Page:Report of the Departmental Committee on Traffic Signs (1946).djvu/44

 Direction signs

105. Direction signs, by which are meant all traffic signs intended to give the road user information about the way to his destination, can conveniently be considered in two classes—“through” direction signs and “local” direction signs, and these classes are discussed in paragraphs 106 to 123 and paragraph 124 respectively.

Through direction signs

106. The 1933 Committee pointed out that no system of signs, however elaborate, can alone suffice to guide a driver from any place where he happens to be to any place to which he may desire to go, and that the selection of a route must ultimately be made by reference to a map. They expressed the opinion that when the driver has selected his route, a satisfactory system of traffic signs should provide him with the following information, though not necessarily on the same signs.

(i) Clear information in good time as to his proper route at places where he might otherwise be in doubt.

(ii) Confirmation from time to time that he has not deviated from his proper route.

(iii) Indication of the names of the places through which he is passing.

(iv) Information as to mileages.

They concluded, and we are in agreement with their conclusions, that a system of direction signs satisfying these requirements could not be based on the use of place names alone and that a system of route numbers for through traffic routes should be the basis of an improved system. They recommended the introduction of the present system of through direction signposting, using the numbers allotted by the Department to all classified roads.

That system has now been widely adopted throughout the country and has in our view proved itself satisfactory by the test of experience. Modifications of detail have from time to time been found desirable, and in the paragraphs which follow we recommend further modifications, but we consider it essential that the basic feature of the route number should be retained.

Route number signposting system should be more widely known

107. In order that the public may derive the maximum benefit from the system it is necessary that there should be general understanding of the principle on which it is based and of the meaning of the different signs employed. Much has already been done in this connection, but we consider that more definite measures to spread knowledge of the system are desirable. It is also important that accurate and up-to-date information about route numbers, including details of alterations and additions as they may be made, should be readily available to the public in convenient form. On these points we make the following recommendations :

(a) On all maps intended for road users the route numbers of all classified roads should be shown. This practice was already becoming general before the war, and we understand that it is the intention of H.M. Ordnance Survey to apply it as far as practicable to all maps to be published in future by that Department.

(b) There were obvious advantages in adopting for signposting purposes the existing comprehensive system of numbering which had been devised in connection with the Department’s scheme of classification of roads, but one drawback has been that changes of number require to be made for administrative and financial reasons connected with the classification