Comparison of traffic signs in English-speaking territories

This is a comparison of road signs in countries and regions that speak majorly English, including major ones where it is an official language and widely understood (and as a lingua franca).

Among the countries listed below, Liberia, Nigeria, and the Philippines have ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, while the United Kingdom has signed the convention but not yet ratified it.^[1] Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are all Southern African Development Community (SADC) members who drive on the left and use the SADC Road Traffic Signs Manual. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) used in the United States has also influenced signing practices in other countries.

Differences between traffic signs in English-speaking countries/regions

	Australia	Bahamas	Belize	Canada	Hong Kong	Ireland	Jamaica	Liberia	Mauritius	New Zealand	Nigeria	Philippines	South Africa	Malta	Singapore	United Kingdom	United States	Zimbabwe
Drives on...	Left	Left	Right	Right	Left	Left	Left	Right	Left	Left	Right	Right	Left	Left	Left	Left	Right	Left
Speed units	km/h	mph	mph	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h or mph[12]	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h	mph	mph	km/h
Sign typeface	AS1744 (Highway Gothic)	Highway Gothic	Highway Gothic	Highway Gothic or Clearview	Transport or Helvetica	Transport and Motorway	Highway Gothic	Highway Gothic	Transport	Highway Gothic or Transport	Highway Gothic	Highway Gothic or Clearview	DIN 1451	Transport	Local variety or DIN 1451	Transport and Motorway	Highway Gothic or Clearview	DIN 1451

Differences in units

Most speed limits in the US use USC, with the highway signs matching the MUTCD.

Imperial measurements reminder in Northern Ireland when entering from the Republic

Road sign used in British Columbia, Canada, near the Canada–US border to remind American drivers that Canada uses the metric system.

• All main countries/regions, except for the United States and the United Kingdom, use the metric system. Some mark this fact by using units on various signs. Note that some smaller English-speaking countries in the Caribbean also use miles per hour.
  • Ireland, parts of Canada (British Columbia, parts of Ontario, and Yukon), and Liberia^[12] list units (km/h) on their maximum speed limit signs. In Canada and Ireland, this is a reflection of (somewhat) recent transitions from Imperial to metric.
  • Advisory speed limit signs in most countries list units, although New Zealand does not. The US lists units in mph.
  • Height, weight, and width restrictions are almost always accompanied by units (tonnes or metres); in the US, the short ton is used with no distinction from metric tonnes.
  • Signs in some parts of Canada near the US border often include both metric and Imperial units, to remind American drivers that they are entering metric countries. No such equivalent exists in the US.^[13]
• The US was, at one time, planning a transition to the metric system. The Metric Conversion Act of 1975 started the process, but the abolition of the United States Metric Board in 1982 significantly hampered conversion. Nevertheless, the MUTCD specifies metric versions of speed limit signs. Furthermore, Interstate 19 in Arizona is partially signed in metric.

Color differences

Warning signs

Sheep road sign in the United Kingdom.

Countries in yellow use MUTCD-style diamond warning signs. Click for large image and detailed info key.

• Most warning signs are diamond-shaped and yellow or red-bordered triangular warning signs; some warning signs may be fluorescent yellow-green in order to draw extra attention. There are a few exceptions to this:
  • Pentagonal signs are used in school zones in the United States, Liberia, and many areas in Canada. In the Philippines, pentagonal signs are permanently used for pedestrian crossings.
• Warning signs may be text-only.

Road works and construction

• Most countries use orange or yellow diamond-shaped signs or yellow, orange or white red-bordered triangular warning signs for construction zones. Australia and the Philippines use rectangular signs that fit into temporary casings.

