Code of Practice for Road Signs IRC 67-2001 -

Supplementary Technical Advice

1. Introduction
IRC 67-2001 is the official guide to designing, manufacturing and installing traffic signs in
India. It is a good introduction to this complex subject, but there are some confusions,
contradictions and omissions, which this note seeks to resolve. It provides technical advice
which supplements and in some cases modifies the guidance given in the IRC Code. The note
follows the layout of the IRC Code.

2. Classification of Road Signs

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3. Siting of Signs with Respect to the Carriageway

Figure 1 illustrates the main requirements.

Fig. 1 Heights and Clearances

B
A
H G
D D

No shoulder Shoulder

C
C
F

E C A
Kerb D

Footway Kerb

Minimum (mm) Desirable (mm) Maximum (mm)

A 600 1000 2500
B 1000 2000 3000
C 300 600 1000
D 2000 2000 2500
E 2100 2100 2500
F 5500 5900
G 750
H 5000
Notes
1. Mandatory signs (e.g. Keep Left) on traffic islands are normally mounted so that the bottom edge is
about 1000mm above the paved surface.
When several signs have to be placed along the same section of road take care that they do not
obscure each other. Locate the signs a minimum of 0.6V metres apart (where V is the 85
percentile speed in km/h).

Signs are normally erected on the left side of the road, but for extra emphasis a second sign may
be placed on the right side of the road. This is especially useful on left-hand bends.

4. Orientation of the Signs

Figure 2 illustrates how signs should be orientated. This helps to avoid glare from reflective
signs at night.

Fig. 2 Sign Orientation

95o

5. Material for Signs

It is not advisable to use concrete, because the resulting sign or sign support would be too heavy
and rigid. Any vehicle hitting the sign would likely be severely damaged. Where concrete is
used the sign should be shielded by a guardrail or crash barrier.

Retro-reflective sheeting
High Intensity Grade sheeting is recommended for most purposes. It is generally not worth
using Engineer Grade because its performance is much lower than High Intensity and it is only
slightly cheaper. Several manufacturers now produce a high-performance sheeting called
variously, Microprismatic, Wide Angle Prismatic, Diamond Grade, or Type IX, but it is
considerably more expensive than High Intensity Grade sheeting. It is appropriate for difficult
situations, such as in town centres where street lights and illuminated advertising signs reduce
the reflective brightness of the signs, or where the sign will be viewed from a wide angle.

Sign specifications
Specifications for all aspects of sign manufacture are set out in the Road Safety Cell’s “Special
Specifications – 800 – Signs, Markings and Other Appurtenances.” This is a modified version of
the MoST / MoRTH Specifications.

6. Posts and Mountings for Signs

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7. Colour for Signs

The IRC Code (para. 7.5) specifies that the colour of informatory (Route Information) signs shall
be distinct for different classes of road. See Table 1 overleaf:
Table 1 Colour Code for Route Information Signs
Sign group Road type on which Road type to which Colours of sign
sign is positioned sign refers (lettering /
background)
Advance Direction and NH and SH roads NH and SH roads White on green
Direction Signs (see notes below)
Other roads Black on white
Other roads NH and SH White on green
Other roads Black on white
Reassurance Signs NH and SH roads NH and SH roads White on green
Place Identification Signs NH and SH roads White on green
Temporary Diversion Signs All roads All roads Black on yellow

Notes
1. Where the sign gives information on NH or SH roads and other roads it will have white lettering on a
green background throughout.
2. Signs on NH or SH roads through towns which refer exclusively to local in-town destinations will have
black lettering and symbols on a white background.

8. Sizes of Signs
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9. Visibility of Signs
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10. Sizes of Letters

The size of lettering on Route Information signs (the IRC Code refers to them as Direction and
Place Identification signs) must be related to the speed of approaching traffic. Table 2 gives the
details. It differentiates between:

• Advance direction signs (ADS) (IRC Fig.15.1, 15.2 and 15.3) - placed before the junction
• Direction signs (IRC Fig. 15.4, 15.5) – placed at the junction and pointing in the appropriate
direction
• Route confirmatory (Reassurance) signs (IRC Fig. 15.6) – placed after the junction
• Place identification signs (IRC Fig. 15.7) – placed at the entrance to a town or village

Refer to the Sign Layout section of this note for illustration of sign placing at junctions.

