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From: res@ihuxn.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc,net.auto
Subject: Re: Stop Signs
Message-ID: <264@ihuxn.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 23-Jun-83 16:45:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxn.264
Posted: Thu Jun 23 16:45:51 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 25-Jun-83 17:34:06 EDT
Organization: BTL Naperville, Il.
Lines: 22

I do not know the dates for the following, but I believe that the
following is correct from my recollection.  Back in antiquity (probably
the mid-'50s) there were no standards for highway markings or other
traffic control signals (such as STOP signs).  In the 1950's timeframe
a set of federal guidelines was developed which included such things as
the sizes and colors of the signs (red octagons for STOP signs, orange
rectangles for construction warnings, triangular YIELD signs, etc.).
Over a period of time signs not following the guidelines have been
replaced as they rusted out or whatever with ones that do meet these
guidelines.  I do not know if these rules are now strong enough to call
"requirements" or not (that is, if failure to comply costs the states
any cash).

Subsequently, an international effort was made to standardize traffic
signs and signals.  The federal guidelines were modified to include the
agreed-upon international signs (such as the red circle with a red
diagonal to indicate prohibition of the thing denoted on the sign).
The only American sign to become an international standard is the red
octogon ... the friendly American STOP (or ARRET, or ... ) sign.

					Rich Strebendt
					...!ihnp4!ihuxn!res