A sign of our time

I’m not too sure how I came across it, but recently I happened to find myself reading a part of the Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 3113, and in particular Part I of The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) 2002.

Now for most, including myself, such a lengthy tome of several hundred pages would usually have as much appeal as watching paint dry. However, on this occasion I spotted a line which read “… shall cease to have effect … on 1st January 2005 in relation to signs shown in each of the following diagrams …”. There then followed a number of references to Traffic Sign Regulations from as far back as 1957. Something had caught my attention, and I wanted to find out more.

I then started to widen my search and quickly came across a number of interesting references. One of these was a section of the Department of Transport web site (www.dft.gov.uk) where I found the following link:

Signs no longer prescribed by TSRGD that have to be removed by 01/01/2005
Regulation 3(2)(a) of the TSRGD 2002 lists signs provided under previous Regulations that continue to be lawful until 1st January 2005. These signs should be removed by the traffic authority before this date.

On further investigation I soon discovered that a total of 122 road sign designs will no longer be lawful and any that still exist are to be removed from our highways! Now some of these signs I’ve never seen before, some I have not seen for some time, but others I see on a regular basis.

This of course then got me thinking, and the inevitable bank of questions came to my mind. Why are these signs being removed and are they being replaced by new signs? How many of these signs currently exist around the UK? How much will it cost to remove / replace these signs? What will happen if ‘the traffic authority’ does not remove the signs before the designated date? Will the removed signs end up on e-bay?

One question that I am fairly sure I know the answer to is “Who will pay for the removal / replacement of these signs?” – I guess that will be you and me!

At the moment, I do not have definitive answers to these questions. All I do know is that many of these familiar signs are going to disappear from view.

I did manage to find reference on the “UK Metric Association” web site where they are campaigning for a single rational system of measurement. On their site, they mention how the DfT, in their opinion, fall foul of the EU directive of metrication which became part of UK law in 1995. In particular, although the UK are still permitted to retain the mile, yard, foot and inch in respect of road signs, the UK has failed too implement these in accordance with the directive.

Although I will continue to do some more investigative work, even if only to satisfy my inquisitive mind, if anyone else has any further information or answers to any of my questions, then I would be grateful if you would let me know.

Thanks in part to Lincolnshire County Council and the DfT, I now have scanned copies of the many signs that will no longer be lawful from 1st January 2005. What I do not have, but would like to add to my collection, are pictures of these signs in-situ. I would therefore like to ask anyone reading this to keep their eyes peeled for any of these signs. If you are able to take digital photographs and send them to me they would be most welcome. If you are not able to take such pictures, I would nonetheless still like to hear where you have seen them. I can be emailed at Mark.Whalley@sbgam.org.

Any information provided will be posted on the Swansea Bay Group of Advanced Motorists web site (www.sbgam.org), unless you specifically request anonymity.

In the meantime, I have reproduced all 122 of the signs on the web site just in case they never get seen again!

Mark Whalley
Observer / Web Master, Swansea Bay Group of Advanced Motorists

Click on the picture to view the gallery

You may also like to visit Road Signs, a gallary of 'interesting' / 'humourous' road signs from around the world!