Letter sizes are referred to in terms of “x” heights. This is the height of a lower-case “x” in the
English (Latin) alphabet (see section titled “Annexure – 4 Rules for the Design of Informatory
Signs” for more information). IRC para. 10.3 states that lettering on ADS on NH/SH should
have an “x” height of at least 150mm, but it is recommended that the advice in Table 2 be used
instead. References in the same paragraph to letter thickness and size of upper case initial letters
are misleading and should be ignored. In the chosen letter style (Transport) the upper case letters
(capitals) are always 1.4 times the “x” height.
Table 2 Size and Siting of Route Information Signs

Advance Direction Signs (ADS) Direction Signs

Reassurance Signs
Place Identification Signs
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
85th percentile “x” height Minimum ONE sign: TWO signs: “x” height Minimum clear
approach (mm) clear distance from distance (mm) visibility to the sign
speed of cars visibility to junction (m) between 1st and (m)
the sign (m) 2nd sign (m)
Up to 50 km/h 75 45 45 - 60 35
(60) (50)
50 - 65 km/h 100 60 90 50 75 45
(75) (60)
65 - 80 km/h 125 80 90 - 150 70 100 60
(100) (75)
80 - 90 km/h 150 90 150 - 225 100 125 75
(125) (100)
Over 90 km/h 200 115 225 - 300 100 150 105
(150) (125)

Notes
th
1. The 85 percentile speed is the speed exceeded by only 15% of vehicles.
2. The “x” height is the height of a letter "x". Multiply the “x” height by 1.4 to get the equivalent height of a capital letter.
3. In the case of signs on roads with more than 2 lanes in the same direction use the next larger x-height.
4. In columns 2 and 6 the smaller “x” heights shown in brackets are the absolute minimum sizes to be used where site space is
limited.
5. In columns 3 and 7 the clear visibility distances indicated are minimum values. Greater distances should be provided wherever
possible.
6. Two advance direction signs can be used where there is too much information to put on one sign. Typically, the first sign will
show primary destinations; the second sign will show local destinations and will be closer to the junction. The distance between the
two signs is indicated in column 5. So, where the approach speed is 60 km/h, the first sign will be 140m in advance of the junction
and the second sign will be 90m in advance of it.
7. Reassurance Signs are normally placed about 100-150m after the junction. Place Identification Signs are normally placed about
90m in advance of the start of the built-up area.

11. Maintenance of Signs

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12. Definition Plates / Supplementary Plates

Table 3 Supplementary Plates – Letter Size

Letter height Warning Regulatory signs
(capital letters) signs length diameter (mm)
(mm) of side (mm)
100 700 ≤600
125 900 750
150 1000 900

The IRC Code section 12. states that the border of supplementary plates shall be 20mm wide, but
this contradicts Annexure 4, section H which states that the border shall be 1 stroke width. The
latter is correct. See comments on Annexure 4 for further explanation.
13. Mandatory / Regulatory Signs

Table 4 Size of Mandatory / Regulatory Signs

Site type Diameter of sign

(mm)
Signs attached to traffic signal heads 300
Sites where space is limited (e.g. on narrow traffic islands) 450
Traffic speeds up to 50 km/h 600
Traffic speeds between 50 km/h and 65 km/h – STANDARD SIZE 750
Traffic speeds above 65 km/h 900
Sites where additional emphasis is required – because of a bad 900
accident record

Mandatory / regulatory signs are normally sited at or near the point where the instruction applies.

No Entry signs (Fig. 13.3)

It is recommended that these be a minimum of 750mm diameter, and be installed in pairs (left-
hand side and right-hand sides of the road).

Speed Limit signs (Fig. 13.22)

It is recommended that these signs be installed in pairs (left-hand side and right-hand sides of the
road) for maximum visual impact. They may also be mounted on yellow backing boards. The
speed limit should be one of the following: 30, 40, 50, 60.

14. Cautionary / Warning Signs

Table 5 Size and Siting of Cautionary / Warning Signs

Site type Length of Distance of

triangle sign from
side (mm) hazard (m)
Traffic speeds up to 50 km/h 700 45
Traffic speeds between 50 km/h and 65 km/h – STANDARD 900 90
SIZE
Traffic speeds above 65 km/h 1000 120
Sites where additional emphasis is required – because of very 1340 200
high speeds and / or a bad accident record

Sharp Bend / Curve Signs (Fig. 14.1)

The advice given in IRC para.14.4.1 on where to use this sign goes against international signing
practice and should be ignored. The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals specifies
that this sign should be used to warn of dangerous bends, and the usual definition of this is: “a
bend in the road which is difficult to negotiate without slowing down significantly, and the
severity of which cannot easily be seen”. It cannot be defined by reference to curve radius
alone. Changes in alignment that are not hazardous should be signed with roadside delineator
posts.
Non-IRC Warning Signs
The following signs are recommended for use, although they are not included in the IRC Code.

