Hazard Warning Signs

Hazard Warning Signs: Types and Meanings

Hazard warning signs alert drivers in advance to a danger ahead, so they slow down and pay closer attention. Thanks to their white equilateral triangle shape with a red border, drivers recognise a warning before they read the symbol. The signs in this category are the T-coded warning signs of the Turkish KGM system.

Main Warning Signs in This Category

• Bends and gradients: Dangerous bend to the right or left, series of dangerous bends, steep descent and steep ascent signs.
• Road surface and edge: Uneven road, slippery road, loose gravel, loose embankment, black ice, low shoulder and road narrows signs.
• Junctions and crossings: Major and minor road junctions, uncontrolled junction, roundabout, merging traffic from the right or left, controlled and uncontrolled railway crossings and level crossing approach signs.
• Pedestrians, schools and animals: Pedestrian crossing, school crossing, cyclists, domestic animals and wild animals signs.
• Other hazards: Opening bridge, quayside or river bank, side winds, low-flying aircraft, traffic queues, two-way traffic, tram crossing, road works and general caution signs.
• Chevron and obstacle signs: Dangerous bend chevrons, keep left or right at traffic islands, bridge abutment and obstacle marker signs.

Sizes, Material and Placement

Triangular signs come in side lengths from 30 cm to 90 cm, on 1.5 mm or 2 mm galvanized steel with standard or high performance reflective sheeting. A warning sign should be placed ahead of the hazard, at a distance that gives drivers time to react; that distance depends on road speed and follows the principles of the KGM traffic signs manual. On fast roads, a larger size and high performance sheeting help the warning get noticed in time at night.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are warning signs triangular? The triangle shape tells drivers the sign carries a warning, and the red border on a white background makes the symbol easy to pick out from a distance.

When is the general caution sign used? The exclamation mark sign is used for a hazard not covered by other warning signs; the type of hazard is often specified on a supplementary plate below it.

Can I use warning signs on private roads? Yes. School crossing, pedestrian crossing, uneven road and dangerous bend signs let you use the sign language drivers already know on estates, campuses and factory roads.