Regulatory signs

• Prohibitory and restrictive signs are classified as regulatory signs.
• Almost all prohibitory signs use a red circle with a slash. Restrictive signs typically use a red circle, as in Europe. Some may be seated on a rectangular white background.
  • The original MUTCD prohibitory and restrictive signs were text-only (i.e. NO LEFT TURN).^[14] Some of these signs continue to be used in the US.
• Yield signs can be blank or have text with the legend "YIELD" or "GIVE WAY" depending on which country it is.
• The No Entry / Do Not Enter sign may or may not feature text. In Ireland, an upwards-pointing arrow contained within a slashed red circle is used instead. Some countries have those two signs separated.
  • The Latin American-style do not proceed straight sign may take a different meaning in countries with standard No Entry signs. Typically, it indicates an intersection where traffic cannot continue straight ahead, but where cross-traffic may enter the street from the right (or left). Thus, it is distinguished from a No Entry (for all vehicles) sign.

Mandatory or permitted-action signs

Various color schemes for mandatory signs. Click for large image and detailed info key.

• The design of mandatory signs varies widely, since the MUTCD does not specify their use.^[15] Rather, the MUTCD's equivalent are classified as regulatory signs.
  • Some countries use simple arrows with the text "ONLY" or its equivalent underneath. This is the US and Australian standard.
  • Some countries use European-style white-on-blue circular signs. These are "Type A Mandatory Signs" as prescribed by the Vienna Convention.
  • Some Latin American and Caribbean countries use red-bordered circular signs, in the same style as regulatory signs. These are "Type B Mandatory Signs" as prescribed by the Vienna Convention. In cases relating to particular types of vehicle traffic (e.g. buses), these signs are identical to some European prohibitory signs.^[a]
  • Canada uses a unique style of mandatory sign that features a green circle.

Table

Warning

	Australia	Canada	Hong Kong	Ireland	Jamaica	Liberia	Mauritius	New Zealand	Nigeria	Philippines	SADC[16]	Malta	Singapore	Uganda	United Kingdom	United States
Stop sign ahead
Yield / Give Way sign ahead
Traffic signals ahead
Roundabout ahead
Two-way traffic ahead
Uncontrolled railroad crossing ahead			Not used										Not used[b]
Level railroad crossing with barriers ahead				or
Tram / streetcar crossing		Not used								Not used[c]
Railroad crossbuck	or		Not used	Not used				or		or
Level crossing (multiple tracks)	or		Not used	Not used				or		Not used					Not used
Crossroads ahead											or[d] or[e]
Junction with a side road ahead
Traffic merges ahead
Staggered crossroads ahead											or[f]
Added lane				Not used[g]
Divided highway ahead
Divided highway ends
Lane ends ahead
Road narrows ahead																or [h]
Narrow bridge ahead			Not used	Not used
Dangerous crosswinds			Not used							Not used			Not used
Low-flying aircraft								or							or
Steep hill downwards								or		and
Steep hill upwards								or		and
Uneven surface
Bump in road						or [17]
Dip in road			Not used										Not used
Ford			Not used		or
Snow / ice			Not used
Fog
Slippery road surface
Loose road surface
Dangerous shoulder	Not used		Not used
Pavement ends			Not used	Not used
Gentle curve ahead			Not used
Sharp curve ahead
Double gentle curve ahead			Not used	Not used
Double sharp curve ahead										[i]
Series of curves ahead			Not used
Hairpin curve ahead			Not used	Not used [j]
Loop curve ahead			Not used
Chevron (short turn)			Not used
Chevron (sharp turn)
School zone	or[k] or									[l]	[m]
Children / playground ahead					or
Pedestrian crossing ahead								or
Disabled / elderly pedestrian crossing	or	or	or	Not used									or
Domesticated animals											or or				or
Wild animals										Not used	or or or				or or
Cyclists crossing
Equestrians			Not used							Not used
Emergency vehicles			Not used	Not used						Not used
Farm vehicles			Not used							Not used						or
Falling rocks or debris																or [n]
Opening or swing bridge			Not used					Not used					Not used
Quay or riverbank	Not used														or
Tunnel ahead
Height restriction ahead															or or
Width restriction ahead	Not used		Not used					Not used
Length restriction ahead			Not used
Weight restriction ahead	Not used		Not used					Not used
Roadworks [o]										Not used
Flagman ahead			Not used
Traffic congestion
Other danger

