Comparison of traffic signs in English-speaking countries

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

Most road signs come in a different language rather than English. Example shows a road sign in Malta in Maltese language.

Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are all SADC members who drive on the left and use the SADC Road Traffic Signs Manual, and thus have identical road signs.

Differences between traffic signs in English-speaking countries

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

	Australia	Bahamas	Belize	Canada	Hong Kong	Ireland	Jamaica	Liberia	Mauritius	New Zealand	Nigeria	Philippines	South Africa	Sierra Leone	Singapore	United Kingdom	United States
Drives on...	Left	Left	Right	Right	Left	Left	Left	Right	Left	Left	Right	Right	Left	Right	Left	Left	Right
Speed units	km/h	mph	mph	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h or mph[11]	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h	km/h	mph	mph

Differences in units

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.
Note that the imperial speed limit (left) is shown using a Canadian-style sign, rather than an MUTCD-standard one as would be used in the US

• All main countries, except for the United States and the United Kingdom, use the metric system. Some countries 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[11] 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.[12]
• 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).[13] 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.[14] 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 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.[lower-alpha 1]
  • Canada uses a unique style of mandatory sign that features a green circle.

Warning

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

	Australia	Canada	Hong Kong	Ireland	Jamaica	Liberia	Mauritius	New Zealand	Nigeria	Philippines	SADC	Sierra Leone	Singapore	United Kingdom	United States
Stop ahead
Yield / Give Way ahead
Traffic signals ahead
Roundabout ahead
Two-way traffic ahead										?
Uncontrolled railroad crossing ahead			Not used										Not used[lower-alpha 2]
Level railroad crossing with barriers ahead
Tram / streetcar crossing		Not used
Railroad crossbuck	or			Not used				or		or
Level crossing (multiple tracks)	or													Not used
Crossroads ahead											or[lower-alpha 3] or[lower-alpha 4]
Junction with a side road ahead	or
Traffic merges ahead	or														or or
Added lane	or														or
Divided highway ahead															or
Divided highway ends
Road narrows ahead			or
Narrow bridge ahead
Dangerous crosswinds			Not used										Not used		State specific
Low-flying aircraft								or						or	State specific
Steep hill downwards								or		or
Steep hill upwards								or		or
Uneven surface
Dip in road													Not used
Speed hump						[15]
Slippery road surface
Loose road surface
Pavement ends
Gentle curve ahead	or
Sharp curve ahead	or
Double gentle curve ahead	or
Double sharp curve ahead	or
Series of curves ahead	or
Hairpin curve ahead	or
School zone	or[16] or
Children / playground ahead				or								[17]
Pedestrian crossing ahead								or
Pedestrians on road ahead
Domestic animals
Wild animals
Cyclists crossing
Trucks crossing
Equestrians
Emergency vehicles
Farm vehicles
Falling rocks or debris
Opening or swing bridge			Not used					Not used					Not used
Tunnel ahead															Not used[lower-alpha 5]
Height restriction ahead
Width restriction ahead
Length restriction ahead
Weight restriction ahead
Roadworks [lower-alpha 6]
Other danger

Regulatory

Priority

	Australia	Canada	Hong Kong	Ireland	Jamaica	Liberia	Mauritius	New Zealand	Nigeria	Philippines	SADC	Sierra Leone	Singapore	United Kingdom	United States
Stop
Yield / Give Way				or										or
Yield to oncoming traffic

Prohibitory

	Australia	Canada	Hong Kong	Ireland	Jamaica	Liberia	Mauritius	New Zealand	Nigeria	Philippines	SADC	Sierra Leone	Singapore	United Kingdom	United States
No entry	or[lower-alpha 7]			(no exceptions:) (exceptions apply:)		[18]
Road closed/Vehicles prohibited	or										?
No motor vehicles													Not used
No motorcycles
No bicycles
No pedestrians
No heavy goods vehicles											or				or
No vehicles carrying dangerous goods
No vehicles carrying explosives															Not used
Minimum safe following distance between vehicles															Not used
Maximum speed limit						or [11]
Speed restriction ends
Maximum height
Maximum width
Maximum length
Maximum weight
Maximum weight per axle
No left turn	or[lower-alpha 7]									or	or
No right turn	or[lower-alpha 7]									or	or
No U-turn	or[lower-alpha 7]					[19]				or			Not used[lower-alpha 8]
No overtaking								?		or
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	Sierra Leone	Singapore	United Kingdom	United States
Proceed straight (no turns)
Turn right
Turn right ahead
Proceed straight or turn right
Keep right (or left)															or
Pass on either side
Roundabout
Minimum speed limit
Overtaking permitted [lower-alpha 9]	or
Pedestrians only
Bicycles only
Shared use path
Transit only

Other

	Australia	Canada	Hong Kong	Ireland	Jamaica	Liberia	Mauritius	New Zealand	Nigeria	Philippines	SADC	Sierra Leone	Singapore	United Kingdom	United States
One-way street
Two-way traffic
Pedestrian crossing						[20] or [21]
Bump in road
Dead end		or
Escape lane
Tunnel
Speed limit zone
No parking zone
Parking zone
Hospital
Bus stop
Train station
Airport
Freeway begins								or
Freeway ends
Customs post
National highway shield(s)

See also

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

Notes

1. Compare Bicycles Only (Ciclovia) sign in Brazil: with No Bicycles (Verbot für Radfahrer) sign in Germany:
2. The last level crossing in Singapore closed in 2011, and thus train-related traffic signs became obsolete.
3. Signs below used for crossroads with priority.
4. The sign below is a uniquely Tanzanian version of the sign above.
5. No equivalent sign in the national MUTCD. Individual state MUTCDs may include equivalent.
6. Temporary use only.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.

References

1. "Image by draperc". Mapillary. September 9, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
2. "Image by draperc". Mapillary. September 9, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
3. "Image by mkanyala". Mapillary. September 11, 2017. 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. Joseph, Dan B. (April 14, 2016). "Image by danbjoseph". Mapillary. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
7. "Image by mkanyala". Mapillary. September 11, 2017. 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 kanyala". Mapillary. September 11, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
11. Some speed limit signs are explicitly labeled in miles per hour,[1] but most are either explicitly[2][3][4][5] or implicitly measured in kilometers per hour.[6][7] Some signs use the MUTCD's metric speed limit design.[8][9][10]
12. British Columbia Manual of Standard Traffic Signs & Pavement Markings
13. MUTCD History
14. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2009 Edition
15. "Image by draperc". Mapillary. August 18, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
16. Top sign used in Victoria. Middle sign used in New South Wales. Bottom sign used in Queensland.
17. (Alter)Native Lens: Seeing my Sierra Leone like a Postcolony
18. Joseph, Dan B. (April 14, 2016). "Image by danbjoseph". Mapillary. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
19. "Image by draperc". Mapillary. October 11, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
20. "Image by mkanyala". Mapillary. September 10, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
21. "Image by draperc". Mapillary. February 25, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.