ROAD SIGNS

Road Sign Colors

Red – Signs which are red in color refer to

situations where you must stop or yield.
Obviously, stop signs and yield signs use the
an object, quality, or event whose color red, but other signs such as do not enter and wrong
way signs can also use red coloring.
presence or occurrence indicates the
probable presence or occurrence of Green – Green road signs are direction signs.
This color is used for things like street signs
something else. (the names of streets), exit signs, mile markers,
and signs showing you directions to a certain city
or the distance to a specific place.

Blue – Signs that are blue in color are not regulatory

signs. Instead, they display services for
travelers. These signs are normally found
on expressways and highways, directing
motorists to where they can find places
such as rest areas, tourist sites, hospitals, hotels, gas
stations, restaurants, campgrounds, picnic areas, and other
services commonly used by motorists.
Yellow – Yellow road signs are Orange – Orange road signs are usually
general warning signs to indicate temporary signs relating to road work,
potential hazards or changing road temporary traffic control, and
conditions ahead. For example, road maintenance warnings. When you see
signs that use the color Yellow may orange road signs, be sure to watch for
warn you that there is a narrow workers on or near the roadway.
bridge ahead, a railroad crossing, a no-passing zone, curves
in the roadway, a merge point, pedestrian crossing, a dead-
end, an uneven surface, a hidden cross street, or any other Brown – Similar to blue road signs, brown
number of potential hazards. signs are not regulatory signs. These signs
indicate areas of recreation and cultural
Fluorescent Yellow/Green – This color is relatively points of interest. Brown road signs will
new on our roadways, but it is used for signs relating to mark or give directions towards historical
pedestrians, bicycles, and school sites, parks, picnic areas, and other
warning signs. They are increasingly recreational areas.
being used for some constructions
signs as well. This color is used
because it is easier to see during
Road Sign Shapes
foggy or rainy weather. Octagon – A road sign in the shape of an octagon will always be
a stop sign. Come to a full stop at an intersection controlled by
this sign. Stop at the marked stop line or before
entering the crosswalk or before your vehicle
enters the intersection. Let other vehicles or
pedestrians pass if they are in your path.
Equilateral Triangle – This sign shape is used for yield Rectangle – These will be regulatory
signs. Yield the right of way. Slow or guide signs. Vertical signs
down and let vehicles crossing your indicate what you should or should
path go by. If necessary, stop before not do, such as speed limit signs.
going ahead. If pedestrians are in or Horizontal signs give directions or
information about services drivers may want.
about to enter the crosswalk, stop
until they have crossed the roadway, then proceed.

Pentagon – A road sign in the shape of a

pentagon will refer to a school crossing
or school zone. The color of the sign
Pennant – This sign will be on the
may be y ellow or florescent
left-hand side of the road or
yellow/green.
highway. It warns you of a no-
passing zone.
Crossbuck – All railroad crossing signs are
this shape and are placed at each crossing.
Sometimes there is a number under the
Diamond – Diamond shaped signs are crossbuck which will show you how many
used as warning signs. These signs sets of tracks there are.
alert you to special road hazards.
Words or pictures on the sign will
show you why you need to slow down
Circle – This sign shape indicates a
or use extra caution.
railroad crossing is ahead.
 Truck Speed – On some roadways, larger
Standard Regulatory Signs vehicles must abide by different speed limits.
This sign indicates the maximum speed for
Stop – This sign, as you might have guessed, means you larger trucks and vehicles.
need to stop wherever you see one.
They are almost always accompanied by Combination Speed – Indicates both the
a line across the road at which you maximum and minimum speed for all vehicles on
should stop, and most areas require you the road; most often used on highways and
come to a full and complete stop before interstates to avoid collisions.
proceeding.

