About Road & Regulatory Signs
It is impossible to estimate how many lives have been saved because of effective road signs. With millions of vehicles on the road at any given time, some sense of organization and safety must be implemented, and this is where regulatory signs have played an important role. In the US, road signs are administered by the states as well as the Federal Department of Transportation (DOT). In Canada, regulatory road sign specifications and recommendations are handled by the Ministry of Transportation. In both instances, the use of road signs is designed to better protect the public.
Road signs have different designations, depending on their use and whether or not they are enforceable under current traffic laws. In general, all regulatory road signs are intended to tell drivers what they must do in certain areas or under certain conditions. Failure to obey a regulatory sign can result in a violation, which is not true with simple information road signs.
Some of the more commonly known regulatory road signs include: stop signs, yield signs, no passing zone signs, speed limit signs (on both Federal, Provincial and Municipal roadways), etc. Regulatory road signs are also used to enforce certain driving restrictions under certain conditions. These might include signs such as: reduced speed signs during certain hours of the day, reduced speed limits while in school zones during certain hours of the day, no parking signs during certain hours of the day, and so forth.
An essential component to any regulatory sign or road sign is that the sign be placed correctly. These road signs, as mentioned above, are used to alert drivers of a change in driving conditions and therefore must be placed in such a manner that they give the driver ample time to adjust his or her driving decisions or parking decisions. In many cases, drivers may not be able to discern on their own that they need to adjust their driving, and road signs are often the only means in which to communicate to motorists that they need to adjust their driving or parking decisions to new conditions. In order for this to work, however, the road signs must posted where they are easy to see by motorists, and the road sign must also be easy to understand.
When regulatory signs are posted, regardless of their location, those rules must be enforced. This rule should be adhered to whether the regulatory sign is posted on public or private property. There are many private companies and gated communities that rely on road signs to protect the public and to assist in overall traffic flow. These same entities need to exercise their authority (whatever that authority is) to enforce their traffic rules. Lack of enforcement often leads to more driver violations, which can lead to more vehicle accidents and harm to other drivers and pedestrians.
Our business clients often come to us for stop signs and yield signs for their parking lots or properties. No parking, do not enter, one way and keep right signs are also very popular to ensure that the flow of traffic within their lots and through ways are done in an orderly fashion. As you can see, it?s not just governments that require these signs but many businesses and properties.
While it is important that regulatory signs be posted, it is also essential that the road signs used are familiar to drivers. For this reason, certain requirements have been established for both US DOT and Canadian regulatory signs to assist motorists in recognizing the most important road signs. A very good example of this is the STOP sign. When a motorist sees that red and white sign, they (almost always?) know what it means, even without reading the word STOP. The same applies to YIELD signs and many other types of regulatory signs.
For this reason, it is important that those who need to purchase road signs buy signs that are already established in their design, color scheme, size, etc. The good news is it now easier for those who need regulatory signs to get the right ones, and at prices that are affordable. Take a look at our regulatory road signs below or maybe our traffic warning signs. Once again, if you can?t find it, contact us and we can make it!
