Road signs in Argentina
Road signs in Argentina are similar to those of other South American countries. They are something of a compromise between the Vienna Convention signs used in Europe and the U.S. system. Argentina is right-hand traffic.
While warning signs are mostly based on the US's MUTCD (yellow diamond shape), information, mandatory and prohibitory signs were taken from the Vienna Convention diagrams.
In 1994, the Congress of Argentina promulgated Law n° 24.449 with the purpose of establishing a single rules system within the whole country.[1] The diagrams of those road signs were published in the "Anex L" of Decree 779 (promulgated in 1995), which ruled Law 24.449 and added visual information to its article 22.[2]
Starting in 2013, the National Directorate of Roads of Argentina (DNV) published a series of visual identity guides that detailed specific norms for the installation and use of road signs along the country, including fonts, colors, materials, and measures, among other items. Those manuals also included an update (released in 2017) to some road signs.[3]
History[]
The first road signs in Argentina can be traced to 1817 in Buenos Aires Province, when Juan Martín de Pueyrredón (then Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata) promulgated a Decree to create a Road Committee. This committee was commissioned to place posts on the main roads to serve as reference and guide for pedestrians. Those posts indicated leagues travelled and destinations.[4]
In 1855, another provincial decree provided for new signs consisting of kilometre markers, which also indicated the name (or number) of the road. Both decree established the basements of an organised sign system not only in Buenos Aires but in the whole country.[4] In 1885, engineer Jorge Coquet designed a sign system which is considered the first organised system in the country. The system was a complete program that include measurements, heights, types of plaques, among other specifications.[4] Those signs were popularly known as "Coquet signs".[5]
After that, the Argentine Automobile Club ("Automóvil Club Argentino"), the largest automobile association of Argentina, started to design an own system of signs (made of iron) and placing them on the main roads in the country.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Senal_transito_portatil_pza_italia_1931.jpg/150px-Senal_transito_portatil_pza_italia_1931.jpg)
In 1932, the "Dirección Nacional de Vialidad" (the Argentine national office in charge of the development, planning and conservation of national routes, abbreviated DNV) was created through law 11,658. It established that all the provinces of Argentina should adopt a unique sign system[6] (similar to the US road signs).[4] Nevertheless, in May 1935 the Congress of Argentina promulgated Law 12,153 which ruled that Argentina subscribed to road signs approved by the 1926 International Convention relating to Road Traffic held in Paris.[7][8] In article 9, Law specified that road signs should be equilateral triangle-shaped,[7] following the procedures of the Paris convention[9] but unlike signs used in Argentina (in form of diamond).[4]
To reach a consensus and solve the problem, in 1939 the DNV created a committee to make variations to the existing sign system. After studying the case, the committee established a code that incorporated both systems, Paris convention's and US signs. It finally came into force in December 1939 and has remained (with minor variations) since then.[4]
The DNV published its first manual of road signs in 1928 (under the name "Señales Camineras") with later editions in 1954, 1963, 1971 and 2017.[10] The FHWA Series typeface was adopted as the main font by the DNV in 1971.[10]
In 1941, the DVBA ("Dirección de Vialidad de Buenos Aires", the provincial road administration) signed the first agreement with the Argentine Automobile Club (ACA), which stated that the ACA would built and place about 5,000 road signs on the main routes of Buenos Aires. Other agreements were later signed between both institutions, in 1955 and 1959, that added 6,000 signs to the routes. The total amount for the 11,000 signs was m$n 2,352,000. The ACA also signed agreements with other provincial administrations, such as San Juan (in 1942), Santa Fe (1945), Entre Ríos (1945), and San Luis (1947).[4]
The Buenos Aires Visual Plan established in 1971 in the city of Buenos Aires introduced minor variations on some existing warning and regulatory signs, a part of redesigning street name signs completely.[11] Those signs also introduced the use of the helvetica font in the urban signal system of Buenos Aires.[11] That same year the ACA signed new agreements with the DNV, DVBA and other provincial offices (Santa Fe, Formosa) to built and place road signs. The total of signs were 20,000 for the DNV and 15,000 for the DVBA.[12]
Argentine road signs were introduced in December 1994, with the promulgation of Law 24.449 by the Congress of Argentina, with the purpose of establishing a single rules system within the whole country.[13] Annex "L" of art. 22 ("uniform sign system") included a list of updated road signs for all the Argentine territory.[14] [15]