Yield – This sign is meant to alert you to any upcoming

hazards, road conditions, or oncoming No Right Turn – This sign is used to
traffic (there are signs which signal indicate a street that you can not turn
for you to yield prior to merging to right onto. Most often, you will see these in
avoid accidents). It means slow down, downtown areas.
defer to oncoming traffic, stop if
necessary, and proceed when it’s safe
to do so. A flashing yellow light at an intersection serves
No Left Turn – This sign is used to indicate a
for this purpose as well.
street that you can’t turn left onto. Again, most
often seen in downtown areas.
Speed Limit – Indicates the maximum
speed on a road for standard vehicles.
This maximum speed indicates the
safest maximum speed during ideal
driving conditions.
No U-Turn – This indicates that a U-turn is Keep Right – This one means you should keep
not legal in an area where this sign is right. It is usually seen in areas where a
posted. Typically, it is because the area has divided median begins, or in construction
too much traffic (for instance, oncoming areas.
traffic as well as traffic coming out of road-side shopping
centers, etc.) to safely allow a U-turn. Keep Left – The same as keep right, only now
it’s left.
Left Turn Only and Right Turn
Only – These will usually be
paired with the no-turn equivalent
of its opposite sign. Do Not Enter – If you see this sign, it means you don’t
belong there, and should probably stay out.
Usually, it’ll be posted at the beginning of an
exit that is meant to come out where you’re
Do Not Pass – Indicates, as you might have
guessed, that you can’t pass in an area trying to go in but can also be used for
other areas as well.
where this is posted.

Wrong Way – Much like the ‘Do Not Enter’ sign, it

indicates that you’re where you shouldn’t
Pass With Care – This one indicates, as be. For example, you’ll see this sign posted
you probably guessed that it is an area on one-way roads facing away from flowing
where it’s safe to pass as long as you traffic. That way, if someone drives down
use common sense and caution. a one-way road the wrong way, they will
see this sign.
No Parking – This one means you can’t park No Turn: No turn signs will tell you when
wherever it is. Some no parking signs can be a you cannot make a left turn, right turn,
bit confusing with different days and times or u-turn. These are typically seen at
shown. Be sure to read them carefully. controlled intersections. Some stoplights
are designed to only control cross
traffic but does not allow for any turns
left or right. These signs can also be seen frequently in
construction zones where roads are temporarily closed or
Emergency Vehicle Parking Only & Fire
turns are otherwise prohibited.
Lane – This sign will indicate that only
emergency vehicles such as police vehicles,
ambulances, and firetrucks can park in the
area Road Closed: Road closed signs mean
the road is closed to through traffic
and you cannot drive there. These
signs may be placed on roadways that
are permanently closed or temporarily
One Way: One way signs denote that the closed. Some roads are closed
traffic only moves in one direction on that temporarily due to construction, flooding, major accidents,
roadway. One way signs also usually include fires, snow & ice, and a slew of other possible reasons.
an arrow showing the direction of the
traffic. Many drivers who are new to
driving in large cities fail to recognize these signs as they
don’t have any one-way roads where they live. So, anytime
you visit a new area, pay extra attention to make sure
you’re not turning the wrong way on a one-way-road.
Pedestrian Crossing: Pedestrian crossings mean that
there is an area where pedestrians Animal Crossing: Animal crossing signs signal
frequently cross the road. Generally that there is a high volume of animals in the area
pedestrians have the right-of-way in a and that you should be ready for them to cross
crosswalk, so if you are able to safely do so, the road. Typically the sign will show a picture of
the type of animal that is most commonly seen in
be sure to slow or stop to allow the
the area. These signs are normally posted at known animal
pedestrian to cross the roadway. Nearly 5,000 pedestrians
migration points and areas of roadways where animals are more
are killed annually due to car vs. pedestrian strikes and likely to cross.
many more are injured after being hit by a vehicle.
Mile Marker: Mile markers are normally only
Two Way Traffic: This sign means you are on a found on interstates and highways, but these signs
two way road without a barrier, so stay in your can be seen on any roadway from congested city
lane. This sign is most frequently seen after a streets to, more commonly, rural single lane
divided highway or multi-lane roadway merges roadways.
into a two lane road with opposite vehicle travel in
Exit Sign: On highways, expressways, and other
each lane. It can be especially difficult at night to
roadways with exit ramps, you will see an exit sign.
realize that a divided highway with passing lane has reduced to just
Exit signs are required on the entire U.S. interstate
one lane in each direction.
system. In most states, exit signs will also show a
Railroad: Most railroad crossings will have a number.
warning sign placed about 500ft before the
Street Sign: In some areas, street signs can be
crossing. This warning sign is meant to give
shown in colors other than green. For example,
you prior warning that a rail crossing is up
some city, state, and national park roadways
ahead. Many rail crossings are very bumpy
might be shown in a brown color. Other roads
and can cause a loss of control, so prepare for a possible jolt. This is
which have been renamed in someones honor
also the time you’ll want to look, listen, and live! Don’t rely on
railroad crossing signals to be functioning properly. They can and could be a different color as well.
do fail, so clear the crossing yourself before you cross.
Freeway Interchange: Freeway interchange signs help you choose Handicapped Parking: Handicapped parking can only be
the proper lane before entering an area where used by obtaining a permit. Handicap
freeways come together. It’s important to pay parking areas are marked with blue signs
attention to these signs as they will indicate in and if a proper permit is not displayed,
advance which lane you will need to enter in
you can be ticketed.
order to stay on your existing freeway or change
to a new one. Rest Area: Rest areas can be found on
any roadway, but they are most common on the U.S. interstate
Local Information: Information signs are usually found on freeways
and highways. They are normally placed before an system. Many rural roadways that go long distances without
exit to show what services are available. These any services will have rest areas as well.
signs can tell motorists if there is lodging, gas Rest areas vary greatly in quality and the
stations, food, hospitals, airports, and other services available will vary as well. Some
services. Some local information signs will also rest areas have full service restaurants and
give specific names of service stations, restaurants, gift shops while others will simply be a
etc. At the end of an off-ramp, you will normally parking lot without any bathrooms.
see blue signs with arrows pointing in the direction of where you
can find those services. Scenic Overlook: Unlike rest areas, scenic overlooks generally
do not provide any services and are only parking lots. What
Emergency Telephone: While not as common since the advent of
they do provide are some of the most
cell phones, many rural roadways, highways, and
beautiful views in the country. Our nations
expressways have emergency telephones on the
side of the roadway. These phones are still roadways cut through all sorts of terrain
extremely important for those driving in very rural from deserts to mountains to coastal
areas where cell phone reception is minimal. waters and vast open plains.
Historical Site: While America is a rather new country Detour: Roadways need a lot of repair and sometimes they
compared to the rest of the world, we still need to be closed for major repairs. Roads can
have our fair share of historic events. also be closed due to special events such as
Historical sites can range from a single tree parades. In most cases, a “detour route” will
that has some historical significants all the be set up. Pay attention along your route as
way up to full fledged museums, ghost towns, orange signs will point you in the right
monuments, and a whole slew of other historical markers. direction and the best way to get around the detour.