Regulatory

Priority

	Australia	Canada	Hong Kong	Ireland	Jamaica	Liberia	Mauritius	New Zealand	Nigeria	Philippines	SADC[16]	Malta	Singapore	Uganda	United Kingdom	United States
Stop
Yield / Give Way				or											or
Yield to oncoming traffic			Not used	Not used
Priority over oncoming traffic	Not used		Not used	Not used
Priority road	Not used		Not used	Not used
End of priority road	Not used		Not used	Not used

Prohibitory signs

	Australia	Canada	Hong Kong	Ireland	Jamaica	Liberia	Mauritius	New Zealand	Nigeria	Philippines	SADC[16]	Malta	Singapore	Uganda	United Kingdom	United States
No entry	or[p]			or		[20] or
Road closed	or			[q]
No motor vehicles				Not used									Not used
No motorcycles				Not used
No mopeds			Not used	Not used
No bicycles
No pedestrians																or
No heavy goods vehicles											or
No buses				Not used
No trailers			Not used	Not used	or	or			or
No farm vehicles			Not used	Not used
No animal-drawn vehicles			Not used
No vehicles carrying dangerous goods				Not used
No vehicles carrying explosives or inflammables			Not used
No vehicles carrying water pollutants			Not used	Not used
No handcarts				Not used
Maximum speed limit						or [12]
Speed restriction ends			Not used	Not used							Not used
Maximum height
Maximum width	Not used							Not used								Not used
Maximum length			or
Maximum weight
Maximum weight per axle
No left turn	or[p]									or	or	Not used
No right turn	or[p]									or	or	Not used
No U-turn	or[p]					[21]				or			Not used[r]
No overtaking																and
Minimum following distance between vehicles			Not used	Not used
No honking	Not used			Not used
No parking
No stopping

Mandatory or permitted actions

Mandatory signs indicating an obligation to turn left do exist, but are not included in the list below since they are functionally mirror versions of signs indicating an obligation to turn right.

	Australia	Canada	Hong Kong	Ireland	Jamaica	Liberia	Mauritius	New Zealand	Nigeria	Philippines	SADC[16]	Malta	Singapore	Uganda	United Kingdom	United States
Proceed straight (no turns)
Turn right	Not used							Not used
Turn right ahead
Proceed straight or turn right	Not used		Not used	Not used						Not used
Keep right (or left)																or
Pass on either side																or [s]
Route for heavy goods vehicles and vehicles carrying dangerous goods			Not used
Roundabout			Not used	[t]												or
Minimum speed limit	Not used		Not used	Not used				Not used
Seatbelts required	Not used		Not used	Not used
Living street			Not used
Overtaking permitted [u]				Not used						Not used
Shared use path				or or		or			or	Not used	or				or or
Bicycles only
Transit only				Not used
Equestrians only			Not used	Not used

Other

	Australia	Canada	Hong Kong	Ireland	Jamaica	Liberia	Mauritius	New Zealand	Nigeria	Philippines	SADC[16]	Malta	Singapore	Uganda	United Kingdom	United States
Speed camera	or
One-way street																or
Two-way traffic			Not used					Not used			Not used					[o]
Pedestrian crossing				or		[22] or [23]
Dead end		or														or
Parking zone		or		or [v]
Taxi stand								or
Hospital											[w]				or
Bus lane
Bus stop			and	or
Train station											[w]
Airport											[w]
Electric vehicle charging station			Not used	or [v]
Freeway begins	or or							or
Freeway ends	or or							or
Customs post	[x]			[y]							[w]					Not used
National highway shield(s)	[z]
National border signs or speed limits	Not used			Not used	Not used		Not used	Not used		Not used	-	Not used				varies

See also

• Comparison of European road signs
• Comparison of MUTCD-influenced traffic signs
• Glossary of road transport terms
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
• Traffic sign
• Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals

