Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Sign Equals Thousand Words

Consistency of Traffic/Road Signs and Verbal Messages

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Infrastructure and Safety in a Collaborative World

  • 681 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter shows the results of a terminological and linguistic approach to analyse traffic/road signs and verbal messages and their conceptual elements, with a view to achieving more consistency within and among countries. Work in this chapter started off from defining key meanings and bilingual messages for VMSs. It covers quite a range of different aspects from the optimization of some of the existing road/traffic signs (and their verbal and non-verbal elements) and VMSs (variable message signs) via the information design of the data contained therein, to Europe-wide harmonization and testing. It is, therefore, complementary to the previous Chap. 13, which focuses more on the layout and pictograms. In the course of IN-SAFETY, it became clear that some road/traffic signs, as well as additional signs and VMSs or (verbal or non-verbal) elements thereof should – and could easily – be harmonized, not only for the benefit of pan-EU traffic information/control systems, but especially as regards user-friendliness to support SER and FOR – thus diminishing the potential of accidents caused by distracted drivers. In order to obtain these results, a systematic methodology was developed for the aspects under investigation and applied as “Europeanisms”, encompassing key meanings and potential objects for harmonization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • American Library Association; Library of Congress (ed.), ALA-LC Romanization Tables: Transliteration Schemes for Non-Roman Scripts, (1997) Some of the tables have been revised in the meantime, see: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/roman.html

  • V. Anttila, J. Luoma, P. Rämä, Visual demand of bilingual message signs displaying alternating text messages. Transp. Res. Part F Traffic Psychol. Behav. 3(2) 65–74 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Ballardin, D. Bruno, E. Rovida, Some observations about the semanticas and syntax of road signs. TEC 6, 267–269 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Bilak, Stereotypes on the street, in http://www.icograda.org/feature/current/articles64.htm from Dot Dot Dot, Graphic Design/Visual Culture Magazine

  • R. Clark, Bilingual signs pass road test in Canada. The national website of Wales, 2005. Accessed 4 Jan 2007, see: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/tm_objectid=15595653&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=bilingual-road-signs-pass-test-name_page.html

  • H. Erke, Psychologische und grafische Aspekte der Konzeption von Piktogrammen, 20 Aug 2003 (unpublished manuscript)

    Google Scholar 

  • EURESCOM Report on P923, Multilingual web sites: best practice, guidelines and architectures, D1 Guidelines for building multilingual web sites – Sept 2000, http://www.eurescom.eu/Public/projectresults/P900-series/923d1.asp

  • Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing, German Road Traffic Regulations (inofficial translation of the German Straßenverkehrsordnung). (BAST, s.a, Bergisch-Gladbach) unpublished

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Hawkins (ed.), Study of the Standards-Related Information Requirements of Users in the Information Society. Final Report to CEN/ISSS, 14 February 2000 (SPRU, Brussels, 2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • E. Hovy et al. (eds.), Multilingual information management: current levels and future abilities. A report commissioned by the US National Science Foundation and also delivered to the European Commission’s Language Engineering Office and the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, Apr 1999, http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ref/mlim/index.html

  • S.L. Jamson, F.N. Tate, A.H. Jamson, Bilingual variable message signs: a study of information presentation and driver distraction, in 1st International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training and Vehicle Design, Aspen, CO, 2001, pp. 153–158

    Google Scholar 

  • S.L. Jamson, F.N. Tate, A.H. Jamson, Evaluating the effects of bilingual traffic signs on driver performance and safety. Ergonomics 48(15), 1734–1748 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Karhunen, Bilingual variable message signs – drivers’ opinion and visual load, 1998

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Matteini, Multilinguality and the Internet. European Parliament, 2001 (Research Directorate A. STOA – Scientifical and technological options assessment. Briefing Note No. 2/2001), http://www.sustainable-design.ie/sustain/EPbrief-InternetMultilinguality.pdf

  • Ovum (ed.), Repositories and XML: Technology Choices for Meta-Data Management (Ovum, London, 1999)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pricewaterhouse Coopers (comp.), Cultural diversity market study. Final Report, Luxembourg, 2001