National Parks & Public Recreation Areas: The United Road Closed: Unlike detour signs, a
States is home to some of the most beautiful road closed sign does not give you an
national parks in the world and many of our alternate route to take. The road is
countries roadways go right through them, simply closed and you are left to figure
offering amazing experiences for those choosing out a new way to go on your own.
to make some stops and literally smell the roses.

Road Work & Construction Zones: Road work ahead signals

that you are about to enter an area with
construction. These signs usually state the
distance before you reach the road work.
Major roadwork areas, especially on highways,
may be posted 10 or more miles in advance
and continue warning you as you get closer.
 Regulatory Signs Danger Signs.

Signs warning of a particular hazard or hazardous condition

Safety Signs containing instructions with which failure to that is likely to be life-threatening.
comply constitutes either an offence at law, or a breach of Danger signs communicate a hazard,
safety procedures or other directions, depending on which condition or situation that is likely to be
kind of control has been imposed at the work site or life threatening. The sign is shown as the
workplace. word Danger on a red oval over a black
rectangle. Text is black on a white
Prohibition Signs. background.
Signs that indicate that an action or activity
is not permitted. Prohibition signs indicate
Warning Signs.
an action or behavior that is not permitted.
The sign is shown as a Red Circle with a red
Safety Signs warning of a hazard or hazardous condition that
slash over a black icon of the action. Text is
is not likely to be life-threatening. Warning
black on a white background.
signs warn of hazards or conditions that are
not likely life threatening. These Safety Signs
Mandatory Signs. consist of a black triangle and icon on a
yellow background with supporting black
Signs that indicate that an instruction
text if required.
must be carried out. Mandatory signs
provide specific instructions that
MUST be carried out. The icons are in Fire Safety Signs.
white reversed out of a blue circle. Text is
Fire safety signs advise the location of fire
black on a white background.
alarms and firefighting equipment. They
contain white symbols and/or text on a red
background.
a mark or character used as a conventional representation
of an object, function, or process, e.g. the letter or
letters standing for a chemical element or a character in
musical notation.
Peace Symbol Smiley

