Road signs in Argentina

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In

road signs are similar to those of other South American countries. They are something of a compromise between the Vienna Convention signs used in Europe and the U.S. system
. Argentina is right-hand traffic.

While warning signs are mostly based on the US's MUTCD (yellow diamond shape), information, mandatory and prohibitory signs were taken from the Vienna Convention diagrams.

In 1994, the

Congress of Argentina promulgated Law n° 24.449 with the purpose of establishing a single rules system within the whole country.[1] The diagrams of those road signs were published in the "Anex L" of Decree 779 (promulgated in 1995), which ruled Law 24.449 and added visual information to its article 22.[2]

Starting in 2013, the National Directorate of Roads of Argentina (DNV) published a series of visual identity guides that detailed specific norms for the installation and use of road signs along the country, including fonts, colors, materials, and measures, among other items. Those manuals also included an update (released in 2017), to some road signs.[3]

History

The first road signs in Argentina can be traced to 1817, in Buenos Aires Province, when Juan Martín de Pueyrredón (then Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata) promulgated a Decree to create a Road Committee. This committee was commissioned to place posts on the main roads to serve as reference and guide for pedestrians. Those posts indicated leagues travelled and destinations.[4]

In 1855, another provincial decree provided for new signs consisting of kilometre markers, which also indicated the name (or number) of the road. Both decree established the basements of an organised sign system not only in Buenos Aires but in the whole country.[4] In 1885, engineer Jorge Coquet designed a sign system which is considered the first organised system in the country. The system was a complete program that include measurements, heights, types of plaques, among other specifications.[4] Those signs were popularly known as "Coquet signs".[5]

After that, the Argentine Automobile Club ("Automóvil Club Argentino"), the largest automobile association of Argentina, started to design an own system of signs (made of iron) and placing them on the main roads in the country.

Road sign at Plaza Italia, Buenos Aires, 1931. The Argentine Automobile Club manufactured signs through several agreements with national and provincial road administrations

In 1932, the "Dirección Nacional de Vialidad" (the Argentine national office in charge of the development, planning and conservation of national routes, abbreviated DNV) was created through law 11,658. It established that all the

Congress of Argentina promulgated Law 12,153 which ruled that Argentina subscribed to road signs approved by the 1926 International Convention relating to Road Traffic held in Paris.[7][8] In article 9, Law specified that road signs should be equilateral triangle-shaped,[7] following the procedures of the Paris convention[9] but unlike the signs used in Argentina (in form of diamond).[4]

To reach a consensus and solve the problem, in 1939 the DNV created a committee to make variations to the existing sign system. After studying the case, the committee established a code that incorporated both systems, Paris convention's and U.S. signs. It finally came into force in December 1939 and has remained (with minor variations) since then.[4]

The DNV published its first manual of road signs in 1928 (under the name "Señales Camineras") with later editions in 1954, 1963, 1971 and 2017.[10] The FHWA Series typeface was adopted as the main font by the DNV in 1971.[10]

In 1941, the DVBA ("Dirección de Vialidad de Buenos Aires", the provincial road administration) signed the first agreement with the Argentine Automobile Club (ACA), which stated that the ACA would build and place about 5,000 road signs on the main routes of Buenos Aires. Other agreements were later signed between both institutions, in 1955 and 1959, that added 6,000 signs to the routes. The total amount for the 11,000 signs was m$n 2,352,000. The ACA also signed agreements with other provincial administrations, such as San Juan (in 1942), Santa Fe (1945), Entre Ríos (1945), and San Luis (1947).[4]

The Buenos Aires Visual Plan established in 1971 in the city of Buenos Aires introduced minor variations on some existing warning and regulatory signs, a part of redesigning street name signs completely.[11] Those signs also introduced the use of the helvetica font in the urban signal system of Buenos Aires.[11] That same year the ACA signed new agreements with the DNV, DVBA and other provincial offices (Santa Fe, Formosa) to build and place road signs. The total of signs were 20,000 for the DNV and 15,000 for the DVBA.[12]

New signs were introduced in December 1994, with the promulgation of Law 24.449 by the

Congress of Argentina, with the purpose of establishing a single rules system within the whole country.[13] Annex "L" of art. 22 ("uniform sign system") included a list of updated road signs for all the Argentine territory.[14][15]

Signs system

Regulatory signs

  • No straight ahead
    No straight ahead
  • No entry
    No entry
  • No cars
    No cars
  • No motorbike
    No motorbike
  • No bike
    No bike
  • No trucks
    No trucks
  • No trailers
    No trailers
  • No pedestrians
    No pedestrians
  • No animal-drawn vehicles
    No animal-drawn vehicles
  • No equestrians
    No equestrians
  • No hand carts
    No hand carts
  • No tractors
    No tractors
  • No left turn
    No left turn
  • No right turn
    No right turn
  • No U-turns
  • No passing
    No passing
  • No honking
    No honking
  • No parking
    No parking
  • No stopping
    No stopping
  • No lane change
    No lane change
  • Weight limit
    Weight limit
  • Axle weight limit
    Axle weight limit
  • Height limit
    Height limit
  • Width limit
    Width limit
  • Length limit
    Length limit
  • Maximum speed limit (60 km/h)
    Maximum speed limit (60 km/h)
  • Maximum speed limit (110 km/h)
    Maximum speed limit (110 km/h)
  • Maximum speed limit (120 km/h)
    Maximum speed limit (120 km/h)
  • Maximum speed limit (130 km/h)
    Maximum speed limit (130 km/h)
  • Minimum speed limit (35 km/h)
    Minimum speed limit (35 km/h)
  • Minimum speed limit (60 km/h)
    Minimum speed limit (60 km/h)
  • Reserved parking
    Reserved parking
  • Bus lane
    Bus lane
  • Motorbike lane
    Motorbike lane
  • Bike lane
    Bike lane
  • Bridle path
    Bridle path
  • Pedestrians only
    Pedestrians only
  • Snow chains allowed
    Snow chains allowed
  • Turn right mandatory
    Turn right mandatory
  • Turn left mandatory
    Turn left mandatory
  • One way to right
    One way to right
  • One way to left
    One way to left
  • One way to straight
    One way to straight
  • Pass on right
    Pass on right
  • Pass on left
    Pass on left
  • Trucks must keep right
    Trucks must keep right
  • Pedestrians must keep left
    Pedestrians must keep left
  • Stop - control
    Stop - control
  • Two-way traffic
    Two-way traffic
  • Stop
  • Yield
  • Yield to oncoming traffic
    Yield to oncoming traffic
  • End of passing prohibition
    End of passing prohibition
  • End of maximum speed limit (60 km/h)
    End of maximum speed limit (60 km/h)

