Road signs in the Philippines are regulated and standardized by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).The Highway Safety Design Standards Manual of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH): Most of the signs reflect minor influences from American and Australian signs but keep a design closer to the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, to which the Philippines is an original signatory. The Philippines signed the convention on November 8, 1968, and ratified it on December 27, 1973.
Though the Philippines has signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, road signs "Priority Road", "End of priority road", "Give way to oncoming traffic" and "Priority over oncoming traffic", which are mainly found in European countries, are not used in this country as well as in the United States, Canada, and Latin American countries.
Part 2 of the Highway Safety Design Standards Manual mandates the use of the Standard alphabets, often referred to as Highway Gothic. It contains a reproduction of the former Australian implementation AS1744-1975 Standard Alphabets in the appendix pp A103-A146. Clearview appears to have supplanted it, and other fonts are in use.
Regulatory signs Regulatory signs indicate the application of legal or statutory requirements. Disregarding these signs may constitute the road user to an offense.
Priority signs
Directional signs
Restrictive signs
Speed signs
Parking signs
Miscellaneous signs
Warning signs Warning signs are used to warn road users to the potential hazard along, or adjacent to, the road. They are triangular and red-bordered, similar to warning signs used in Europe.
Horizontal alignment signs
Intersection and junction signs
Advance warning of traffic control devices signs
Road width signs
Road obstacle signs
Pedestrian signs
Railroad crossing signs
Supplementary signs
Other warning road signs
Guide or information signs Guide or information signs are used to inform road users about the direction and distances of the route that they are following.
Advance direction signs
Intersection direction signs
Reassurance direction signs
Finger board and direction signs for less important roads
Street sign
Town names and geographical feature signs
Service signs
Tourist information and tourist destination signs
Route marker signs
Asian highway route marker signs
Expressway signs Expressway signs are signs that are used on, or near, controlled-access roads.
Expressway approach signs
Expressway information signs
Advance exit signs
Exit direction signs
Expressway service signs
End of expressway signs
Toll signs
Expressway traffic instruction and regulatory signs
Traffic instruction signs Traffic instruction signs are used to instruct a road user to follow a direction or perform an action. These are also used as a supplement for regulatory and warning signs.
Supplementary signs
Movement instruction signs
Hazard markers Hazard markers are signs that are usually used in places with obstructions and curves. These signs may be used with or after a warning sign.
Criticism Some writers and motorists have commented on problems with Philippine road signs, such as unclear wording, inconsistent placement, and limited use of Filipino. In 2000, columnist Al S. Mendoza argued that traffic signs should be changed from English to Filipino to improve comprehension. Later articles in the Philippine Daily Inquirer criticized obscure or poorly placed road signs as a safety hazard.
See also Vehicle registration plates of the Philippines
Sources
References
External links A quick guide to safe driving by recognizing standard road signs in the Philippines by the Manila Bulletin
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