Within a perfect circle, there is the simplest,

Combining a circle, a vertical line and most childlike depiction of a happy face: two
downward sloping lines, the peace vertical, oval eyes and a large, upturned semi-
symbol was designed by dedicated circular mouth.
peacemaker Gerald Herbert Holtom.
The choice of yellow as a background color was inspired by
He created it on February 21, 1958, as the logo for the
the sun, and it represents radiant unclouded happiness.
Direct Action Committee against Nuclear War.

Puzzle Ribbon
Male Symbol

Adopted in 1999, the puzzle ribbon is the The male symbol is known as the Mars symbol. It’s a
universal sign of autism awareness. It depiction of a circle with an arrow emerging from it,
reflects the complexity of the autism pointing at an angle to the upper right.
spectrum.
Female Symbol
The different colors and shapes represent the diversity
of the people and families living with the condition.
The brightness of the ribbon signals hopes that people The female symbol is the astrological symbol for the
with autism will lead full lives, able to interact with the planet Venus, and it is also used to represent the female
world on their own terms. sex.
The circle reminds us of the inclusive nature of
our universe; it also represents the woman’s
womb.
The cross (added in the 16th century) resting
beneath the circle indicates all matter is born
from a spiritually inclusive, loving womb.
Recycling Symbol Heart Symbol

The origin of this iconic symbol is rooted

These days, the heart symbol
in the very first Earth Day in April 1970.
represents love, emotions, and
romantic relationships, but it had a
Back then, Container Corporation of
completely different meaning in the
America, a paperboard company,
past.
sponsored a nationwide contest for
In Ancient Greece, for example, the heart shape was a
environmentally-concerned art and design students to
symbol for silphium, a species of giant fennel that once
create a symbol representing the paper recycling process.
grew on the North African coast near the Greek colony of
Cyrene.
Skull and Crossbones
Radiation Symbol
This notorious symbol consisting of a human skull and two Consisting of three black wedges arranged
bones crossed underneath originated in the medieval ages at positions 120 degrees apart around a
when it was used to symbolize central circle on a yellow background, the
death. radiation symbol is used to indicate
radioactive sources.
Later on, it was adopted by pirates
who put this symbol on their flags.
These days, it is used as a warning
label on containers of poisonous or dangerous substances.
 Power Symbol
Crescent
The well known on/off power symbol
was the result of the logical evolution in
Although the crescent is a very user interface design.
widespread theme in Islamic Originally, most early power controls
iconography, it is actually not Islamic consisted of switches that were toggled
between two states marked by the words
in origin, nor exclusive to that
“On” and “Off”.
religion.
The emblem has been used in Christian art for many
Hammer and Sickle
centuries too. It’s actually one of the oldest icons in human
history. The hammer and sickle were one of the most
It has been known in graphic depictions since at least as recognized symbols of Soviet power.
early as the Babylonian period in Mesopotamia (2100 BC). The hammer and sickle stand for worker-
The crescent also represents the Moon itself, and it is a peasant alliance: the hammer is a traditional
symbol of the proletariat (upper-class) and the
symbol for silver.
sickle is a traditional symbol for the peasantry
(lower class).
However, in European religious symbology, the hammer is
Bluetooth Symbol
also associated with aggressive male force, while the sickle
represents death.
The Bluetooth symbol is associated with
ancient Danish ruler Harald Blatand, who Rod of Asclepius
was nicknamed “the blue tooth” for his
affection for blueberries. The Rod of Asclepius is a symbol associated
The symbol representing the Bluetooth technology is a with medicine and health care.The son of the
god Apollo and the human princess Coronis,
combination of two Scandinavian runes: “Hagall“ (the
Asclepius was the Greek demigod of medicine.
analogue of Latin ”H“) and ”Bjarkan“ (the equivalent of According to mythology, he was able to restore
Latin “B”) that form the initials of the king’s name. the health of the sick and bring the dead back to life.
Maltese Cross The All-Seeing Eye
The Maltese cross is a symbol that is
most commonly associated with the The Eye of the Providence, most popularly
Knights of Malta who ruled the Maltese known as the All-Seeing Eye of God, is a
islands between 1530 and 1798. symbol containing multiple but similar
meanings. From the earliest days of the
Its eight points denote the eight Christian church, the symbol has meant to
obligations or aspirations of the knights, namely “to live in
truth, have faith, repent one’s sins, give proof of humility, love represent the ever-watchful eye of God. The
justice, be merciful, be sincere and whole¬hearted, and to three corners of the triangle representing
endure persecution.” the Holy Trinity and the lights emanating
from it are the lights of providence, of glory.

