National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996)RegulationsNational Road Traffic Regulations, 2000Chapter IX : Road Traffic Signs and General Speed LimitPart I : Road traffic signs285. 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. |