Department of Redundancy Department

[jakeroot]

Except most people don't realize what it means (they confuse it with the curve sign)

Says who? I don't think the MUTCD would include the sign if they didn't think people were catching on to its meaning.

I train people how to drive a bus and part of the training is for them to be able to recognize signs they've seen along the way.  A few times I've picked out the Slippery When Wet signs, and when I asked, "What was that sign we just passed?" a few times I've gotten "curve" as the answer.

Okay then. Roughly how many people understood the sign, versus how many did not? Personally, a well-designed symbol should have, roughly, an 80% recognition rate. Perhaps the FHWA has different standards.

[bzakharin]

It's funny, the US clearly prefers text on their signs instead of (or along with) pictures with the exception of really obvious things like various arrows, traffic light, trucks, horses, and red circles with lines through any of the above. And then there are things that completely violate this for no apparent reason. Aside from "slippery when wet" we have "no parking" (P with line through it), "stop" or "yield ahead", "school crossing" (vs regular crossing), "Hospital".

How did this come to be? Was there some intent there or did this situation organically evolve somehow? I know that the shapes of stop and yield signs are pretty universally used around the world and "slippery" and "Hospital" signs are similar in spirit to their European counterparts as well, but that does not prevent the US from using completely different signs for everything else.

[busman_49]

Except most people don't realize what it means (they confuse it with the curve sign)

Says who? I don't think the MUTCD would include the sign if they didn't think people were catching on to its meaning.

I train people how to drive a bus and part of the training is for them to be able to recognize signs they've seen along the way.  A few times I've picked out the Slippery When Wet signs, and when I asked, "What was that sign we just passed?" a few times I've gotten "curve" as the answer.

Okay then. Roughly how many people understood the sign, versus how many did not? Personally, a well-designed symbol should have, roughly, an 80% recognition rate. Perhaps the FHWA has different standards.

You got me there.  I'm sure it was over 80%

[kkt]

It's funny, the US clearly prefers text on their signs instead of (or along with) pictures with the exception of really obvious things like various arrows, traffic light, trucks, horses, and red circles with lines through any of the above. And then there are things that completely violate this for no apparent reason. Aside from "slippery when wet" we have "no parking" (P with line through it), "stop" or "yield ahead", "school crossing" (vs regular crossing), "Hospital".

How did this come to be? Was there some intent there or did this situation organically evolve somehow? I know that the shapes of stop and yield signs are pretty universally used around the world and "slippery" and "Hospital" signs are similar in spirit to their European counterparts as well, but that does not prevent the US from using completely different signs for everything else.

"Stop" was standardized internationally very early.  Things like "slippery", "parking", and "hospital" are hard to make a still picture of that will be easily understood by 80% of people without prior instruction.

[bzakharin]

It's funny, the US clearly prefers text on their signs instead of (or along with) pictures with the exception of really obvious things like various arrows, traffic light, trucks, horses, and red circles with lines through any of the above. And then there are things that completely violate this for no apparent reason. Aside from "slippery when wet" we have "no parking" (P with line through it), "stop" or "yield ahead", "school crossing" (vs regular crossing), "Hospital".

How did this come to be? Was there some intent there or did this situation organically evolve somehow? I know that the shapes of stop and yield signs are pretty universally used around the world and "slippery" and "Hospital" signs are similar in spirit to their European counterparts as well, but that does not prevent the US from using completely different signs for everything else.

"Stop" was standardized internationally very early.  Things like "slippery", "parking", and "hospital" are hard to make a still picture of that will be easily understood by 80% of people without prior instruction.

But why no text? Like I said, there are plenty of signs that have both a picture (or other large abstract element, letter, or number, like for Speed Limit) that stands out, and text?

[jakeroot]

It's funny, the US clearly prefers text on their signs instead of (or along with) pictures with the exception of really obvious things like various arrows, traffic light, trucks, horses, and red circles with lines through any of the above. And then there are things that completely violate this for no apparent reason. Aside from "slippery when wet" we have "no parking" (P with line through it), "stop" or "yield ahead", "school crossing" (vs regular crossing), "Hospital".

How did this come to be? Was there some intent there or did this situation organically evolve somehow? I know that the shapes of stop and yield signs are pretty universally used around the world and "slippery" and "Hospital" signs are similar in spirit to their European counterparts as well, but that does not prevent the US from using completely different signs for everything else.

"Stop" was standardized internationally very early.  Things like "slippery", "parking", and "hospital" are hard to make a still picture of that will be easily understood by 80% of people without prior instruction.

But why no text? Like I said, there are plenty of signs that have both a picture (or other large abstract element, letter, or number, like for Speed Limit) that stands out, and text?

Text alongside well-known symbols adds to sign clutter. Signs should be as bare-bones as possible. As for the sign above, supplementary plaques under the "slippery" symbol should be reserved for cases like bridge grating, not simple cases such as a wet surface, where it should be relatively well-understood that wet surfaces can be slick (this is just my opinion, by the way -- the FHWA may disagree).

[freebrickproductions]

Spotted this in downtown Huntsville, AL, today:
Yield Yield Here to Peds by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

[WillWeaverRVA]

I was going to post this on The Worst of Road Signs before I remembered that this thread exists. The sign is still there, as well.

[Zeffy]

I wonder how many people from North Carolina actually know what diamond routes signify. That being said, I think that in that setup the TO should be moved to the left of the NC, but that doesn't make it any less redundant.

[jwolfer]

I was going to post this on The Worst of Road Signs before I remembered that this thread exists. The sign is still there, as well.