The Political Animals

The Forces Of Yin And Yang
On the subject of symbols
in political logos, perhaps the
two well-recognized
symbols of American politics –
the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant – are
worth a mention.
Star Four-leaf clover

More often than not, stars carry a positive connotation. By order of Irish tradition, four-leaf clovers
Because of their place in the skies, they represent luck and good fortune. Since the four-
can represent divinity and heavenly leaf clover is a rare variation of the three-leaf,
bodies. They’re also a sign of good luck those lucky enough to stumble across one should
(pretty sure Disney’s Pinocchio taught us treat it as a good omen.
that one).

Flowers Moon
The flower is a multi-faceted symbol. Commonly recognized as a feminine symbol, the moon has a
It’s widely used to represent young life, lot of meaning behind its full and crescent shapes. The
but it’s also a symbol of beauty. moon is often equated with sleep (surprise, surprise) and,
Different types and colors of flowers more specifically, the middle ground
mean different things. For example, between consciousness and
roses are associated with love more than any other flower. unconsciousness. It serves as a
A red rose might suggest love and desire, while a white symbol for the soul.
rose suggests innocence and purity.
Beats
The logo for Beats by Dre is
pretty simple. The ‘b’ is enclosed
in a circle followed by the brand
name. The circle, though, isn’t
just a circle. It actually represents a human’s head, and
the ‘b’ letterform represents the brand’s headphones. This
gives the brand a personal element, allowing a customer to
see themselves in the headphones.

Cisco

Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking for the internet,

is named after its headquarters’ location in San Francisco.
While its namesake doesn’t have a
hidden meaning, the blue stripes
above the logotype not only
represent an electromagnet but also,
the Golden Gate Bridge.
NBC Baskin Robbins
NBC’s was developed color televisions Baskin Robbins is known for its
were being introduced (explaining the seemingly limitless flavors of ice cream
rainbow of colors), and the network (31, if we’re being exact). That famous
wanted a logo that would cause black and number is hidden in the ‘B’ and the ‘R’ of
white tv owners to make the switch. So, their logo, acting as the curve of the ‘B’ and the stem of
they went with the common phrase (at the ‘R’. The logo represents fun and energy, much like how
the time), ‘proud as a peacock’, promoting that they were you’ll feel during (and after) eating their ice cream.
proud of their new color system. The six different colors
of the feathers represent the six different divisions of
NBC.

