Page:Report of the Departmental Committee on Traffic Signs (1946).djvu/46

 Size of letters on approach direction signs

110. The 1933 Provisional Regulations stipulate that the letters and numerals of the route number on approach direction signs must be not less than 4 in. or more than 4½ in. high (except in the case of the signs shown in diagrams 83 and 91 where the size is 6 in. to 8 in.) and that the letters in the place name must be not less than 1½ in. or more than 2 in. high. Not more than one place name may appear in each panel. Our opinion that the route number must remain the basic feature of the system has already been stated, but the subsidiary place name is also of value, and we consider that it would be helpful to road users to increase the size of the letters used in the place name, particularly where it relates to an unclassified road and therefore stands alone. We recommend that the permitted range of letter size in the place name should be from 6 in. to 3 in. high and that the present range of 4 in. to 44 in. in theroute number should not be altered.

Place names on approach direction signs

111. The selection of the “next place of importance” for signposting purposes must depend on local conditions. It may be a large town, or in sparsely populated areas it may be a small village situated at an important road junction. It is important, however, that once a place name appears on the panel relating to a particular route, only that place name should be used on all intermediate signs until that place is reached. There should be consul- tation between adjacent highway authorities to ensure continuity in this respect.

Detailed review of approach direction signs

112. Diagrams 78 to 91 in Appendix VI illustrate the application of the system to a representative selection of junctions. They are reviewed in detail in the following notes.

Cross roads

113. (i) Diagram 78 shows an approach sign for a cross road on two Class I roads.

(ii) Diagram 79 shows an approach sign for a five road junction. It also illustrates the type of panel to be used to indicate an unclassified road. On existing signs panels relating to Class II roads bear white letters on a black ground. For the reasons given in paragraph 18 we recommend that black letters on a white ground, as shown in diagram 79, be used in future.

(ii) Diagram 80 again shows a cross road, but introduces two points of variation from diagram 78. The road leading to the left is of no through traffic importance and the panel has been omitted, but the short “stub” arm still informs the driver of the existence of a road in that position. The significance of the black and white chequer over the right-hand panel is that the road to the right leads to the classified road having the route number shown in the panel. This chequer panel should be used only for short connecting or spur roads.

(iv) Diagram 81 shows another approach sign for a cross road. The upper right-hand panel bears the route number of the road to the right. The lower right-hand panel, underneath the chequer, indicates that the road to the right also leads to the classified road shown in the lower panel. At present the additional chequer panel may be used only where the distance to the road shown in that panel is not more than half a mile. We recommend that the permitted distance should