Road signs in South America
Road signs in the countries of South America such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela mostly follow road signs used in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and Central American countries. Signs are mostly based on the United States' Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), sharing many similarities in design to road signs used in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central American countries.
Of the countries in South America, only Suriname and French Guiana, a French overseas territory, use European-style road signs based on the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, including triangular red-bordered warning signs as in mainland Europe. Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela are the only four South American countries that have signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.[1] Chile is also the only country in South America that has ratified this convention.
The vast majority of South American countries use yellow diamond-shaped warning signs as well as in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America. Recognizing the differences in standards across Europe and the Americas, the Vienna Convention considers these types of signs an acceptable alternative to the triangular warning sign.[2] However, UN compliant signs must make use of more pictograms in contrast to more text based US variants. Indeed, most American nations make use of more symbols than allowed in the US MUTCD.
Overview
[edit]Argentina
[edit]Aruba
[edit]Bolivia
[edit]Road signs in Bolivia are regulated by the Manuales Técnicos para el Diseño de Carreteras standard which is based on the United States' MUTCD (FHWA), Central America's Manuales Técnicos para el Diseño de Carreteras (SICA), Colombia's Manual de Señalización Vial (Ministry of Transport), and Chile's Manual de Carreteras.[3] Signs share many similarities in design to road signs used in the United States, Central America and neighboring Chile.
Brazil
[edit]Colombia
[edit]Road signs in Colombia are regulated in the Manual de Señalización Vial standard, which is developed by the Ministry of Transport and based on the United States' MUTCD.[4][5][6] Many regulatory signs are based on European signs, i.e. the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, while many warning signs are based on U.S. and Canadian signs, i.e. on MUTCD.
Ecuador
[edit]Road signs in Ecuador are regulated in the Manual Básico de Señalización Vial[7][8][9] and Reglamento Técnico Ecuatoriano. RTE INEN 004-1:2011. Señalización vial.[10] Signs are similar in design to those used in the United States and Chile.
Ecuador signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals on November 8, 1968 but has yet to fully ratify it.[11]
Guyana
[edit]Road signs in Guyana generally follow the same design as those used in the United States and are based on the MUTCD with the exception that some signs are reversed since the country drives on the left.[12] However, most of current signs found in Guyana, are non-compliant with MUTCD standards.[13][14] Metric speed limit signs in km/h are found in Guyana, while in the United States such signs with speed limits in km/h are extremely rare, usually seen near the borders with Canada and Mexico, both of which use the metric system.
Paraguay
[edit]Road signs in Paraguay are regulated in the Manual de Carreteras del Paraguay standard developed by the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (Spanish: Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Comunicaciones).[15]
Peru
[edit]Road signs in Peru are regulated by the Manual de Dispositivos de Control del Tránsito Automotor para Calles y Carreteras,[16] developed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Peru. This standard is based on the United States' Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) developed by the Federal Highway Administration,[17] Colombia's Manual de Señalización Vial and Chile's Manual de Señalización de Tránsito.[18] As a result, road signs in Peru are similar in design to those used in the United States on one side and in neighbouring Chile and Colombia on the other side.
Suriname
[edit]Road signs in Suriname are particularly modelled on the Dutch road signs since Suriname is a former Dutch colony, although traffic drives on the left.
