Road Signs & Design

Jacob George
jacobgeorge@ictonline.com
+91 9971622441

Function of Signs Types of Signs

• Warn - of hazards
• Inform - of direction to take
• Direct - drivers as to what they must do
Includes upright signs, overhead signs, traffic signals,
road markings, road studs, roadside marker posts.

Types of Signs

ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

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 Side Road Gradient: Ways to Improve

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Existing Layout

Proposed Layout

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Siting of Signs with respect to Carriageway

Minimum
Desirable (mm) Maximum (mm)
(mm)
A 600 1000 2500
B 1000 2000 3000
C 300 600 1000
D 2000 2000 2500
E 2100 2100 2500
F 5500 6000 6500
G 750
H 5000
I 5000 7000 9000
J 1800 2000 2500

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 Orientation of Signs Do not invent your own signs

Do not invent your own signs Do not invent your own signs

ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

Size and Siting Mandatory and Warning

Mandatory / Regulatory Signs Diameter of sign Practical Exercise :

(mm) Countermeasure for Ran-
Signs attached to traffic signal heads 300
Sites where space is limited (e.g. on narrow traffic islands) 450 off Accidents)
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 i) Determine the Speed
Sites where additional emphasis is required – because of a bad
accident record
900
limit sign for an acute
curve having radius of 60
Cautionary/Warning Sign Length of Distance of with curve length of 45m
triangle
side (mm)
sign from
hazard (m)
(from start of transition to
Traffic speeds up to 50 km/h 700 45 end of transition).
Traffic speeds between 50 km/h and 65 km/h – STANDARD
SIZE
900 90
Approach speed is
Traffic speeds above 65 km/h 1000 120 85kmph.
Sites where additional emphasis is required – because of very 1340 200
high speeds and / or a bad accident record

ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

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 Practical Exercise:
Countermeasure for Ran-
off Accidents)

Practical Exercise : i) Determine the Speed

Countermeasure for Ran- limit sign for an acute
off Accidents) curve having radius of 60
with curve length of 45m
i) Ii) calculate the number (from start of transition to
of Chevron Signs to be end of transition).
installed and also show Approach speed is
the orientation of chevron 85kmph.
signs. Ii) calculate the number of
Chevron Signs to be
installed and also show
the orientation of chevron
signs.
ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

Direction signs - old style

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 Proposed Improvement

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Design of Direction Sign

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Practical Exercise : Determine the total depth of Advance Size and Siting of Route Information Signs
Direction board in the figure below for a drive to see the
board at 40kmph?
Flag Type Direction Signs
Advance Direction Signs (Shoulder Mounted) Reassurance Signs Gantry Mounted Signs
Place Identification Signs
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
TWO
ONE
“x” “X” Minimum signs: “x” “X” Minimum “x” “X” Minimum
sign:
height height clear distance height height clear height height clear
Design distance
(mm) (mm) visibility between (mm) (mm) visibility (mm) (mm) visibility
Speed from
lower upper to the 1st and lower upper to the lower upper to the
junction
case case sign (m) 2nd sign case case sign (m) case case sign (m)
(m)
(m)
Up to 30 75 105 50 60 84 35
20 -
km/h (60)* (84) (35) (50) (70) (30)
31 – 100 140 75 75 105 45
45 45 200 280
50km/h (75) (105) (45) (60) (84) (35)
(175) (245) 150
51 - 65 125 175 100 100 140 60
90 50
km/h (100) (140) (60) (75) (105) (45)
66 - 80 150 210 90 – 125 175 75
135 70
km/h (125) (175) 150 (100) (140) (60)
81 - 100 200 280 150 – 150 210 105 250 350
165 100 200
km/h (150) (210) 225 (125) (175) (75) (200) (280)
101- 250 350 225- 200 280 135 275 385
225 100 240
110km/h (200) (280) 300, (150) (210) (105) (250) (350)

ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

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Practical Exercise : Determine the total depth of Advance
Direction board in the figure below for a drive to see the
board at 40kmph?

