Should we use a single colour for all directional signage in the UK?

[Peter350]

The vast majority of drivers will be aware that the UK uses three different colours for directional signage. Blue for motorways, Green for primary routes and white for non-primary routes and local destinations. For most people, this works fine, although I can foresee an issue with this system when it comes to routes being upgraded and downgraded. For example, replacing green signage when a primary route gets bypassed offers no additional benefit to the driver because the sign will be almost exactly the same, just a different colour and route numbers changed.

So I think we should adopt what the Americans have been doing for years and just use one colour for all directional signage on major routes, whether they’re motorways, primary routes or regionally important thoroughfares. All route numbers should be in coloured panels to signify how important they are, rather than the colour of the sign itself doing that job. For example, Blue for motorways: Green for primary routes, Red for non-primary A roads and Yellow for B roads. That way, when a road’s classification changes, the sign no longer needs to be changed. Instead, a new route number coloured sticker can simply be placed over the old one.

Additionally I don’t think it makes sense for lane merge signs to share the same colour as the direction signs on the route because they’re clearly information, not direction signs. The American equivalent of this even comes under the warning category (yellow diamond) so why didn’t we do the same?

So what are your thoughts on this?

[Nicholas]

I think we need to stay with the status quo. The colour makes it obvious which are the important longer-distance routes. Yes, a large proportion of people use sat-navs, but not all of us do - myself included as I just don't trust them. If our numbering system was different, such as the historically-proposed T-road classification for trunk routes, or if trunk/primary routes were all given low numbers and other A roads were all higher numbered, then it would have a chance.

Given the amount of old signage that gets badly patched or not even updated - and cases where signage are the wrong colour for the type of road - any change to the system will never end up being 100% correct.

The other option would be to adopt a system similar to France, where the primary destinations are given different coloured signs to highlight their importance (except when leading onto a motorway, when everything is blue), and route numbers are on separate panels (see my avatar for an example). At least this would reduce the cost of replacement as only the cartouche gets replaced.

TBH, I could go on, but that would need another thread to stop it going off topic as it would relate to my opinion on aligning primary and trunk networks.

As for lane merge arrangements, I do think the signage is far too large... I think the French system of a small blue information sign is adequate enough.

[Conekicker]

So the current situation, where we've got a mish-mash of signs dating back over the decades as sign designs have changed, coupled with designers getting it wrong thrown into the mix, will have a further set of designs added to it.

In theory, 20-odd years after a new design is introduced everything would be hunky-dory. Except some old signs will still linger on and designers will still, inevitably, get it wrong.

What a good idea?

[Stevie D]

Having different coloured signage makes it easier to read signs from a distance. If I know that I'm heading for a motorway and I can see a blue panel on the sign, that gives me a head start because I can focus immediately on that panel and then probably ignore the rest of the sign. One thing that would make this even easier would be if we went back to the previous system of having ALL local sounds as black-on-white regardless of the status of the road.

While there is some merit in the French system of signing primary destinations in green regardless of the status of the road, I am not convinced that it outweighs the benefits of the system we have now, and it certainly wouldn't be enough better to justify changing an established system.

[KeithW]

It is not the case that American Signage is all the same.

While they all use the same basic style guide the application varies considerably from state to state.
Some as you say use a single large green sign with stickers but others use multiple separate signs on the same gantry and then there are 20 or so states that have implemented their own variations.

I really would not encourage this sort of mess
https://assets2.bigthink.com/system/ide ... 1457717730

In fact there is considerable discussion in the US around the whole issue as in many cases there are so many signs at a junction its hard to make sense of them all especially as can happen when two roads have the same number and you have a short period to decide if that is a Federal Highway Sign or a State Highway sign where the only distinguishing factor may be the shape of the shield and of course every State has its own style for that. In fact its rather hard to distinguish the stylised Ohio State Road Shield from a US Highway Shield especially in a snow storm at night !

Ohio had to renumber its State Road 40 as drivers kept confusing it with US 40 in the same region. It became Ohio 22 and while there is a US 22 its in another part of the State.

[c2R]

I agree that we should retain very quick visual identification of routes.