Warning signs

  • Railway crossing ahead
    Railway crossing ahead
  • Pedestrian crossing
    Pedestrian crossing
  • Attention
    Attention
  • Curve to right
    Curve to right
  • Curve to left
    Curve to left
  • Sharp turn to right
    Sharp turn to right
  • Sharp turn to left
    Sharp turn to left
  • Double curve, first to left
    Double curve, first to left
  • Double curve, first to right
    Double curve, first to right
  • Double sharp turn, first to left
    Double sharp turn, first to left
  • Double sharp turn, first to right
    Double sharp turn, first to right
  • Winding road, first to left
    Winding road, first to left
  • Winding road, first to right
    Winding road, first to right
  • Steep descent
    Steep descent
  • Steep ascent
    Steep ascent
  • Road narrows
    Road narrows
  • Road narrow on right
    Road narrow on right
  • Road narrow on left
    Road narrow on left
  • Dip
    Dip
  • Bump
    Bump
  • Slippery road
    Slippery road
  • Loose stones
    Loose stones
  • Falling rocks
    Falling rocks
  • Tunnel
    Tunnel
  • Narrow bridge
    Narrow bridge
  • Swing bridge
    Swing bridge
  • Height limit ahead
    Height limit ahead
  • Width limit ahead
    Width limit ahead
  • Start of dual carriageway
    Start of dual carriageway
  • End of dual carriageway
    End of dual carriageway
  • Roundabout ahead
  • Merging traffic
    Merging traffic
  • Two-way traffic ahead
    Two-way traffic ahead
  • Crossroads
    Crossroads
  • Side road to right
    Side road to right
  • Y-junction
    Y-junction
  • T-junction
    T-junction
  • School
    School
  • Children
    Children
  • Cyclists
    Cyclists
  • Horse riders
    Horse riders
  • Cattle
    Cattle
  • Deer
    Deer
  • Low-flying aircraft
    Low-flying aircraft
  • Trams
    Trams
  • Tractors
    Tractors
  • Ambulance station
    Ambulance station
  • Wind
    Wind
  • Traffic lights
    Traffic lights
  • Stop sign ahead
    Stop sign ahead
  • Yield sign ahead
    Yield sign ahead

Informative signs

  • Motorway
    Motorway
  • End of motorway
    End of motorway
  • Parking
    Parking
  • Turn right permitted
    Turn right permitted
  • Turn left permitted
    Turn left permitted
  • Turn right
    Turn right
  • Turn left
    Turn left
  • Turn left and straight ahead
    Turn left and straight ahead
  • Turn right and straight ahead
    Turn right and straight ahead
  • Lane split
    Lane split
  • Turn left and right ahead
    Turn left and right ahead

See also

References

  1. ^ Law n° 24.449 (separated by Province) on Agencia Nacional de Seguridad Vial de Argentina website (archive), 30 Mar 2014
  2. ^ Anexo L - SISTEMA DE SEÑALIZACION VIAL UNIFORME on Infoleg
  3. ^ SE EDITO EL MANUAL DE SEÑALAMIENTO HORIZONTAL on Revista Vial, 30 Aug 2013
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Comentario sobre señalamiento by Albino Pozzi on Vialidad magazine #10, Jan-Mar 1960
  5. ^ Señaladores de Coquet fueron donados al Museo, 21 Oct 2011
  6. ^ LEY NACIONAL DE VIALIDAD on InfoLeg
  7. ^ a b Drivers: United Nations road safety conventions
  8. ^ Ley 12153: APROBACION DE CONVENCION SOBRE CIRCULACION INTERNACIONAL DE AUTOMOVILES on InfoLeg, 9 Jan 1935
  9. ^ Rs 0.741.11 International Convention Of 24 April 1926 Relating To Vehicular Traffic (With Annexes)
  10. ^ a b Manual de señalamiento vertical (2017) on DNV
  11. ^ a b Haciendo la ciudad legible by Ronald Shakespear (archived, 18 Jun 2011)
  12. ^ El señalamiento vial del ACA
  13. ^ LEY DE TRANSITO - Ley 24449 del 23/12/1994 on InfoLeg
  14. ^ SISTEMA DE SEÑALIZACION VIAL UNIFORME - Decreto 779, Anexo L
  15. ^ Law n° 24.449 (separated by Province) on Agencia Nacional de Seguridad Vial de Argentina website (Archive), 30 Mar 2014

External links