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ADS Priorities for Signing

 Curves
 Acute Curves requiring Speed Reduction
 Sharp Curves of relatively high defection angle
 Mild Curves
 Road side hazards
 Bridges
 Two way hazard markers
 Major Junction
 Direction Signs
 Side road vehicle control signs
 Speed breaker signs in side road

ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

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 Priorities for Signing
 Minor Junctions
 Warning Sign
 Side road vehicle control signs
 Speed breaker signs in side road
 Gateway Signs
 Physical
 Psychological
 School Zone Treatment

Priorities for Signing Priorities for Signing

 Curves
 Facility Information  Acute Curves requiring Speed Reduction
 Petrol  Sharp Curves of relatively high defection angle
 Bus bay signs  Mild Curves
 Retro-reflective Raised Pavement Markers  Road side hazards
(RRPMS)  Bridges
 Two way hazard markers
 Major Junction
 Direction Signs
 Side road vehicle control signs
 Speed breaker signs in side road
ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

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 Priorities for Signing
 Curves
 Acute Curves requiring Speed Reduction
 Sharp Curves of relatively high defection angle
 Mild Curves
 Road side hazards
 Bridges
 Two way hazard markers
 Major Junction
 Direction Signs
 Side road vehicle control signs
 Speed breaker signs in side road
ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

Useful Signs: hazard marker Priorities for Signing

 Curves
 Acute Curves requiring Speed Reduction
 Sharp Curves of relatively high defection angle
 Mild Curves
 Road side hazards
 Bridges
 Two way hazard markers
 Major Junction
 Direction Signs
 Side road vehicle control signs
Minor Bridge
 Speed breaker signs in side road
ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

Junction Signs

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 INTERCHANGE

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Priorities for Signing

 Minor Junctions
 Warning Sign
 Side road vehicle control signs
 Speed breaker signs in side road
 Gateway Signs
 Physical
 Psychological
 School Zone Treatment

ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

Signs being Obscured Placement of Stop sign

Ideally Install Stop sign (Fig 13.1) at 2m to 4m away from the stop line

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 Placement of Stop sign Priorities for Signing
 Minor Junctions
 Warning Sign
 Side road vehicle control signs
 Speed breaker signs in side road
 Gateway Signs
 Physical
 Psychological
 School Zone Treatment

Stop sign shall be installed always on side road

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Traffic Calming with Thermoplastic Bar Traffic Calming with Speed Breakers
Markings

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Retro-reflective signs Glass Bead Technology

Reflective

Retro-reflective

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Micro Prismatic Technology Observation & Entrance Angle

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 Observation Angles For Different Vehicles
Scenarios Comments

Long and
commercial vehicle
will encounter wide
observation angle

Small vehicle while

at short distance will
Experience Wide
observation angle

ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

Performance indicator of Type VI to Type XI Sheerings (ASTM D 4956) Comments

Type VI has
Grades of retro-reflect. sheeting
Observation angle
only upto 0.5 and
cannot perform for
short distance
viewing
Engineer Grade - not recommended -Rs 1,500
per sign (900mm triangle)
Type VII also has
Observation angle
only upto 0.5 and
High Intensity Grade - recommended for most
cannot perform for
short distance
signs - 5 year warranty - Rs 2,000 per sign
viewing
Wide Angle Prismatic Grade (Type IX) - high
Type IX has
Observation angle
performance - 7 year warranty - Rs 4,300 per sign
upto 1.0 and but its Sign post Rs 1,500 extra
performance at small
observation angles is
relatively low; hence
not suitable for long
& medium distance.

Type XI has
Observation angle
upto 1.0 and has high
performance at small
observation angles
also.

ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY ADB TA 8110: TRAINNING FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN ROAD SAFETY

Thank You…

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