Notes

1. Compare Bicycles Only (Ciclovia) sign in Jamaica: with No Bicycles sign in Continental Europe:
2. The last level crossing in Singapore closed in 2011, and thus train-related traffic signs became obsolete.
3. The Manila tranvia system was closed long before the country adopted standardized road signs.
4. Signs below used for crossroads with priority.
5. The sign below is a uniquely Tanzanian version of the sign above.
6. The sign below is a uniquely Tanzanian version of the sign above.
7. Similar signs exist as indication signs (signs F-300 – F-308).
8. Used only in New York.
9. Described by the DPWH as a "reverse turn" sign.
10. Unofficial versions exist.^[18][19]
11. Top sign used in Victoria. Middle sign used in New South Wales. Bottom sign used in Queensland.
12. Described by the DPWH as a "school children crossing" sign.
13. This is combination advance warning sign (W308 "children") with a supplementary plate (IN11.4), commonly used to warn of school zones in South Africa. There is also a W305 "scholar patrol" warning for guarded pedestrian crossings:
14. Used only in California.
15. Temporary use only.
16. Top sign used in Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. Bottom sign used in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory.
17. Temporary use only.
18. In Singapore, U-turns are forbidden per default, unless specifically allowed by a sign. While unofficial "U-turn prohibited" signs do exist, they only serve as a reminder, and the prohibition would still have been in place without the sign.
19. Used only in New York.
20. Mini-roundabouts only.
21. In many jurisdictions, "Overtaking Permitted" is indicated solely through a change in road markings, e.g. a solid center line changing to a dashed center line. In such jurisdictions, signs in this category are only posted in locations where a change in road markings is deemed insufficient notice for drivers. This is in contrast to "No Overtaking" signs, which are almost always posted alongside changes in road markings to indicate the end of an overtaking zone.
22. The circular sign is used to indicate on-street parking, while the square-shaped sign indicates off-street parking.
23. Pictographic symbol for use on guidance signs and supplementary plates; seldom a sign in its own right
24. Australia has no land borders. The sign is used when interstate borders are closed (eg during COVID-19 restrictions).
25. For ferry terminals and ports only.
26. The bottom two shields are only in use in Western Australia, and the bottom one in Queensland. Other states are phasing out the bottom two shields.

References

1. "Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals". United Nations Treaty Collection. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
2. "Image by draperc". Mapillary. September 9, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
3. "Image by draperc". Mapillary. September 9, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
4. "Image by mkanyala". Mapillary. September 11, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
5. "Image by mkanyala". Mapillary. September 11, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
6. "Image by mkanyala". Mapillary. September 11, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
7. Joseph, Dan B. (April 14, 2016). "Image by danbjoseph". Mapillary. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
8. "Image by mkanyala". Mapillary. September 11, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
9. "Image by mkanyala". Mapillary. September 11, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
10. "Image by mkanyala". Mapillary. September 11, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
11. "Image by kanyala". Mapillary. September 11, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
12. Some speed limit signs are explicitly labeled in miles per hour,^[2] but most are either explicitly^[3][4][5][6] or implicitly measured in kilometers per hour.^[7][8] Some signs use the MUTCD's metric speed limit design.^[9][10][11]
13. British Columbia Manual of Standard Traffic Signs & Pavement Markings
14. "MUTCD HISTORY". ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
15. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2009 Edition
16. D Bain; et al. (Road Traffic Signs Technical Committee) (May 2012). Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Southern African Development Community Road Traffic Signs Manual. Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). Southern African Development Community. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
17. "Image by draperc". Mapillary. August 18, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
18. "N72 - Google Maps". Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
19. "R676 - Google Maps". Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
20. Joseph, Dan B. (April 14, 2016). "Image by danbjoseph". Mapillary. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
21. "Image by draperc". Mapillary. October 11, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
22. "Image by mkanyala". Mapillary. September 10, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
23. "Image by draperc". Mapillary. February 25, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.