    Google Scholar 

  • TROPIC (ed.), TRaffic OPtimisation by the Integration of Information and Control. Tropic Final Report, EC Contract RO-96-SC.303/2, 1999

    Google Scholar 

  • UN/ECE (ed.), Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Vienna, 1968 (Vienna Convention)

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO (ed.), in Recommendation Concerning the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace, adopted by the UNESCO General Conference, UNESCO, Paris, 2003 (32 C /Resolution 41)

    Google Scholar 

  • VAMOS Consortium (ed.), White Book for Variable Message Signs Application, Oct 1991

    Google Scholar 

Pertinent Standards

  • EN 12767:2000, Passive Safety of Support Structures for Road Equipment – Requirements and Test Methods (CEN, Brussels, 2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • EN 12899-1:2001, Fixed, Vertical Road Traffic Signs – Part 1: Fixed Signs (CEN, Brussels, 2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • EN 12966-1:2005, Road Vertical Signs – Variable Message Traffic Signs – Part 1: Product Standard (CEN, Brussels, 2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • EN 12966-2:2005, Road Vertical Signs – Variable Message Traffic Signs – Part 2: Initial Type Testing (CEN, Brussels, 2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • EN 12966-3:2005, Road Vertical Signs – Variable Message Traffic Signs – Part 3: Factory Production Control (CEN, Brussels, 2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • CEN/ISSS/CWA 13699:1999, Model for Metadata for Multimedia Information (CEN, Brussels, 1999)

    Google Scholar 

  • CEN/ISSS/CWA 13873:2000, Information Technology – Multilingual European Subsets in ISO/IEC 10646–1 (CEN, Brussels, 2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • CEN/ISSS/CWA 13989:2000, Description of Structure and Maintenance of the Web Based Observatory of European Work on Metadata (CEN, Brussels, 2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • CEN/ISSS/CWA 14094:2001, European Culturally Specific ICT Requirements (CEN, Brussels, 2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • ELOT (ed.), ELOT 743–1982 (Conversion of the Greek Alphabet into Latin) (ELOT, Athens, 1982)

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO 80000 (Series), Quantities and Units (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva)

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO 843:1997, Information and Documentation – Conversion of Greek Characters into Latin Characters (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, 1997)

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO 7001:1990, Public Information Symbols (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, 1990)

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO/TR 7239:1984, Development and Principles for Application of Public Information Symbols (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, 1984)

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO 9186:2001, Graphical Symbols – Test Methods for Judged Comprehensibility and for Comprehension (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, 2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO/DIS 10241–1:2009, Terminological Entries in Standards – Part 1: General Requirements and Examples of Presentation (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, 2009)

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO/DIS 26162, Systems to Manage Terminology, Knowledge and Content – Design, Implementation and Maintenance of Terminology Management Systems (under preparation)

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO 12620:2009, Terminology and Other Language Resources – Specification of Data Categories and Management of a Data Category Registry for Language Resources (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, 2009), s.a. ISO Data Category Registry, http://www.isocat.org

  • ISO 16642:2003, Computer Applications in Terminology – Terminological Markup Framework (TMF) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, 2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO 15836:2009, Information and Documentation – The Dublin Core Metadata Element Set (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, 2009)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Information Centre for Terminology (Infoterm), Vienna, Austria

    Christian Galinski

Authors
  1. Christian Galinski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christian Galinski .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hellas (CERTH), Hellenic Insitute of Transport (HIT), Centre for Research and Technology, 6th Km Charilaou - Thermi Rd., Thermi, Thessaloniki, 570 01, Greece

    Evangelos Bekiaris

  2. Fac. Technology, Policy & Management, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, Delft, 2628 BX, Netherlands

    Marion Wiethoff

  3. Hellas (CERTH), Hellenic Insitute of Transport (HIT), Centre for Research and Technology, 6th Km Charilaou - Thermi Rd., Thermi, Thessaloniki, 570 01, Greece

    Evangelia Gaitanidou

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Galinski, C. (2011). A Sign Equals Thousand Words. In: Bekiaris, E., Wiethoff, M., Gaitanidou, E. (eds) Infrastructure and Safety in a Collaborative World. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18372-0_14

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18372-0_14

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-18371-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-18372-0

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation