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National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996)

Regulations

National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000

Chapter IX : Road Traffic Signs and General Speed Limit

Part I : Road traffic signs

285. Purpose, classification and types of road traffic signs

 

(1) A road traffic sign shall have one of the following purposes:
(a) Regulatory, that is a road traffic sign which directs a road user to take or not to take a specific action;
(b) warning, that is a road traffic sign calling attention to conditions on a public road which are dangerous or potentially dangerous to road users; or
(c) guidance or information, that is a road traffic sign indicating a destination, direction, distance, amenity, facility, place of interest, tourist attraction or location, or any combination of these, or a road traffic sign which imparts general information or advice to road users.

 

(2) Road traffic signs shall be divided into the following classes:
(a) Class 1: Road signs—
(i) regulatory signs—
(aa) control signs;
(bb) command signs;
(cc) prohibition signs;
(dd) reservation signs;
(ee) comprehensive signs;
(ff) exclusive secondary signs; and
(gg) derestriction signs;
(ii) warning signs—
(aa) advance warning signs—
(aaa) road layout signs;
(bbb) direction of movement signs; and
(ccc) symbolic signs;
(bb) hazard marker warning signs; and
(iii) guidance signs—
(aa) location signs;
(bb) route marker signs;
(cc) direction signs;
(dd) freeway direction signs;
(ee) tourism direction signs;
(ff) diagrammatic signs;
(gg) local direction signs;
(hh) pedestrian signs; and
(ii) toll direction signs;
(iv) information signs;
(b) Class II: Road markings—
(i) regulatory markings—
(aa) transverse regulatory markings; and
(bb) longitudinal regulatory markings;
(ii) warning markings; and
(iii) guidance markings; and
(c) Class III: Road signals—
(i) regulatory signals—
(aa) traffic signals—
(aaa) vehicular light signals;
(bbb) pedestrian light signals; and
(ccc) pedal cycle light signals;
(bb) red flashing signal;
(cc) overhead lane direction control signals; and
(dd) other regulatory signals; and
(ii) warning signals—
(aa) warning flashing signals; and
(bb) warning flag signals.

 

(2A) The road traffic signs which fall under the classes referred to in subregulation (2) are contained in Schedule 1 and shall have the significance ascribed to it in that Schedule.

 

(3) A regulatory, warning, guidance or information sign for which a temporary sign number is allocated may be used in the temporary sign colours as prescribed by regulation 286A(1)(b): Provided that this provision shall not apply to any control regulatory sign, location guidance sign or tourism direction guidance sign.

 

(4)        

(a) When no specific symbol is available for the regulatory or warning message required, a word message may be used on the background of a regulatory or warning sign of standard shape, size and colour, and the letters used shall be black semi-matt on a white or yellow background or white on a blue background.
(b) The lettering shall substantially conform to one of the standard letter styles detailed in the Southern African Development Community Road Traffic Signs Manual and shall be of a maximum size permitted by the space available and the message to be displayed, but shall not be less than 70 millimetres in height.