Road Signs

The language of traffic signs in the US, and Australia is English.

About Road Signs

Each state and province uses different signs for its highways. However, standard signs are used on all federal highways. Blue pentagon-shaped signs with yellow lettering are sometimes used in counties across the U.S. for county route markers. This practice is, however is inconsistent between states as well as within states. Another difference, in the United States, distance is measured in miles instead of kilometers.

In the United States, traffic signs were standardized by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). While some states have variations on these standards, they must still be in conformance with the MUTCD. However, signs may still vary from state to state, especially on older signs, which have not been replaced yet.

The language of traffic signs in the US, and Australia is English. In Canada, the majority of its signs are also written in English. However, in Quebec where French is the spoken language, French is used on all signs. In New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba, and a few other provinces both English and French are used. In the United States, close to the U.S.-Mexico border, English-Spanish road signs are often used.

The United States primarily uses the Federal Highway Administration alphabet series typeface on signs. The Federal Highway Administration, FHWA, of the U.S. Department of Transportation, or USDOT set the standards for traffic signs, road markings, and signals. These standards include how they are designed as well as how they are installed. The design standards include shapes, colors, and type of font, or typeface. All traffic signs in the United States must correspond to these standards to some degree.

In the early 1900s roads were endorsed and taken care of by private automobile clubs, who generated income through club memberships. However, clashes between the automobile
clubs led to multiple sets of signs being put up on the same highway. The Manual and Specifications for the Manufacture, Display, and Erection of U.S. Standard Road Markers and Signs was published in 1927 by the American Association of State Highway Officials, or AASHO. This standardized traffic signs on rural roads. The AASHO then followed it with the Manual on Street Traffic Signs, Signals, and Markings, which standardized traffic signs for urban areas. In 1932, AASHO started work with the National Conference on Street and Highway Safety, or NCSHS, to develop uniform standards for all areas. These standards were the Manual on
Uniform Traffic Control Devices, MUTCD, which was released three years later in 1935. The MUTCD standardized all road signs and pavement markings. Since 1935, only eight more editions have been published. These additions contained updates, which occurred due to the increase size of the nations road system, and the technological improvements that have been made.