The same folks that blindly follow GPS would think it's US 58 which is ~60 miles . Virginia and north call everthing "route xx" which may contribute to confusion

[hbelkins]

Perhaps it's in exchange for Virginia putting up a "To I-40" trailblazer on US 220 southbound at the VA 40 intersection between Roanoke and Martinsville.

[barcncpt44]

A state road in New Mexico had about over 70 duplicates of road signs stacked one in front of the other.  Yep, every type of sign had an similar sign installed in front of the old sign.  You can watch the story from the KRQE website. http://krqe.com/2016/04/18/drivers-on-one-state-road-see-double-after-sign-mistake/

[SD Mapman]

A state road in New Mexico had about over 70 duplicates of road signs stacked one in front of the other.  Yep, every type of sign had an similar sign installed in front of the old sign.  You can watch the story from the KRQE website. http://krqe.com/2016/04/18/drivers-on-one-state-road-see-double-after-sign-mistake/

It is New Mexico, though, so that's not surprising.

[kphoger]

NMDOT says that contractor is in the midst of replacing 125 signs along SR 592 as part of a $32,000 project.

So, basically, they weren't done with the project and hadn't gotten around to taking down the old signs yet.  Hardly newsworthy, IMO.

[hbelkins]

I've come upon several sign replacement projects where this happened, including along US 52 in West Virginia near Williamson a few years ago. I was a bit surprised, because the old signage seemed to be fine and not in need of replacement.

[jbnv]

This has happened in Louisiana as well. Particularly in sign replacement jobs on the interstates.

[Brandon]

This has happened in Louisiana as well. Particularly in sign replacement jobs on the interstates.

How often does it happen where the two signs are up for years?

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=11212.msg279375#msg279375

That one is still there, even though the new sign was installed in December 2013 (about 2-1/2 years ago).

[jbnv]

Cross-post from Unique Signs:

I like the big loopy arrow on this one at the end of I-295 in Massachusetts:

Apparently this is a dangerous curve!

[roadman]

Cross-post from Unique Signs:

I like the big loopy arrow on this one at the end of I-295 in Massachusetts:

Apparently this is a dangerous curve!

This ramp, which is from I-295 north to I-95 north in Attleboro (MA), has one of the highest incidences of truck rollovers in the entire state.  So, yah, I'd say it's a dangerous curve.

[noelbotevera]

I think the reason why this is a dangerous curve is because of that stub, and this is an unintentional ending. There's orange barrels in the distance, meaning that this might've been extended. However, considering this might've been extended and this is an interstate-interstate junction, how come this isn't safer or has a better design?

[PHLBOS]

Cross-post from Unique Signs:

I like the big loopy arrow on this one at the end of I-295 in Massachusetts:

Apparently this is a dangerous curve!

This ramp, which is from I-295 north to I-95 north in Attleboro (MA), has one of the highest incidences of truck rollovers in the entire state.  So, yah, I'd say it's a dangerous curve.

Are there any plans to modify/reconfigure this interchange?

[noelbotevera]

Cross-post from Unique Signs:

I like the big loopy arrow on this one at the end of I-295 in Massachusetts:

Apparently this is a dangerous curve!

This ramp, which is from I-295 north to I-95 north in Attleboro (MA), has one of the highest incidences of truck rollovers in the entire state.  So, yah, I'd say it's a dangerous curve.

Are there any plans to modify/reconfigure this interchange?

As of right now, no. The only other project along I-95 is construction in Canton.

[Occidental Tourist]

Cross-post from Unique Signs:

I like the big loopy arrow on this one at the end of I-295 in Massachusetts:

Apparently this is a dangerous curve!

This ramp, which is from I-295 north to I-95 north in Attleboro (MA), has one of the highest incidences of truck rollovers in the entire state.  So, yah, I'd say it's a dangerous curve.

Are there any plans to modify/reconfigure this interchange?

As of right now, no. The only other project along I-95 is construction in Canton.

It looks like there's plenty of ROW and favorable angles to simply turn the interchange into a more gradual left-sweeping ramp.

[spooky]

Cross-post from Unique Signs:

I like the big loopy arrow on this one at the end of I-295 in Massachusetts:

Apparently this is a dangerous curve!

This ramp, which is from I-295 north to I-95 north in Attleboro (MA), has one of the highest incidences of truck rollovers in the entire state.  So, yah, I'd say it's a dangerous curve.

Are there any plans to modify/reconfigure this interchange?

As of right now, no. The only other project along I-95 is construction in Canton.

It looks like there's plenty of ROW and favorable angles to simply turn the interchange into a more gradual left-sweeping ramp.

(post corrected because I mixed up my loop North 95 signs)

There is a rumored Attleboro Connector that will extend this highway stub. I assume it will eliminate the loop, but I don't know far the concept has been developed.

[roadman]

Cross-post from Unique Signs:

I like the big loopy arrow on this one at the end of I-295 in Massachusetts:

Apparently this is a dangerous curve!

This ramp, which is from I-295 north to I-95 north in Attleboro (MA), has one of the highest incidences of truck rollovers in the entire state.  So, yah, I'd say it's a dangerous curve.

Are there any plans to modify/reconfigure this interchange?

As of right now, no. The only other project along I-95 is construction in Canton.

It looks like there’s plenty of ROW and favorable angles to simply turn the interchange into a more gradual left-sweeping ramp.

indeed.
https://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/HighlightedProjects/cantoninterchange.aspx

That project is for a different death ramp.  The ramp in the photo is I-295 and I-95 in Attleboro, not Canton.