Page:Report of the Traffic Signs Committee (1963).pdf/83

 the highway authorities involved so that discontinuity of directional signs is reduced to the minimum. A lack of uniformity during the transition would be less serious in the case of warning signs, and least so in the case of informatory signs other than directional.

In advocating a complete modernisation of traffic signs within five years from the issue of new Regulations we have assumed that highway authorities will proceed immediately with such planning, survey and sign purchase as can be done in advance so that the erection of their new signs will be as little delayed as possible when revised Regulations are issued. This will certainly be necessary if the change-over is to be achieved within the time suggested and we regard this pre-planning as most important.

303. This radical transformation of traffic signs will of course entail consider able cost. We estimate that this will amount to about £22 million. It will fall upon central government in respect of trunk roads and grants payable on classified roads, whilst local government will incur the balance. The average cost throughout a five year conversion period of providing the new signs would be about 2½ times that of continuing with existing signs. However, this heavy initial expenditure should be offset by a considerably reduced annual cost for some years afterwards.

304. If for any reason, including expense, it were decided that a conversion period of longer than five years should be allowed for, we advocate that the priorities we have recommended should nevertheless be adhered to but that their permissible time limits should be extended proportionately.

305. The transition to the new symbolic signs will need to be preceded and accompanied by an extensive and careful campaign of publicity to ensure that their meaning is known. This need has been underlined by the investigations made by the Social Survey. From the questions which they put to a sample group of drivers there is evidence that symbols which have already been used without words for years in this country, such as the chequer on directional signs and the speed limit derestriction sign, are still not fully understood by a considerable proportion of drivers. The need to ensure that the new symbols are learnt is obviously of the greatest possible importance to road safety.

An understanding of the signs should of course be a condition of passing any driving test but a more serious problem is to ensure they are learnt by those already qualified to drive; this is necessary also for cyclists and in some degree for pedestrians and all other road users. It would no doubt be impracticable to require all qualified drivers to pass a further test, but they could be required, as a condition of renewal of licence, to state not only that they have read the latest edition of the Highway Code (they are now required to certify only that they have read a copy of the Highway Code) but also that they have learnt and understood the meaning of the new signs. Before this could be done it would of course be necessary for the Highway Code to have been revised to contain illustrations and explanations of all the new symbolic signs and to be available in sufficient numbers for virtually the whole driving population of the country at a date well in advance of new Regulations being issued. In addition there should be an in expensive brochure giving illustrations and meanings of all symbolic signs.