The unmarked cars of European street signs

[Bryan]

When I lived South Carolina, I could drive 100 miles in any direction and the style of regional BBQ wouldn’t even change. Slight shift of the drawl, taller pine trees, and mild variations in asphalt composition, at most. Here in Europe, where I now live, traveling that same distance could entail passing through areas that speak three separate languages, possess varying social attitudes, and have different perspectives on the acceptability of public nose-picking (yes, it’s a thing). All that said—and to my great delight—I had not anticipated such colorful variation in road signage.

Read the full article on Hagerty.com:

https://www.hagerty.com/media/driving/the-unmarked-cars-of-european-street-signs/

[Bmike]

Clever and funny.  Thanks.  ". . . a light, mildly tannic red with decent body and floral character . . ."

[ed]

In Italy, watch for the ZTLs (zona a traffico limitato, ie. restricted traffic zones) often found in small towns, or inside the old city walls.  Many warnings are easily identified; others, not so much.  There is nothing to stop you from simply driving through even if you don't park, but they are closely monitored and you will get a fine for up to $500 through your rental car company.

[MatthewAnderson]

Found that out the not-so-easy-but-def-not-hard way - by getting rerouted around ZTLs for about a half an hour trying to find my hotel.

[Zephyr]

Seriously, what could the sign with two people carrying luggage and running possibly mean? Beware of tourists running? 

[Paul52]

They are children and the sign means school crossing ahead.

[SilentBoy741]

"Prepare to run after the tow truck, tourist."

[Tinkerah]

Only after seeing so many silhouettes of tow trucks in one sitting do I realize how obsolete that image is. Who remembers the last time they saw a sling truck?

[adsinger]

The Swiss have some great graphic warning signs in the Alps, both for motorcycles and cars. One I recall depicted a motorcyclist with an angel hovering above. The German legend was something like"Don't depend on your guardian angel to save you."

[MatthewAnderson]

I think I've seen that actually, or something similar. They seem to have those kinds of signs in the black forest, where the curbing also is painted like a race track...

[jaysalserVW]

Do you reckon that these are the "universal symbols" we hear about so often?  LOL

[Hagerty Fan]

Typical Euros. Threatening your transportation. Why would anybody visit and very much less want to live there?

[MatthewAnderson]

To each his own. The guy legally doing 150mph down an unobstructed left lane on the Autobahn no doubt begs to differ.

[oldnslo]

My absolute favorite was a warning advert I saw years ago on a highway  in Germany: a picture of the cockpit of a speeding sportbike from the rider's POV with a grinning skull filling the left hand rear view mirror, and the tag line "are you faster than Death?"

Adam

[brb]

Similar experience driving in southern Africa.  If I may post a link, these signs appeared in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPfxdZApejeI6djiIATBP84ydqB96Hjc3wN0CjatNwW_GwyvvSztytO-f9_z5vE...