Height Limit Ahead (Fig. K2.1)

This provides advance warning of a height restriction,
such as might be caused by a low bridge.

Accident Blackspot Sign (Fig K2.2)

This sign is used to warn of a serious accident blackspot.

1
Dangerous Obstruction Sign (Pass either side) (Fig. K2.6)
This sign is used to warn of an obstruction which can be passed
on either side – such as the nose at the start of an exit lane off an
expressway. The sign has yellow chevrons on a black background.

Sharp Change of Direction at T-junction Signs (Fig. K2.7)

This sign is used at T-junctions to tell traffic
approaching on the minor road that it must turn left
or right. The sign has yellow chevrons on a black
background. See the Sign Layouts section for an
illustration of where it is used.

Dangerous Obstruction Sign (Pass one side) (Fig. K2.9)

These signs are used to warn of hazardous obstructions close to
the edge of the lane, such as bridge parapets. There is one for
the left-hand side and one for the right-hand side. The sign has
yellow diagonal bars on a black background.

Sharp Change of Direction Chevron Signs (Fig. K2.8)

This sign is mostly used at dangerously sharp bends, especially those where the sharpness is
difficult to see in advance. Although becoming widely used in India it does not appear in the
IRC Code of Practice. There are three types – see Fig. 3 overleaf. The single chevron sign is for
placing at intervals around the outer edge of large radius curves. It is also useful where there is
only sufficient space for a small sign, such as in cuttings or on embankments. The other two
signs (with multiple chevrons) are for use at sharp radius curves – they have more visual impact
than the single chevron sign. The two-chevron sign is also used on the centre island of
roundabouts to indicate that drivers must turn sharply left on entering the circulatory carriageway
(see the Sign Layouts section). Signs K2.8A and K2.8B have yellow chevrons on a black
background. Sign K2.8C has a black chevron on a yellow background.

Fig. 3 Positioning of Chevron Signs

K2.8A

K2.8C

K2.8B

15. Informatory Signs

Section 15.3 of the IRC Code sets out the requirements for the design of Route Information
signs, but note:
• Signs will have green backgrounds only if they refer to NH or SH – for other roads the
background will be white;
• Including distances and route numbers on Advance Direction Signs and Direction Signs is
not recommended, because it will make the signs too big and expensive;
• At a junction the Direction Signs and the Reassurance Signs, if any, must repeat the place
names given on the Advance Direction Signs;
• The place names on Reassurance Signs shall be listed in order of distance (furthest at the top)
not population size.

Care is needed when selecting the place names to put on signs. It is important to be consistent at
each junction along a route. In other words, once a place name appears on a sign it must appear
on every subsequent sign until that place is reached. Major places that are near to the route, but
not on it, can be shown on the sign. At major junctions on National Highways the signs will
normally refer only to the more important places, such as Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kannur,
Kasargod, Kochi, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram
and Thrissur. Reassurance Signs may show the destination at the end of the route (e.g., Salem
and Kanyakumari on NH47).

When considering the provision of Facility Information Signs it is recommended that priority be
given to signs showing the location of Hospitals, First Aid Posts, and Police Stations.

16. Backing Boards

Signs can be mounted on yellow or grey backing boards to make them more prominent. This is
useful where there is a distracting background or the sign is particularly important. Yellow
backing boards are very effective but should only be used for critical signs – if they are too
widely used drivers will stop noticing them. Signs assemblies (two signs, or a sign and a
supplementary plate) will often look neater, and be much stronger, if they are combined on a
single plate.

Fig. 4 Mounting of Signs on Backing Boards

Annexure 4 Rules for the Design of Informatory Road Signs

Alphabets
The alphabets (fonts) to be used on traffic signs are:
Transport Medium – for white letters (English) on green, or blue backgrounds
Transport Heavy (Bold) – for black letters (English) on white or yellow backgrounds
Shree502 – for white or black letters (Malayalam).

The Transport lettering has been specially developed for traffic signs. Transport Medium has
thin strokes so as to counteract the effect of the overglow of white reflective material against a
darker background. Transport Bold is always used for black letters on white, so that the
overglow of the white background does not obscure the letters. All three styles are available as
Windows TrueType fonts for those wishing to design route signs on computer. Never condense
the lettering or reduce the letter spacing in order to squeeze the words into the available space, as
this will greatly reduce its legibility, especially at night.

