There are several road signs put up on the sides of the roads you travel everyday on. They have been put up for your safety. But do you even know what they tell you?
Road signs are meant to keep roads organised and safe. Traffic authorities have put up thousands of signs to make sure that everyone is safe on the road, and does not face any inconvenience.
Our law makes it mandatory for everyone to follow these signs, and you are liable to pay a fine if you ignore them. Here is a chance for you to revise or learn about what each sign stands for.
One-Way Road, Only Entry
This sign means that it is a one-way road ahead and traffic is not allowed to travel in both directions here. Vehicles are only allowed to enter the road beyond this sign and you cannot travel in the opposite direction once you have entered. Only entry, No exit.
One-Way Road, Only Exit
This sign means the opposite of the previous one. You are not allowed to enter the road ahead, and traffic movement is only allowed from the other side. No entry, Only exit.
No Over-Taking
When drivers see an empty smooth road, they are provoked to drive fast, that usually involves overtaking the traffic ahead. But it is not safe to overtake on every road. To enhance safety and keep the traffic more organised on lean roads, this sign is installed. You can commonly see this sign on bridges, service lanes and old roads as overtaking is dangerous due to insufficient space.
No Stopping or Standing
This prohibits you from stopping your vehicle on the side of a road, even for a minute. If you are seen waiting in your car, or having parked your car near this sign, you may have to pay a heavy fine. Your car may also get towed away by the authorities. This sign is installed to make sure that traffic moves smoothly, there is no congestion, in high security areas, and to avoid collisions.
No Right / Left / U-Turn
These signs prohibit you from taking specific turns on a road. You cannot take a right, left or U turn where these signs have been put up. This is to avoid congestion of traffic and to enable smooth movement.
No Entry
You cannot enter the next road if this sign has been put up. This sign prohibits you from entering the road from your side. You must go around and find another entry.
No Parking
This road sign means that you cannot park your vehicle on this part of the road. Vehicles parked below or near a 'no parking' sign are towed away by traffic authorities. You would then need to go to them and pay a fine to get your vehicle back. Look around for this sign before parking your vehicle on a road. With the new e-challan system, traffic policeman take a picture of a vehicle that is wrongly parked, and the challans are sent to their mobile number later.
Speed Limit of the Road
This board tells you about your maximum speed on the road you are on. The above row shows that cars can drive at a maximum speed of 50 kmph while big vehicles cannot ride above 40 kmph. You are supposed to drive below this speed. Speed cameras have been put up around the city to catch over-speeding vehicles.
Compulsory Actions
These are some signs that make it mandatory for you to take specific actions while driving. For example, if you see the first sign, you must take a right turn from the road. You will be fined if you go straight or take some other turn. You cannot ignore these signs and must always be aware of them.
Speed Breaker Ahead
It is always better to know about the bumps ahead on the road. This sign does exactly that. You can slow down your vehicle and get ready to face a speed breaker when you see this sign put up. This informatory sign is highly beneficial during the nights and on dark roads.
School Ahead
This informatory road sign tells you that you are about to approach a school, which means that you should keep your speed low, and must not honk. Safety is the highest concern near areas with children. You should avoid accelerating your vehicle when you see this sign.
Right Hand Curve
This road sign informs you that the road ahead is about to make a right hand curve. You can brace yourself and maintain your speed to take a slight right turn and move along the curve if you know this beforehand. This sign is very helpful for drivers during the night time, and also in fast moving traffic. You can also find this sign for the left hand curve.
Knowledge is very important before you head out on the road. You can add to the safety on roads, and keep yourself from paying fines if you know what each road sign mean.
Happy Learning!