Roxy
Amazon
Roxy is Quicksilver’s female
Amazon is a powerhouse clothing line. To appeal to their
when it comes to online female audience, they use a
shopping, and their logo heart as their logo, drawing
reflects that. The yellow arrow in their logo starts at the inspiration from the feminine shape and connotation
letter ‘a’ and ends at the letter ‘z’, implying that they sell behind its meaning. And it’s not any ordinary heart—it’s
everything from a to z. The arrow also represents a smile, actually two Quicksilver logos turned on their ends.
with the arrowhead being a stylized dimple or smile line.
The smile indicates the happiness people feel when they
shop with Amazon.
Vaio My Fonts is an online font resource,
allowing users to access a number of
Sony Vaio, aka Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer, is known fonts. The ‘My’ in My Fonts is stylized
worldwide for its technology, but not everyone knows the to look like a hand, giving the impression
meaning behind its logo. Vaio represents the integration of that users can get their hands on
both analog and digital whatever fonts they’d like.
technologies in its
products. The letters ‘va’ AG Low
are made to look like an
AG Low, a construction company, has a
analog wave, while the ‘io’ resemble the numbers 1 and 0,
simple logo. It spells out the name of the
representing a digital signal or binary code.
company — though in a unique way. It’s
laid out to look like the floorplan of a
home.
Picasa

Picasa, Google’s former image Greenlabs

organizer and editor, has an
interesting logo mark. At first Greenlabs, a digital
glance it looks like a simple camera shutter, but the marketing and web
negative space in the center of the shutter actually forms solutions company, uses a
a house. This is because Picasa is considered ‘home’ for all tree as their logo. This accentuates the ‘green’ aspect of
of your photos, and casa in Spanish means home. their brand, but what about the labs? The crown of the
tree is actually a brain, which represents the intelligence
of their staff.
Gamecube
LG
Gamecube’s logo is very interesting to
look at, and for good reason. Not only is LG is recognized worldwide, and most
it a cube within a cube, but the outer people recognize the ‘L’ and ‘G’ in the
cube forms a ‘G’ around the inner cube, leaving a ‘C’ in the logo mark. What most people don’t
negative space. realize, though, is that those letters actually help to
create a face. The ‘L’ makes the nose and the ‘G’ makes up
Yoga Australia the rest of the face. This gives the brand a human
element, and makes it more inviting and approachable.

This logo for Yoga Australia has Carrefour

a hidden gem in its negative space. In the area between
French for ‘crossroads’,
the arm and the leg it’s grasping is the geographical outline
the Carrefour logo features two arrows
of Australia.
on both the left and right sides. Hidden
between the two in the negative space is the letter ‘C’,
standing for the brand name.

BMW Unilever
Unilever makes a ton of
BMW’s logo colors come from the Bavarian flag, products, and to showcase that
which are blue and white. Their logo is derived they created a ‘U’ out of a
from the Rapp Motor Works’ logo, which is very variety of icons symbolizing
similar. It is commonly thought that the logo some of their core products. It’s a fun way to show
represents the blades of a spinning propellor, due to their they have their hands in a variety of areas, and gives the
aviation history and an ad created in the 1920s. viewer something to piece together.
Toblerone
The popular chocolate
Google
bar, Toblerone, has been
Another incredibly recognizable logo
around for quite some time. It’s current logo features a
worldwide (even after their recent
mountain, symbolizing the Matterhorn Mountain in
redesign), Google’s logo is supposed to
Switzerland. Hidden inside the mountain is a bear,
symbolize that they don’t play by the rules and know how
symbolizing the unique honey flavor found in the chocolate
to have fun. Instead of having a crazy font or symbol, they
and the fact that the chocolate is made in the ‘City of
chose to relay their message with color. They stuck with
Bears’.
the primary color palette but broke it with a secondary
Toyota color, green.
Toyota’s current logo has been
around since 1990. The popular Gillette
car manufacturer’s three
Gillette, a razor company, is razor sharp with
overlapping rings symbolize the unification of the hearts
their logo — literally. The intricate and precise
of Toyota customers and Toyota’s products. The
cut in the ‘G’ and ‘i’ look as though they’ve been carefully
background space represents their technological
removed with an extra sharp Gillette razor.
advancement and the opportunities that lay ahead.

Apple
One of the most recognizable logos
in the world, the Apple logo is
theorized to have come from none
other than the story of Adam and Eve. The apple is
supposed to be the apple Eve bit from in the bible and
represents the fruits from the Tree of Knowledge.
 SCRAPBOOK
IN ENG III

SIGNS
&
SYMBOLS
Submitted by: Glicel E. Castor
BSED FILIPINO IV-B

Submitted to : Ms. Jo-Ann Dolendo