If you'd never been to MK before but were aiming to drive from the M1 to Buckingham; you'd want to follow the green signs through, even if the next forward destination on the sign was unfamiliar - and not get drawn into any of the suburbs on the white signs - to a stranger, all the destinations might be unfamiliar and the roads are of a similar quality, but navigation is aided by having the through route highlighted at a glance.

[Herned]

The vast majority of drivers will be aware that the UK uses three different colours for directional signage.

Haven't you answered your own question? Why fix something which clearly isn't broken

[Johnathan404]

The Chichester Bypass, Oxford Ring Road, A43 and A46 are all much easier to follow thanks to the use of coloured patches on roundabout signs.

[Bryn666]

The system we have only causes problems because of inept designers who make a hash of it.

Used properly, Guildford patch and panel is great. Get it wrong......

[Big L]

The vast majority of drivers will be aware that the UK uses three different colours for directional signage.

I really admire this kind of optimism. I will accept that most drivers know about blue signs, but if you take a few random people and ask them the difference between green and white direction signs I reckon you will struggle to get the correct answer.

[exiled]

While there is some merit in the French system of signing primary destinations in green regardless of the status of the road, I am not convinced that it outweighs the benefits of the system we have now, and it certainly wouldn't be enough better to justify changing an established system.

French signs have merit and is fairly consistent, as Bryn points out our system relies on the authorities getting it right, where in France there seems more consistency.

As for colour, the NL and Belgium are virtually mono colour, blue. By having motorways signed green off of the motorways Belgium is to my experience slightly easier in colour than the NL.

[KeithW]

I really admire this kind of optimism. I will accept that most drivers know about blue signs, but if you take a few random people and ask them the difference between green and white direction signs I reckon you will struggle to get the correct answer.

The way I look at it is if they have not bothered to find out too bad for them but those of us who do know find the distinction rather useful.

[Stevie D]

The vast majority of drivers will be aware that the UK uses three different colours for directional signage.

I really admire this kind of optimism. I will accept that most drivers know about blue signs, but if you take a few random people and ask them the difference between green and white direction signs I reckon you will struggle to get the correct answer.

I am sure that there are lots of drivers who, if you asked them "What three colours are used for mainstream directional road signs in the UK and what is the distinction between them", many would struggle to articulate the difference between motorways, primary routes (especially if you required them to use the term!) and local roads. But confront them with actual signs on the road and I'm sure many of those who struggled with the theoretical question would still get somewhere towards "motorways are blue, main roads are green and other roads are white".

[odlum]

Should switch to yellow diamond signage.

[Alderpoint]

The way I look at it is if they have not bothered to find out too bad for them but those of us who do know find the distinction rather useful.

Signage, what's that? Surely they just follow what the SatNav says.

[ais523]

Should switch to yellow diamond signage.

That might look too similar to the white diamonds we use to direct trams.

(White-diamond signage is pretty helpful here as it looks so different from regular signage that there's very little risk of a car accidentally trying to follow instructions given by a tram sign, so the two sorts of signs can safely be mixed on roads that are shared between the two modes of transport.)

[Richard_Fairhurst]

The system we have only causes problems because of inept designers who make a hash of it.

Used properly, Guildford patch and panel is great. Get it wrong......

I understand the logic of Guildford, but I think it gets the visual hierarchy wrong. To take a randomly selected example, the white panel is much more prominent than the green - yet it's the minor road at the turn and the one which fewer people will be taking. The design draws your eye to the less important road first, and the more important one after.

If the road number alone was a black-on-white patch - akin to the '(M40)' in that example - then the same meaning would be communicated, but without the distraction, and in a more space-efficient format too.

[Bryn666]

The early Irish efforts at Guildford did just that.

We never did but it may make for some interesting sign mock ups.

[Roavin]

If we tried to change it then it would cost millions and take decades. Signs take a very long time to change, especially across the whole country. For example, the D2 A1 near where I live was converted to the D3M A1(M) back in 2009, yet there are still signs there that state 'A1'.

[Bryn666]

This is basically the three ways of doing it.

Pre-1994
Route Number in a patch
Current design

Not sure which works best truth be told.