Important Traffic Symbols/Signs with Their Meanings
Understanding traffic symbols is very important for every single human being. Whether you are driving a car, crossing a road, asking for a ride, or walking a path, you should obey, observe, and understand the traffic signs to avoid accidents. Still, there are many of us who don't know much about traffic signals and symbols. But this shouldn't be the case, in fact, people must learn about basic road safety signs and their meanings. If you too have limited knowledge of traffic signs, stay tuned as we are going to discuss important traffic symbols/signs with their meanings.
Mandatory Signs
Talking about traffic signal symbols, we need to first understand the compulsory signs. These are the signs that are mostly required by novice drivers to learn to drive.
Stop
The first important traffic sign is Stop. While you see this sign, you need to stop on an immediate basis. Generally, a red light indicates a stop sign. Also, sometimes stop written boards are also used to ask someone to stop on the road.
Give Way
The next important signal that every driver should know is the Give Way Signal. This symbol means that you need to give passage to your right side driver so that he or they can overtake you for smooth traffic functioning.
No Entry
Almost everyone understands the No Entry signal. This signal means you can't enter certain roads or certain areas. You must reroute your vehicle if you see this signals.
One Way
One way signs tell the drivers that the road is for single direction drive only. You cannot take a u-turn or drive in the opposite way.
Vehicles Prohibited in Both Directions
In the list of all road signs, another important sign that you must know is the sign of Vehicles Prohibited in Both Directions. This sign means you cannot use any of the lanes for driving. Both directions of the road are blocked. You must reroute your drive.
Right Turn Prohibited
This sign asks the driver to take a right turn while driving. The sign ensures that sudden turning of vehicles doesn't cause any accidents.
Left Turn Prohibited
This is the sign to stop drivers from taking sudden left turns to avoid unnecessary accidents. Sometimes, in the driveway you may get space for left turn but if any vehicle comes from the opposite direction, this may cause accidents. That's why this sign is used.
Overtaking Prohibited
The symbol asks driver not to overtake any other passerby driver. While you drive on the highways you may see this sign because of the high speed of vehicles. Also, you may see this sign in narrow roads, on bridges etc.
Horn Prohibited
The symbol asks the driver not to blow horn. You will see this sign at certain places where traffic jam is less or places in front of hospitals, schools etc.
No Parking
The symbol ise used to prohibit the driver not to park their cars at certain places. You can see this symbol in front of shops, important places, high traffic areas, narrow passage areas, construction sites etc.
Speed Limit
While you are learning different traffic signal symbols and their meanings, you should understand the impact of this signal. Speed limit signal is used to implicate the drivers to limit their speed within the ask parameter. The signal can be seen at high accident prone zones, during sharp turnings, in front of schools and colleges, hospitals, narrow roads etc.
Compulsory Turn Left
If you ever see this symbol during driving, that means you must take the next left turn without any other movement option. The sign implys diversion of roads.
Compulsory Ahead
This sign is used to signal the driver to go straight only without taking and right, left or u turn.
Compulsory Turn Right
The sign implicates that the driver must take a right turn after seeing the symbols. The sign is used for safety concerns.
Compulsory Ahead or Turn Right
When you see this symbol, it wants to warn you that you can only go strayor take a right turn on that particular road or area. The symbol restricts drivers to take sudden left and u-turn.
Compulsory Ahead or Turn Left
Like the previous one, this symbol also asks the driver to either go straight or to take a left turn and no other turns are allowed.
Compulsory Sound Horn
When you are driving through the highway, you cannot have any idea about the upcoming traffic. That's why it is important to always use the horn. The symbol enables drivers to understand such places.
So, above are the mandetory road signs and their meanings. Apart from them there are lot of other cautionary signs that you can learn.
Cautionary Road Signs
Following are the cautionary signs that will help you to drive more safely.
Right Hand Curve
This symbol implicates if there is any right hand curve in your way ahead. While we drive our car, we cannot guess if there is any sudden curves ahead. The symbol helps the drivers understand about these scenarios and drive accordingly.
Left Hand Curve
Like right hand curve symbol, this symbol is also helpful in understanding the upcoming sudden left side curve and drive accordingly.
Right Hair Pin Band
Now this is an unique sign among all the traffic signs. This sign is mostly seen in hilly terrain areas where there could be sharp turns. Driver will become aware about the upcoming sharp turns of the right hand side.
Left Hair Pin Band
This sign is also equally important like the previous one. This will aware the driver about the upcoming left hand side sharp turns if any.
Right Reverse Band
The shape look like 'z' and also indicates that the upcoming road is similarly of a zigzag pattern
Left Reverse Band
Almost the same as above, this sign implicates the zigzag pattern of the upcoming left side road of your way.
Steep Ascent
This symbol is used to indicate a steep upward slope ahead. The symbol is mostly used in the hilly areas where slopes can be found too often.
Steep Descent
Almost the same as above, this sign implies the steep downward slope where you must çontrol your speed by adjusting your driving motion.