Venezuela
[edit]Road signs in Venezuela are regulated in Manual Venezolano de Dispositivos Uniformes para el Control del Tránsito and are based on the United States' MUTCD.[19]
Table of traffic signs
[edit]Priority
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| Argentina | Aruba | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | French Guiana |
Peru | Suriname | Uruguay | ||
| Stop | 
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| Give way | 
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| Give way to oncoming traffic | 
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| Priority over oncoming traffic | 
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| Priority road | 
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| Priority road ends | 
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| Argentina | Aruba | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | French Guiana |
Peru | Suriname |
Warning
[edit]| Argentina | Aruba | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | French Guiana |
Peru | Suriname | Uruguay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop sign ahead | .svg)
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.svg)
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| Give way sign ahead | .svg)
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| Traffic signals | 
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| Roundabout | 
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| Two-way traffic | 
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| Crossroads | .svg)
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| Staggered crossroads | 
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| Steep ascent | .svg)
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| Steep descent | .svg)
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| Traffic queues | 
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| Argentina | Aruba | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | French Guiana |
Peru | Suriname | ||
| Pedestrian crossing ahead |  
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| Pedestrians | 
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| Children | .svg)
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.svg)
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| Cyclists | .svg)
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| Domesticated animals | .svg)
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.svg)
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| Wild animals | .svg)
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| Road narrows | .svg)
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| Uneven surface | 
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| Bump | .svg)
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| Dip | .svg)
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| Argentina | Aruba | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | French Guiana |
Peru | Suriname | ||
| Slippery surface | 
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| Loose surface material | 
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| Falling rocks | 
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| Crosswinds | 
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| Unprotected body of water | 
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| Narrow bridge | 
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| Opening bridge | 
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| Tunnel | 
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| Low-flying aircraft | 
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| Trams | .svg)
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| Argentina | Aruba | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | French Guiana |
Peru | Suriname | ||
| Height limit ahead | 
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| Width limit ahead | 
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| Length limit ahead | 
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| Weight limit ahead | 
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| Level crossing with barriers ahead | 
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| Level crossing without barriers ahead |
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| Level crossing (single track) | 
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| Level crossing (multiple tracks) | 
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.svg){kind=small}
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| Roadworks |
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.svg)
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| Other danger | 
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| Argentina | Aruba | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | French Guiana |
Peru | Suriname |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "United Nations Treaty Collection". treaties.un.org. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
- ^ "Part I: Convention on Road Signs and Signals – Annex 3" (PDF). United Nations. p. 83.
- ^ "Manuales Técnicos para el Diseño de Carreteras" (PDF). www.abc.gob.bo (in Spanish).
- ^ "Anexo 7. Concepto Técnico N° 17 SM-32236-09" (PDF). www.movilidadbogota.gov.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ Saboya López, Adriana del Pilar (2015-05-09). "Normativa y Señalización de los Cruces Férreos en Bogotá". Normativa y Señalización de los Cruces Férreos en Bogotá (in Spanish).
- ^ "T-011-22 Corte Constitucional de Colombia". www.corteconstitucional.gov.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ "manual de señalizacion | PDF | Semáforo | Autobús". Scribd. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ https://dspace.utpl.edu.ec/bitstream/123456789/11467/1/Carpio%20Reyes%20Henrry%20Omar.pdf
- ^ "Manual Basico de Senalizacion Vial | PDF | Semáforo | Peatonal". Scribd. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ "Reglamento Técnico Ecuatoriano. RTE INEN 004-1:2011. Señalización vial. Parte 1: Señalización Vertical" (PDF). www.obraspublicas.gob.ec (in Spanish). Instituto Ecuatoriano de Normalización. 2011. p. 204. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ "United Nations Treaty Collection". treaties.un.org. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
- ^ "INVITATION TO TENDER Ref: GYSBI_ITT 102/102022" (PDF). gysbi.gy.
- ^ KNews (2018-09-30). "The Infrastructure Ministry has missed the point on the East Coast road". Kaieteur News. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
- ^ "Better traffic management required". Guyana Chronicle. 2018-09-18. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
- ^ "MANUAL DE CARRETERAS DEL PARAGUAY – Asociación Paraguaya de Carreteras" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-16.
- ^ "Manual de Dispositivos de Control del Tránsito Automotor para Calles y Carreteras" (PDF). carp.pe (in Spanish). Lima: Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones del Perú. 2016-05-31. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
- ^ https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/1014949/Manual-Senalizacion-Turistica-Peru.pdf
- ^ https://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/bitstream/handle/123456789/173103/elementos%20de%20la%20teor%C3%ADa%20del%20tr%C3%A1fico%20vehicular.pdf?sequence=1
- ^ "Manual Venezolano de Dispositivos Uniformes para el Control del Tránsito (MVDUCT) – Gaceta Oficial N° 39.590 del 10-01-2011 – Instituto Nacional de Transporte Terrestre (INTT)" (in Spanish). 2019-07-16. Retrieved 2024-01-16.