Road Signs

The Highway Authority provides signs in order to provide clear information and warnings to the road user to ensure road safety.

Signs fall into four distinct groups:

• Regulatory signs - signs with red circles that indicate a requirement.
• Warning signs - mostly triangular that provide warning of hazards.
• Direction signs - mostly rectangular that provide information on destinations.
• Information signs - mostly rectangular that provide other types of information.

All signs on the public highway must conform to government regulations and any sign placed on the highway must be authorised by the Highway Authority, including any temporary signing to new developments or events.

Tourism Signing

Tourism signing can provide an important opportunity for both tourism businesses and local economies. The Council adheres to the principle that brown and white tourist signing can be provided where motorists encounter difficulty in finding a particular facility, thereby mitigating any potential traffic and safety problems as a result, provide that sufficient car parking space is available at the facility. Signs that seek to solely advertise a facility rather than provide traffic management and road safety benefits would not normally be considered.

The Highway Code  http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/signs09.htm gives examples of the most common signs in normal use.