Signage improvements: Motorway and service signs

Further to our previous article showing the metrication of distance signage (including motorway and services signs). The most important thing is to metricate all applicable signs. This article will show how motorway signs can be improved further, by replacing wholly worded signs with their symbolic equivalents, and improvements to services signs (including space efficiency and removal of unnecessary wording).

Example images are shown in this article.

Junction symbols

Used on motorway exit signs throughout continental Europe, there are simple junction symbols and complex motorway-motorway crossing symbols used on motorway exit signs:

The reason why these are being mentioned, is that this could be used to distinguish metric from imperial signs at a glance (as opposed to using different fonts or colours for the metric distance). Furthermore, these symbols are a language independent way of saying junction, specifically the two types of junction.

There is no harm in including these symbols to signify simple junction and motorway-motorway junction (these symbols are standard), and reasons for recommending usage of these symbols is because one has to remember that road users from outside the UK (including continental Europe) could be using British roads, and this gives a quick way of distinguishing metric and imperial signs mid-conversion.

Motorway exit signs

Minimum: Simple motorway junction 1600m ahead after mandatory metrication (left);
Alternative: Simple motorway junction after metrication and adding junction symbol (centre);
Alternative: Redesign of junction sign, Autobahn-style, initial approach only (right)

Minimum: Motorway junction 800m ahead after mandatory metrication (left)
Alternative: Motorway junction 800m ahead after metrication and adding junction symbol (right)

After metricating alone, this is the minimum, and also mandatory (top);
After mandatory metrication, and adding the simple junction symbol (bottom)

This change includes the minimum of metrication.

This change includes metrication, plus adding the simple junction symbol

An (optional) alternative design, if this was to be considered.
This is not needed to go metric or be compliant to the Vienna Convention.
This design is very similar to an Autobahn gantry sign in Germany.

Metrication of motorway-motorway junction advance sign,
with the addition of the motorway-motorway junction symbol,
instead of the language-specific "Junction".

Motorway gantry sign after metrication, same as in a previous article (top)
 Motorway gantry sign after metrication, and adding motorway junction-junction symbol (bottom)

As a bare minimum, only metrication is necessary. However I believe that "The WEST"
is unhelpful and too general, should be replaced with an actual place name or removed.

Metrication, plus, "The WEST" replaced by "Bristol" which is more helpful.
This change is mandatory.

Metrication, replacing "The WEST" with "Bristol", and the motorway-motorway junction symbol.

The point being made in this subsection, is that if there are ways of improving the signs, they should be considered.  The most important thing is to metricate, and get rid of all superfluous words.  It is also much better to use internationally recognised symbols than words.

However, I believe that as a minimum, British motorway exit signs only need to be made metric to comply with the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.

Examples of converting wordy signs

Wordy signs should be avoided, for example in this case (left).
A possible symbolic version of "No hard shoulder for 800m" (right).

Instead of saying in words "Refuge area for emergency use only",
it is more helpful to have a symbol for emergency refuge area, and how far it is.
It should already be obvious that this area is for emergency use only anyway.

Instead of saying in words "Emergency refuge area", it is more helpful to have
a symbol for emergency refuge area, and a separate standalone symbol for SOS phone,
unless SOS phones are present in every emergency refuge area, which they should be.

Emergency refuge area on hard shoulder or single lane (left);
Emergency refuge area where no hard shoulder is present, and multiple lanes are (right).
These signs are suitable for usage in tunnels as well as on the motorway.

Services signage improvements

As a minimum, the services signs need to be metricated and use correct units.
We can do better and use symbolic signs which are clearer and will help distinguish metric signs easily too.

As a minimum, metrication is required (left);
But it is better we know which facilities are avaiable at 1600m (right).
Supplementary plate shows next services.

Another example of a services 1600m ahead sign, with a minimum (left),
and recommended conversion (right) with a symbolic representation of
"No Services" shown on the suplementary plate showing next services.

Minimum change - Services 800m ahead after metrication (left);
Recommended change - make the services sign more space efficient (centre);
Recommended alternative - more space efficient, and the word "services" removed (right).