Capital letters (English) are 1.4 times the “x” height. The rules for designing sign layouts are
specified in stroke widths. 1 stroke width (s/w) is one quarter the “x” height. To ensure correct
spacing when forming a word, the letters in each alphabet are placed on imaginary tiles - see Fig.
5 below. The tiles vary in width, but have a fixed height which ensures correct line spacing.
Designing signs on computer using Autocad or other drawing software means that letter spacing
and line spacing is taken care of for you.

Fig. 5 Tiles and letters

0.4 s/w

X
2 s/w
5.6 s/w 1.4x 4 s/w 1.0x
8 s/w 2.0x

2 s/w 2s/w

Imaginary Text Tile

The IRC Code (page 28) Table 4(a) contains a “Remarks” section which sets out letter heights
and stroke widths for various types of signs. It is recommended that the advice given in Table 2
of this note (where letter height is related to traffic speed) be used instead.

Layout of Signs
A. General
Route Information signs are not standard sizes. Never try and squeeze words onto a sign plate of
a specific size. You must first determine the size of the lettering to be used, which has to be
large enough for drivers to read at a distance. Refer to Table 2 in this note for the letter sizes for
informatory signs. The letter size that you select, (more specifically, the “x height”) is critical to
the design, because the design rules specify dimensions in terms of stroke widths – and a stroke
width is always one quarter of the “x” height.

The design rules common to all Route Information signs are as follows (although there are a few
exceptions):
• Make the sign as small as the design rules allow
• Place names are to be given in Malayalam and English – with the Malayalam word stacked
above the other and with their initial letters aligned (i.e. ranged left)
• No more than four destinations (place names) are permitted on one sign
• No more than two destinations are permitted for any one direction (except for Reassurance
Signs)
• Where two destinations are shown for one direction the nearer of the two shall be stacked
above the other and with their initial letters aligned
• All the lettering on the sign shall be the same size regardless of the importance of the
destination
• Corners of the signs are to be rounded for greater safety and better appearance.

Figure 6. shows the basic layout for a simple sign.

Fig. 6 Basic Layout

2.5 s/w

1.5 s/w
2.5 s/w
Place names stacked 8 s/w
with their initial letters
aligned - Malayalam name
above English name 8 s/w

1.5 s/w
Radius of 2 s/w
on internal corners
2.5 s/w

B. Letter and word spacing

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C. Map-type advance direction signs (other than for roundabouts)

Map-type ADS give the clearest information on the layout of the junction ahead, but they are big
and expensive, so they should only be used at complex junctions.

The actual layout of the junction shall be shown in diagrammatic form, but the route symbol
representing the approach road shall always be vertical. Where the junction is on a bend there
should be a vertical section (6 s/w in length) before the route symbol starts to curve.

Figure 7 illustrates the layout principles. It shows a junction with a simple layout, for ease of
illustration. A stack-type sign would be just as acceptable here, and would be more economic.

The IRC Code (page 33) C.(iv) (e) specifies 1.5 s/w between route symbols and the place names
below. This needs to be increased to 2.5 s/w in order to keep sufficient separation between the
route symbol arrowhead and the lettering.
Fig. 7 Layout of Map-Type ADS

1.66 SW

1 SW 60
0

L min.
2/3 L 12.5 s/w

4 s/w (DR) radius

symbol 1 s/w
width (SW) 2.5 s/w

1.5 s/w

4 s/w
2.5 s/w 6 s/w
(NH or SH)

D. Map-type advance direction signs for roundabouts

Roundabouts should always have map-type ADS. Figure 8 illustrates the layout principles. The
actual layout of the junction shall be shown in diagrammatic form, but the route symbol
representing the approach road shall always be vertical. Where the junction is on a bend there
should be a vertical section (6 s/w in length) before the route symbol starts to curve. The IRC
Code (page 33) D.(i) specifies the length of entry arm as either 22 or 30 s/w, but it is
recommended that this be ignored as it would make the sign unnecessarily large.

Fig. 8 Layout of Map-Type ADS for Roundabouts

12 s/w

12 s/w
min. (all exit arms)

12 s/w

7 s/w
14 s/w
o
30
E. Stack-type signs
Figure 9 illustrates the layout principles. Arrows may be vertical or horizontal or at any angle in
between in increments of 22.50. The IRC Code (page 33) E.(iii) specifies that black borders on
local advance direction signs shall be 4 s/w wide, but this will make the border too prominent, so
it is recommended that the standard width of 1.5 s/w be used.

