Implementing traffic signs is a crucial way to keep drivers, passengers, and pedestrians safe on the road.
But traffic and transport signs can also be used within your warehouse or workplace where there are many moving parts such as vehicles moving in and out of your facility.
Even safety within your own company car park is important as accidents may often occur there.
Finding traffic signs online is easy with Signsmart!
Explore our range of transport and traffic signs, as well as any other signs relevant to your unique workplace or industry.
What are the signs on the road?
Traffic signs on the road allow drivers to travel safely and cautiously in order to limit road accidents and to help people comply with the law.
For the purpose of this blog post, we’ll exclusively be focusing on traffic safety signs within private parameters, suh as a warehouse or any other commercial property.
What are signs around commercial buildings?
There are a ton of traffic safety signs available, each applicable to a range of areas around commercial buildings, such as:
- Car parks
- Loading docks
- Warehouses
These signs can include directions on where vehicles can and cannot stand, speed limits that must be obeyed, any warnings to be aware of such as pedestrians or other vehicles, and a number of other instructional signage.
What are the 6 different shapes of traffic signs?
Because there are so many types, shapes, and colours of traffic signs, it can be easier to familiarise yourself with them based on one of these individual qualities.
Having a universal shape can help our brains quickly identify the type of warning or meaning of the message before we even interpret the wording.
1. Octagon
An octagonal sign is a great example of having this universal quality, as this shape almost exclusively gets used for STOP signs all around the world.
STOP signs are critical for drivers to give way to other vehicles, and may be necessary in a workplace that sees heavy traffic and lots of movement.
2. Triangle
Perhaps the most popular triangle traffic sign is GIVE WAY.
These signs are similar to Stop signs, but when you encounter them, you don’t have to come to a complete stop provided you can safely look out for any oncoming traffic.
GIVE WAY signage may be necessary at crossroads such as a carpark entry or exit.
Caution signs are often also triangular shaped but in yellow with black writing and/or a pictogram.
These are often required in commercial settings to indicate anything from trip hazards and slipping hazards to high voltage, live wires, or moving machinery.
3. Rectangle
There are both vertical and horizontal rectangular traffic signs that get used in Australia.
Vertical rectangular signs
These get used a lot more often and are used for instructional signs that give instructions such as ONE WAY, KEEP LEFT, or NO RIGHT TURN.
This shape is also commonly used for car park and parking signs, such as EXIT ONLY or NO STANDING.
Horizontal rectangular signs
These signs often get used to fit longer words or more information that wouldn’t otherwise fit on a vertical rectangular sign.
These can include school zone parking times and other complex parking instructional signs.
Horizontal rectangular signs are also found on freeways.
4. Round
Circular signs most commonly get used to indicate the speed limit. Most of the time, the sign itself is rectangular, but the red circle encompassing the numeral is easily identifiable as a speed indicator.
Often other round traffic symbols are also rendered onto vertical rectangular shaped signs, such as signs with a red circle with a cross through it like No U-Turn signs or prohibition signs such as No Smoking signs.
5. Diamond
Diamond road signs usually indicate warnings, such as a slippery road or dead end is approaching. However in more commercial settings, diamond-shaped signage is commonly used to indicate hazardous, toxic, flammable, or dangerous materials.
These signs are referred to as Class Diamonds, and are used anywhere that such substances are stored, transported, or handled.
6. Obsolete signs
Pennant and pentagon signs do fall under the six different shaped signs, but are rarely used in Australia. Internationally, they are commonly used to identify school zones.
What are the 4 types of traffic signs?
Another categorisation that VicRoads uses for traffic signs is:
- Regulatory signs
- Warning signs
- Freeway and guide signs
- Tourist and service signs
Regulatory signs
Regulatory signs are basically every traffic sign except for yellow and black caution signs and signs referring to locations or destinations.
Warning signs
Warning signs or cautionary signs are the black and yellow diamond or triangular shaped signs that suggest safe driving practices or let you know of a potential obstacle in its proximity.
Freeway and guide signs
These signs explain how far away destinations are, where toll roads are, and the directions or certain highways.
Tourist and service signs
These signs are similar to guide signs but tell you where and how far away rest stops, hospitals, and petrol stations are, and are generally only on highways and freeways.
Need traffic signs for your workplace or factory?
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If you’re the manager of a warehouse, the owner of a construction company, or require parking signs in your commercial facility to maintain or improve safety, then Signsmart is the perfect place to shop for safety signs.
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