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Road signs

Nordic traffic signs present relevant differences between countries despite an apparent uniformity and standardisation. Most Nordic countries refer to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, and it has been adopted by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The convention has not been adopted by Iceland.

Differences between European traffic signs

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The main differences relate to

• graphic design details
• local regulatory significance
• the colour-coding of directional signs
• local language texts (sometimes bilingual)
• the meaning and colour-coding of horizontal road surface markings

Graphic differences

• The design of individual pictograms (tunnel, pedestrian, car, etc.), while broadly similar, often varies in detail from country to country.
• Type of arrows may be different.
• Fonts of written words

Differences in directional and informatory signage

Country	Motorways (Controlled-access highway)	Expressways (Limited-access road)	Primary roads	Secondary roads	Regional destinations	Local destinations	Tourist signs	Temporary Detour
			outside urban area
Denmark	Aarhus	N/A	Skanderborg	N/A		Stadion	Himmelbjerget	Nakskov
Faroe Islands
Finland	HELSINKI HELSINGFORS	LAPPEENRANTA	PORVOO BORGÅ	N/A	KYMINLINNA	Kirjasto	Hiidenkivi	TURKU
Greenland
Iceland
Norway	Nannestad	Lillestrøm	Trondheim	N/A		Sykehus	Kvitsand
Sweden	GÖTEBORG	STOCKHOLM	FALUN	N/A	NORRMALM	Vårdcentral	Långe Erik
Åland	n/a	n/a	LÅNGNÄS	n/a	KLINTEN	Centralsjukhuset	Bomarsund	KATTBY

Differences in meanings

• Sometimes similar signs have minor differences in meanings, following the local traffic codes.
• All European countries use the metric system (distances in kilometres or metres; speeds in kilometres per hour; heights, widths and lengths in metres; weights in tonnes) with the exception of the United Kingdom, where distances and speeds are still indicated in imperial measurements (miles or yards and miles per hour). Since 2016, on width and height limit signs both metric and imperial measurements are used (metres and feet & inches), however older signs still show imperial measurements only. Since 2011, weight limit signs use a lower case "t" to denote tonnes, although some older signs still incorrectly use an upper case "T", despite the United Kingdom having switched from the long ton to the metric tonne in 1981.

Horizontal road surface markings

• Longitudinal lines (lanes and margins) and symbols on the carriageway are always white (but in Norway a yellow line separates two-way traffic).
• A stop line is always represented by a white thick traversal continuous line, but a give way line may be represented by a white thick dashed line as rectangles (Germany, France, Spain) or by a double-dashed line (United Kingdom) or by the combination of a single solid line and a single dashed line (Ireland) or by a white line of triangles (Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland)

Different typefaces in texts

A sign with the use of Transport font in Icelandic

• Denmark uses the Dansk Vejtavleskrift typeface. The typeface is derived from the British Transport typeface.
• Finland uses a typeface developed in the 1960s by the former national board of roads and waterways.
• Iceland uses a version of the Transport typeface employed on road signs in the UK – modified to include accented characters and the Icelandic letters ð (eth) and þ (thorn) – is used on Icelandic road signs.
• Norway uses the Trafikkalfabetet typeface.
• Sweden uses the Tratex typeface.
• Åland has not defined the typeface of the road signs in its traffic law. Therefore they have signs with both Finnish and Swedish (Tratex) typeface.

In Finland, Sweden and Åland, destinations on direction signs are written in capital letters. In Danmark and Norway both capital and lowercase are used.

Table of traffic signs comparison

Priority

See also: Priority signs

	Denmark	Estonia	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
Stop
Give way
Priority road
End of priority road
Give way to oncoming traffic
Priority over oncoming traffic
Stop ahead
Give way ahead
	Denmark	Estonia		Finland		Iceland	Norway	Sweden

Warning

In Denmark and Norway, warning signs are mostly triangular, with black symbols on a white background with a red border. Finnish, Icelandic and Swedish signs have yellow backgrounds, rather than white. Yellow background is also used on warning signs that are used only temporarily in Norway. On Svalbard, a unique warning sign with a black background and white symbol is used for polar bears.