Fig. 9 Layout of Stack-Type ADS

F. Direction signs
Figure 10 illustrates the layout principles.
Fig. 10 Layout of Direction Signs

3.5 s/w W

0
60
Width of chevron (W):
1 line of text = 3.5 s/w
120
0
2 lines of text = 4 s/w
radius 3 lines of text = 4.5 s/w
1 s/w 4 lines of text = 5 s/w
1.5 s/w
radius
1.5 s/w
3 s/w
G. Route confirmatory (Reassurance) signs
Figure 11 illustrates the layout principles.
Fig. 11 Layout of Route Confirmatory (Reassurance) Signs

equal

equal

2.5 s/w 2.5 s/w

Borders are to be designed as on stack-type signs.

H. Supplementary Plates
Figure 12 illustrates the layout principles.

Fig. 12 Layout of Supplementary Plates

1 s/w
2.5 s/w

1.5 s/w
Radius of 1 s/w
on internal corners
2.5 s/w
Supplementary plates always have black lettering and border on a white background. The
English legend is always in capital letters. Note that unlike other signs the border is only 1 s/w
wide.

I. Table of measurements of stroke widths

Stroke widths are one quarter of the “x” height. If you follow this rule exactly you may find that
you are using dimensions expressed in parts of a millimetre, in which case you can, if you wish,
round them up or down to the nearest millimetre. The Table in Section I of the IRC Code gives
you alternative dimensions, which, if used, will avoid the need for rounding. In practice, it will
not matter which method you use.
Incorporating Warning and Regulatory Signs within Route Information Signs
Where there is a significant hazard or restriction on one of the routes shown on a sign it is
helpful to drivers to warn them, as this may influence their choice of route. This can be done by
incorporating the appropriate regulatory / warning sign in the design. Figure 13. illustrates how
this should be done.

Fig. 13 Regulatory and Warning Signs within Route Information Signs

(A) on map-type signs

24s/w 24 s/w

1.5 x the width 1.5 x the width

1.5 s/w of the route
1.5 s/w of the route
symbol symbol

(B) on stack-type signs

24 s/w 24 s/w

2.5 s/w 2.5 s/w 2.5 s/w 2.5 s/w

Symbols on Route Information Signs

Symbols may be used on route signs to help road users make the correct route choice. The most
common example is the aircraft symbol used to denote an airport (see Figure 14 below). On
route signs with a green background a white symbol will be used; on other signs the symbol will
be black. The aircraft (airport) symbol is normally positioned to the right of the airport name or
the name of the place where the airport is located. It can also be used on its own. The aircraft
generally points in the same direction as the route symbol, arrow, or chevron, except that it never
points below the horizontal. The height and width of the symbol shall be equal to 10 s/w.

Fig. 14 Airport symbol

10 s/w

10 s/w
Overhead Route Information Signs
Overhead (gantry-mounted) signs can be useful on roads with two or more lanes in the same
direction. Advertising companies offer to erect overhead traffic signs in return for being allowed
to include advertising, but the signs they put up are usually poorly-designed and have no value as
traffic signs. In future, advertising companies must only be allowed to erect overhead signs
when the following conditions are met:
1. there is a real need for a sign at the proposed location;
2. the route information part of the sign is designed / approved by PWD and is in accordance
with the rules set out in IRC-67-2001 and this document (the PWD Road Safety Cell can
advise);
3. the advertising appears on a separate panel above the route information sign (not below it)
and does not divert attention from the route information;
4. the sign is manufactured using microprismatic grade reflective sheeting to specifications set
by PWD;
5. the sign supports do not encroach into the carriageway and the clearances set out in Figure 1
in this document are respected.
Overhead signs are in a poor viewing position relative to side-mounted signs, so the letter size
has to be much larger to compensate. The IRC Code (page 7) para. 10.3 states that the “x”
height on overhead signs shall be 300mm, but 200mm will normally be adequate where 85th
percentile speeds are ≤ 80 km/h.
Layouts for overhead signs may vary to suit the particular requirements at the site. Figures 15
and 16 show two different types.

Fig. 15 Overhead-mounted Advance Direction Sign

> A Ë o Ls M
Angamali
SWL· p U k Oj s P¡
>

>

Kottayam Punalur

Note: this is an advance direction sign on a dual 2-lane primary road ahead of a junction where
there is a left slip road leading to Angamali. Note that there is no route information above the
right-hand carriageway.
Fig. 16 Dedicated Lane Advance Direction Sign (overhead mounted)

Note: this is an advance direction sign on a 3-lane road. Lanes 1 and 2 can be used by traffic
heading for East Fort and Vallakadavu. Lane 3 is only for traffic that will turn right at the
junction to go to Kovalam.