yet to fully ratify it. ^[1]

Guyana

Road signs in Guyana generally follow the same design as those used in the United States and are based on the MUTCD with the exception that some signs are reversed since the country drives on the left. ^[7] However, most of current signs found in Guyana, are non-compliant with MUTCD standards. ^{[8] [9]} Metric speed limit signs in km/h are found in Guyana, while in the United States such signs with speed limits in km/h are extremely rare, usually seen near the borders with Canada and Mexico, both of which use the metric system.

Paraguay

Main article: Road signs in Paraguay

Road signs in Paraguay are regulated in the Manual de Carreteras del Paraguay standard developed by the Ministry of Public Works and Communications  [ es ]. ^[10]

Peru

Road signs in Peru are regulated by the Manual de Dispositivos de Control del Tránsito Automotor para Calles y Carreteras, ^[11] developed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Peru. This standard is based on the United States' Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) developed by the Federal Highway Administration, ^{[12] [ failed verification ]} Colombia's Manual de Señalización Vial^{[ citation needed ]} and Chile's Manual de Señalización de Tránsito. ^{[13] [ failed verification ]} As a result, road signs in Peru are similar in design to those used in the United States on one side and in neighbouring Chile and Colombia on the other side.

Suriname

Road signs in Suriname are particularly modelled on the signage system used in the Netherlands since Suriname is a former Dutch colony. As Suriname drives on the left, unlike the Netherlands, certain signs are reversed to reflect this system.

Venezuela

Road signs in Venezuela are regulated in Manual Venezolano de Dispositivos Uniformes para el Control del Tránsito and are based on the United States' MUTCD. ^[14]

Table of traffic signs

Priority

	Argentina	Aruba	Brazil	Bolivia	Chile	Colombia	Ecuador	French Guiana	Peru	Suriname
Stop
Give way
Give way to oncoming traffic
Priority over oncoming traffic
Priority road
Priority road ends
	Argentina	Aruba	Brazil	Bolivia	Chile	Colombia	Ecuador	French Guiana	Peru	Suriname

Warning

	Argentina	Aruba	Brazil	Bolivia	Chile	Colombia	Ecuador	French Guiana	Peru	Suriname
Stop sign ahead
Give way sign ahead
Traffic signals
Roundabout
Two-way traffic
Crossroads
Staggered crossroads
Steep ascent
Steep descent
Traffic queues
	Argentina	Aruba	Brazil	Bolivia	Chile	Colombia	Ecuador	French Guiana	Peru	Suriname
Pedestrian crossing ahead
Pedestrians
Children
Cyclists
Domesticated animals
Wild animals
Road narrows
Uneven surface
Bump
Dip
	Argentina	Aruba	Brazil	Bolivia	Chile	Colombia	Ecuador	French Guiana	Peru	Suriname
Slippery surface
Loose surface material
Falling rocks
Crosswinds
Unprotected body of water
Narrow bridge
Opening bridge
Tunnel
Low-flying aircraft
Trams
	Argentina	Aruba	Brazil	Bolivia	Chile	Colombia	Ecuador	French Guiana	Peru	Suriname
Height limit ahead
Width limit ahead
Length limit ahead
Weight limit ahead
Level crossing with barriers ahead
Level crossing without barriers ahead
Level crossing (single track)
Level crossing (multiple tracks)
Roadworks
Other danger
	Argentina	Aruba	Brazil	Bolivia	Chile	Colombia	Ecuador	French Guiana	Peru	Suriname

Prohibitory

	Argentina	Aruba	Brazil	Bolivia	Chile	Colombia	Ecuador	French Guiana	Peru	Suriname
No entry
No pedestrians
	Argentina	Aruba	Brazil	Bolivia	Chile	Colombia	Ecuador	French Guiana	Peru	Suriname

See also

• Glossary of road transport terms
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
• Traffic sign
• Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals

References

1. "United Nations Treaty Collection". treaties.un.org. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
2. "Part I: Convention on Road Signs and Signals – Annex 3" (PDF). United Nations. p. 83.
3. "Manuales Técnicos para el Diseño de Carreteras" (PDF). www.abc.gob.bo (in Spanish).
4. Colombia traffic signs manual Archived 10 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
5. "Manual Básico de Señalización Vial" [Basic Manual of Road Signs](PDF). ecuador-vial.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
6. "Reglamento Técnico Ecuatoriano. RTE INEN 004-1:2011. Señalización vial. Parte 1: Señalización Vertical" (PDF). www.obraspublicas.gob.ec (in Spanish). Instituto Ecuatoriano de Normalización. 2011. p. 204. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
7. "INVITATION TO TENDER Ref: GYSBI_ITT 102/102022" (PDF). gysbi.gy.
8. KNews (2018-09-30). "The Infrastructure Ministry has missed the point on the East Coast road". Kaieteur News. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
9. "Better traffic management required". Guyana Chronicle. 2018-09-18. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
10. "MANUAL DE CARRETERAS DEL PARAGUAY – Asociación Paraguaya de Carreteras" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-16.
11. "Manual de Dispositivos de Control del Tránsito Automotor para Calles y Carreteras" (PDF). carp.pe (in Spanish). Lima: Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones del Perú. 2016-05-31. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
12. "Manual de señalización turística del Perú" [Tourist signage manual of Peru](PDF) (in Spanish). Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-03-07.
13. Fernández A., Rodrigo; Dextre, Juan Carlo (2011). Elementos de la teoría del tráfico vehicular [Elements of vehicular traffic theory](PDF) (in Spanish). Lima: Fondo Editorial PUCP. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
14. "Manual Venezolano de Dispositivos Uniformes para el Control del Tránsito (MVDUCT) – Gaceta Oficial N° 39.590 del 10-01-2011 – Instituto Nacional de Transporte Terrestre (INTT)" (in Spanish). 2019-07-16. Retrieved 2024-01-16.