	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
Curve
Series of curves
Crossroads with priority to the right
Crossroads with a minor road
Roundabout
Traffic signals
Two-way traffic
Traffic queues
Steep ascent
Steep descent
	Denmark		Finland		Iceland	Norway	Sweden
Pedestrian crossing ahead
Pedestrians
Children
Cyclists
Domestic animals
Wild animals
Road narrows
Uneven surface
Bump
Dip
	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
Slippery surface
Loose surface material
Soft verges
Ice or snow
Fog
Falling rocks
Crosswinds
Unprotected quayside or riverbank
Opening bridge
Tunnel
	Denmark		Finland		Iceland	Norway	Sweden
Low-flying aircraft	or						or
Trams
Level crossing with barriers ahead
Level crossing without barriers ahead
Level crossing
Level crossing (multiple tracks)
Roadworks
Other danger
	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland

Prohibitory

	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
No entry
No vehicles
No motor vehicles
No motor vehicles except motorcycles
No motorcycles
No mopeds
No pedal cycles
No heavy goods vehicles
No buses
No vehicles pulling a trailer
	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
No agricultural vehicles
No animal-drawn vehicles
No vehicles carrying dangerous goods
No vehicles carrying water pollutants
No vehicles carrying inflammables or explosives
Height limit
Width limit
Length limit
Weight limit
Weight limit per axle or bogie	or		or			or	or or	or
	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
No stopping
No parking
Restricted parking zone
No overtaking
No overtaking by heavy goods vehicles
No right turn
No left turn
No U-turn
Minimum following distance between vehicles
No honking or excessive motor noise								NOTUSED
	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
No pedestrians
Speed limit
End of speed limit
Speed limit zone			or
End of speed limit zone
End of no overtaking
End of no overtaking by heavy goods vehicles
End of no honking
End of all previously signed restrictions
	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland

Mandatory

	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
Go straight
Turn right
Go straight or turn right
Roundabout
Keep right / Keep left
May pass on either side
Route for vehicles carrying dangerous goods							or
Minimum speed limit
End of minimum speed limit
	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
Footpath (pedestrians only)
Cycle path (pedal cycles only)
Shared pedestrian and cycle path
Segregated pedestrian and cycle path
Bridle path
	Denmark		Finland		Iceland	Norway	Sweden

Special regulations

	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
One-way street								NOTUSED
Bump								NOTUSED
Pedestrian crossing							or
Cyclist crossing
Living street
Pedestrian zone
Bus lane
Tunnel								NOTUSED
Expressway
Motorway
	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland

Indication

	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
No through road								or
Hospital								NOTUSED
First aid
Bus stop								local orregional
Taxi stand			or				or
Parking
Parking garage
Lane configuration
Escape lane								NOTUSED
Emergency lay-by
	Denmark		Finland		Iceland	Norway	Sweden
Advisory speed
National border
National speed limits
	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland

Built-up area limits

Under the Vienna Convention the begin and end built-up area signs imply a change between built-up area and rural traffic rules including speed limit. In many European Countries the dark background with light coloured text version of the sign is intended for information only. Poland uses white text on a green background (E-17a/E18a) to show the political boundary of a place as information and uses the black on white pictogram version (D-42/D-43) to designate the change of traffic rules.

	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
Entrance to built up area
Leaving built up area
Entrance to locality	NOT USED				NOT USED
Leaving locality	NOT USED		NOT USED		NOT USED		NOT USED	NOTUSED
	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland

Checkpoints

	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland
Customs	NOT USED				NOT USED		or or or	Customs is written under the line in a suitable language
Police	NOT USED				NOT USED	NOT USED	NOT USED
Toll	NOT USED		NOT USED			or or (electronic toll collection)		NOTUSED
Other Control			NOT USED		NOT USED			Same as "police" but with suitable text
	Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Greenland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland

See also

• Comparison of European traffic laws
• Traffic sign
• Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals
• Comparison of MUTCD-influenced traffic signs
• Comparison of traffic signs in English-speaking countries

Sources

• European Standard for Traffic Signs - EN 12899-1:2001 Fixed, Vertical Road Traffic Signs – Part 1: Fixed Signs, Requirements

References

Signs Category:Traffic signs European road signs