Signs system[]
Regulatory signs[]
No straight ahead
Do not enter
No cars
No motorbike
No bike
No trucks
No trailers
No pedestrians
No animal-drawn vehicles
No equestrians
No hand carts
No tractors
No left turn
No right turn
No U-turn
No passing
No honking
No parking
No stopping
No lane change
Weight limit
Axle weight limit
Height limit
Width limit
Length limit
Maximum speed limit (60 km/h)
Maximum speed limit (110 km/h)
Maximum speed limit (120 km/h)
Maximum speed limit (130 km/h)
Minimum speed limit (35 km/h)
Minimum speed limit (60 km/h)
Reserved parking
Bus lane
Motorbike lane
Bike lane
Bridle path
Pedestrians only
Snow chains allowed
Turn right mandatory
Turn left mandatory
One way to right
One way to left
One way to straight
Pass on right
Pass on left
Trucks must keep right
Pedestrians must keep left
Stop - control
Two-way traffic
Stop
Yield to oncoming traffic
End of passing prohibition
End of maximum speed limit (60 km/h)
Warning signs[]
Prevention chevron (curve) (multiple chevron)
Curve to right
Curve to left
Sharp turn to right
Sharp turn to left
Double curve, first to left
Double curve, first to right
Double sharp turn, first to left
Double sharp turn, first to right
Winding road, first to left
Winding road, first to right
Steep descent
Steep ascent
Road narrows
Road narrow on right
Road narrow on left
Dip
Bump
Slippery road
Loose stones
Falling rocks
Tunnel
Narrow bridge
Swing bridge
Start of dual carriageway
End of dual carriageway
Roundabout
Merging traffic
Two-way traffic
Crossroads
Side road to right
Y-junction
T-junction
School
Children
Cyclists
Horse riders
Cattle
Wild animals
Low-flying aircraft
Tramway
Tractors
Ambulance station
Wind
Directional arrow chevron
Directional arrow chevron (multiple chevron)
Traffic lights
Informative signs[]
Parking
Turn right permitted
Turn left permitted
Turn right
Turn left
Turn left and straight ahead
Turn right and straight ahead
Lane split
Turn left and right ahead
Retired signs (1994-2017)[]
No straight ahead
Do not enter
No motor vehicles
No motorcycles
No bicycles
No trucks
No trailers
No pedestrians
No animal-drawn vehicles
No equestrians
No hand carts
No tractors
No left turn
No right turn
No U-turn
No overtaking
No honking
No parking
No stopping
No lane change
Weight limit
Axle weight limit
Height limit
Width limit
Length limit
Maximum speed limit (90 km/h)
Minimum speed limit (35 km/h)
Reserved parking
Bus lane
Motorcycle lane
Bicycle lane
Bridle path
Pedestrians only
Snow chains allowed
Turn right mandatory
Turn left mandatory
One way to right
One way to left
One way to straight
Pass on right
Pass on left
Trucks must keep right
Pedestrians must keep left
Stop - control
Two-way traffic
Stop
Yield to oncoming traffic
End of overtaking prohibition
Curve to right
Curve to left
Double curve, first to right
Double curve, first to left
Double sharp turn, first to right
Double sharp turn, first to left
Winding road, first to left
Winding road, first to right
Steep descent
Steep ascent
Road narrows
Road narrow on right
Road narrow on left
Dip
Bump
Slippery road
Loose stones
Falling rocks
Tunnel
Narrow bridge
Swing bridge
Start of dual carriageway
Roundabout
Merging traffic
Two-way traffic
Crossroads
Side road to right
Y-junction
T-junction
School
Children
Cyclists
Horse riders
Cattle
Wild animals
Low-flying aircraft
Tramway
Tractors
Ambulance station
Wind
Traffic signals
Parking
Turn right permitted
Turn left permitted
Turn right
Turn left
Turn right and straight ahead
Turn left and straight ahead
Lane split
Turn left and right ahead
Other retired signs[]
School (Early 1940's)
School (1960's)
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Law n° 24.449 (separated by Province) on Agencia Nacional de Seguridad Vial de Argentina website (archive), 30 Mar 2014
- ^ Anexo L - SISTEMA DE SEÑALIZACION VIAL UNIFORME on Infoleg
- ^ SE EDITO EL MANUAL DE SEÑALAMIENTO HORIZONTAL on Revista Vial, 30 Aug 2013
- ^ a b c d e f g Comentario sobre señalamiento by Albino Pozzi on Vialidad magazine #10, Jan-Mar 1960
- ^ Señaladores de Coquet fueron donados al Museo, 21 Oct 2011
- ^ LEY NACIONAL DE VIALIDAD on InfoLeg
- ^ a b Drivers: United Nations road safety conventions
- ^ Ley 12153: APROBACION DE CONVENCION SOBRE CIRCULACION INTERNACIONAL DE AUTOMOVILES on InfoLeg, 9 Jan 1935
- ^ Rs 0.741.11 International Convention Of 24 April 1926 Relating To Vehicular Traffic (With Annexes)
- ^ a b Manual de señalamiento vertical (2017) on DNV
- ^ a b Haciendo la ciudad legible by Ronald Shakespear (archived, 18 Jun 2011)
- ^ El señalamiento vial del ACA
- ^ LEY DE TRANSITO - Ley 24449 del 23/12/1994 on InfoLeg
- ^ SISTEMA DE SEÑALIZACION VIAL UNIFORME - Decreto 779, Anexo L
- ^ Law n° 24.449 (separated by Province) on Agencia Nacional de Seguridad Vial de Argentina website (Archive), 30 Mar 2014
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Road signs in Argentina. |
- Anex L of Law nº 24,449/95 (diagrams of road signs) on Government of Argentina site (Spanish)
- All the DNV road signs manuals on Government of Argentina site
- Road signs by country
- Transport in Argentina