Narrow Road Ahead
The symbol stands for narrow roads. When you see this symbol, you must reduce the vehicle speed and drive slowly. The symbol is extremely helpful to reduce accidents in narrow roads.
Road Widens Ahead
When the roads of your driveway are widening, you will see this sign. The sign helps to adjust the traffic once the road is wide.
Narrow Bridge
The sign is used when the upcoming driveway bridge is narrow and you are going towards it. When you see this sign, that means you should control your vehicle speed.
Loose Gravel
In the hilly areas where there could be sudden gravel fall or land slide etc. The Loose Gravel symbol is used there to notify the drivers.
Cycle Crossing
The symbol is used to intimate the driver about the upcoming cycle crossing road. The driver must watch the car's speed.
Pedestrian Crossing
The symbol allows the pedestrian to cross the road from a particular crossing area. So, whenever any driver see this symbol, they must control car speed or stop before the crossing.
School Ahead
When school is on the way next to your current location, you will see this sign. This symbol will warn the driver to slow down speed and reduce the horn sound too.
Men at Work
The symbol is basically used in all sorts of road construction sites which implicates that due to construction work, the driver should run their vehicle cautiously to avoid accidents.
Cattle
This is another uncommon traffic symbol that you might not know yet. This symbolizes that cattle could be there, lying on the road ahead and you should drive carefully.
Falling Rocks
In extreme climates, landslides started in many places. These safety signs near me let us know about the probability of rock falling due to landslides on the road ahead and the road is not safe enough for driving.
Cross Road
This symbol implies that going ahead is the intersection of two roads or crossing of two roads like the x pattern as shown in the symbol.
Gap In Median
This symbol tells the driver about the upcoming gap in the middle of the road which can be used to take u-turns.
Side Road Right
This symbol is used to signal the driver that he can only take a right turn or go straight in this particular road ahead.
Side Road Left
When you see this sign, that means in the upcoming way you can only take a left turn or can go straight. Taking u-turn and right turn is strictly prohibited
Y-intersection
Just like the symbol, it depicts if there is any Y shaped intersection of the road ahead.
Staggered Intersection
If within a tiny distance, both right and left turns are available to take for the driver, you may see this sign there.
T-Intersection
If the road ahead has any T shaped interaction point which prohibits the drivers to go straight, this sign will be there to inform you about it.
Major Road Ahead
If there is any major cross over the way ahead, this sign will be there before you reach that spot.
Roundabout
Another important road traffic signs and driving regulations is the Roundabout sign. This symbol also shows that road crossing is taking place. So drivers must stop their ride or drive slowly.
Dangerous Dip
From the name of the sign you can easily guess that it is used to implicate any dip on the road ahead of you.
Hump or Rough Road
The symbol implies that a bumper should be there ahead or the upcoming road is bad. So drivers must drive slowly and carefully.
Unguarded Level Crossing
This symbol is used if there is any railway crossing in the road ahead. Also, an unguarded word is used to implicate the fact that there is no railway gate that could help the driver to cross the road safely. Drivers need to cross the path at their own risk considering no train is crossing.
Road Closed
You will see this road closed symbol whenever a road is totally closed for driving. The road could be closed for the following reasons - bad condition, construction work on process, broken or damaged road etc.
Guarded Level Crossing
Unlike the Unguarded Level Crossing, this symbol will be placed whenever a guarded railway crossing will be there in the road ahead. This crossing is maintained by someone which opens and closes the rail gate as per train schedule.
Information Signs
Now, let's talk about the information traffic symbols and meanings which are also very important to understand.
No Through Road
The sign implies that going ahead no through road is available. You cannot move ahead and therefore you need to reroute your vehicle.
No Through Side Road
If in the main road where you are driving, there is no side road available to take a turn, this symbol is placed to make the drivers understand.
First Aid Post
When you see this sign it means that somewhere near there is a place where first aid services are provided.
Eating Place
If in the driveway, there is a restaurant or any similar place where you can have a meal, you will find this symbol.
Light Refreshments
This sign symbolizes that you can find some place to have lite refreshments while you drive.
Public Telephone
If any public telephone booth is nearby, you can see this symbol beside the road.
Petrol Pump
The sign implies that a petrol pump is nearby.
Hospital
This is the sign of a nearby hospital if there is any. In emergency situations, this symbol will help the driver to look for hospitals through this sign.
Park This Side
This symbol is used to allow the drivers to park their vehicle at the mentioned side of the road or any particular place where the symbol card is placed.
Parking Scooters and Motorcycles
The sign is used to allow the scooter or motorcycle drivers a parking place to keep their vehicles.
Parking Lot Cycles
This symbol allows cycle owners to park their bicycles in this particular area.
Parking Lot Cars
The sign means you can park your cars in this area which is also called a parking lot cars.
Resting Place
If you are looking for a hotel or resting place, this sign will help you to understand the same.