In a services sign, it is better to have a single symbol to indicate all fuel, i.e. combine LPG (liquified petroleum gas) with other fuel in the same sign, an example is shown below. If no LPG is available then an ordinary fuel symbol should be used as shown above.

This services sign is space efficient because all symbols are the same size,
and unnecessary information is removed (fuel price for example just takes up space).
Next service station is shown in the supplementary plate.

Services ahead sign metricated and the units corrected (left);
Recommended wholly symbolic version of the same sign (right).

There is no reason to use a wordy sign for "end of motorway regulations" (left),
the symbolic version (right) should be used in all cases.

Suggested symbolic replacements for "No services on motorway" sign.
I believe that every motorway should have a service station, and I have not seen
"No services on motorway" on any motorway near where I used to live.

And finally regarding services signs, in Know Your Traffic Signs booklet, there are example of services signs (non-primary route) which are not 24 hour on page 103, for lorries only and where lorries are prohibited on page 104, and other services signs as well.  In all cases, it is recommended to use the graphical scheme shown in this article which will save space.  "Not 24 hour" should be replaced by the time it operates (e.g. "06:00-00:00"), or all services can be 24 hour as standard.  On the sign for services for lorries only, the words "Lorries only" are superfluous, ideally the sign should make it clear that it is for lorries only symbolically, without the need for any words.  Making all services suitable for all vehicles and 24 hour would simplify the signs.

Adding the motorway symbol to other signs (optional)

On various (non-motorway) signs, such as route confirmation signs, and exit signs (for example), motorways can appear.  It is worth considering whether to include the motorway symbol before motorway names, to make it clear that this is a motorway, not to state thatthat motorway regulations start (there is already a specific sign for that).  In continental Europe, it is common to put the motorway symbol next to the motorway name.  This is because motorway has different translations in different languges, and not all countries use the blue colour for motorways (some use green).  In addition, M is language specific as it abbreviates motorway just as A abbreviates Autoroute, Autobahn, etc. (although in Germany they use a specific symbol for Autobahn numbers, but there is no need to do something similar for the UK).

Motorway symbol incorporated next to motorway number for a primary
route exit sign (left), and a primary route confirmation sign (right)

Similarly for "All directions" and "Other directions" it is worth considering including symbols (and/or restrictions) if for example an airport and motorway can be reached in other directions.  Symbols can still also be omitted for "All directions" or "Other directions".

All directions, including to motorway and airport. The motorway symbol would only
need to appear if the motorway is close and reachable by following "All directions".

Once again it is worth re-iterating that non-British road users could be using British roads.

European route numbers on UK signs?

A European route number (e.g. E30) identifies a road on the International E-Road Network, in the same way that national route identifiers (e.g. M4 and A33 in the UK) identify a road in a country.  The International E-Road Network It started out as part of a UN initiative to improve international cross-border transport, nothing to do with the EU or the Council of Europe, and similar road networks exist on other continents too - the Asian Highway Network, the Pan-American Highway, and the Trans-African Highway Network. Roads on the International E-Road Network have European route numbers. The UK is the only country geographically in Europe which does not signpost European route numbers at all within its borders.

In my opinion, it is only worth including the European route numbers as well as the motorway or primary/non-primary route number on route confirmation signs for information purposes, if this was to be introduced. However, including European route numbers on other signs as well as national route identifiers (on signs such as exit signs or direction signs) could lead to clutter. It is better to use the existing national route numbers to plan a journey.

European route numbers are already used alongside national route numbers.  It is also possible to use european route numbers in place of existing motorway and primary route numbers only if applicable (and national route numbers otherwise), or to integrate fully into the European route numbering system, but I don't believe that either are necessary or important, and I think they involve more change than is necessary.

As a result, I believe it is worth considering including European route numbers on route confirmation signs for information purposes only. Below are the metricated route confirmation signs for motorway and primary route, with the European route number added:

European route numbers incorporated onto route confirmation signs
for motorway (left) and primary route (right)

Acknowledgements

Copyrights have been acknowledged in the images themselves, the original source of the copyrighted artwork (all covered by a copyright waiver) is the Know Your Traffic Signs booklet. All other images were created by the author and are licensed under CC-BY-SA.