Warning signs

Introduction

The paper will talk about warning signs as genre analysis. The signs are related to road signs

that signal drivers and pedestrians on what needs to be done. The paper will also highlight the role

played by these warning signs to road users. Warning signs are important because they give

information on what should be expected especially in those situations where the driver or pedestrian

might be at risk.

Literature Review

Road safety remains one of the major issues in the world since research approximates that

close to 1.3 million people die in road crashes. This is because the state of the road considers

several factors such as road, human, and vehicles. Research has shown that human beings are

considered as the major perpetrators of road crashes given their propensity for making errors.

Therefore, it is important to develop warning signs that will help avert these dangers and reduce the

risk of human errors.

Research by Assailly (2017) argues that warning signs come in different colors and shapes

with each having a specific meaning. The reason why they are in different colors and shapes is to

aid the driving process so that drivers can easily identify them without having to interfere with the

driving process. Therefore, the warning signs have been divided into different sections depending

on the intended use. The first category is the regulatory one, which is used for controlling,

commanding, and prohibition purposes. Regulatory control signs play an important role in giving

the driver specific instructions. For instance, a round red sign that has a white bar inside it is a

regulatory warning sign that tells the driver there is no entry.

 Besides that, regulatory command as a sub category is meant to tell the driver to drive in a

certain manner. For instance, a blue sign that has a taxi on it means that it is only taxis that are

allowed to access or use that area. There is also regulatory prohibition whose role is to prohibit a

driver from driving in a certain manner (Faus et al, 2021). For instance, a round prohibition sign

that has a red line through an arrow that point to the right means that there is no right turn that is

allowed. Finally, regulatory reservation is a warning sign that informs the driver that a particular

area can only be used by a certain type of vehicle. A good example is the vertical rectangular sign

that has a bus on it, which means that only buses are allowed to use that area.

Research questions

 What is the role of warning signs to drivers?

 What is the role of warning signs to pedestrians?

 The role of warning signs in aiding safety of road users?

Methodology

The paper will examine some of the common warning signs that are used in the road. It will rely on

previous research that has been conducted and the role it plays in helping road users to reduce

chances of accidents.

Results

Warning signs have been found to been found to be important because they provide drivers

with appropriate information on the signal requirements that should be followed to prevent danger

such as an accident. Previous studies conducted by Faus et al (2021) have found out that warning

signs provide valuable information to the drivers and other road users. This is because they are

rules, which have been kept in place to ensure that people are kept safe and when followed, they

prevent accidents.
 Additionally, it was found out that warning signs help to communicate messages to the

pedestrians and drivers so that they can maintain order in the roads. Neglecting these signs can be

dangerous since it can increase the likelihood of someone being injured as a result of an accident.

Most of the signs have been made using pictures and this is important because it can be easily seen

(WHO). The requirement is that for one to qualify as a driver, they must undergo training and pass

the required tests before they are allowed to drive.

Besides that, the warning signs have been done in pictures so that it can be easy to

understand. One does not need to be familiar with the language and results have found out that the

reason why warning signs are in pictures is so that it can be easily understood by everyone

regardless of the language that they speak. As such, it is important that one gets to understand what

each picture represents since they will be used to inform the driving process. This is achieved

through the driving lessons that one undertakes before they start to drive.

Discussion

The other category is the warning sign. This is a category of road sign that acts as a direction

of movement or a road layout. The road layout plays an important role in warning the road user

about the changes that have been made in the layout of the road (WHO). For instance, a triangular

sign that has a ‘’T’’ on it is meant to inform the road user that there is a T-junction ahead. On the

other hand, direction of movement warning sign is meant to warn the road user to anticipate

something that is coming ahead. For example, a triangular sign that has a bicycle on it is meant to

tell the road user to anticipate cyclists.

Moreover, the use of guidance signs is also a road sign that is meant to help road users.

Guidance signs are categorized into different sub categories such as location, direction, and route

markers. Guidance location is meant to help the road user to know the specific location of where
you are. For instance, a white sign that has a name and the highway symbol in it is meant to help the

road user to know the type of highway that they are travelling in. This is important for the road user

because it would help them to identify how to use the highway and prevent danger.

There are also the guidance route markers whose role is to give the road user information

about the route that they are travelling on. For example, a green sign that has names of the nearby

towns and numbers is meant to inform the road user of how far they are from those places in

kilometers (Assailly, 2017). Finally, guidance direction is the last category that is meant to inform

you of the nearby places and attractions that are of interest. For instance, a brown sign that has a

head of a kudu on it is meant to inform the road user that they are approaching a national park.

The last category is the temporary sign that is categorized into prohibition and command

signs. Temporary prohibition is meant to warn a road user that they are temporarily prohibited from

driving in a certain manner. For instance, a yellow sign that has a number 100 inscribed in it and it

also has a red circle around the edge is meant to inform the road user that there is a speed limit of

100km/h. It shows that this speed limit has been temporarily been introduced and should not be

exceeded (Faus et al, 2021). Besides that, temporary warning signs are meant to give instructions

when a portion of the road is under construction or if there is an accident ahead. For example, a

yellow sign that shows a man digging means that one should expect construction work ahead.

Conclusion

All these signs are meant to warn or inform the road user of what is ahead hence important

in averting danger. Warning signs have been used since time immemorial and their role should not

be ignored. It is important for road users to follow these signs since they can contribute to safety of

the society and every road user in the long-term. Both the drivers and the pedestrians have a role to

play in ensuring the safety of every individual as well.

 References

World Health Organization (WHO). Road Traffic Injuries. Available

online: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries

Assailly, J.P. Road safety education: What works? Patient Educ. Couns. 2017, 100, 24–29.

Faus, M.; Alonso, F.; Fernández, C.; USeche, S.A. Are Traffic Announcements Really Effective? A

Systematic Review of Evaluations of Crash-Prevention Communication

Campaigns. Safety 2021, 7, 66.