History of British Traffic Signs

7: The Guildford Rules

In the `good practice' pilot of signing in Guildford carried out following the 1987 Direction Signs Review, the `patching' system developed in the Worboys report was extended:

• All signs on primary routes were given green backgrounds, including those for local destinations;
• Where a non-primary route left the primary route, the destinations reached by the non-primary route were shown on a white panel;
• Likewise, on the non-primary route, destinations reached by travelling along the primary route were shown on a green panel on the white sign (previously, the route number only had been on the panel);
• There was still to be no patching on `flag'-type signs.

(Pictures of post-Guildford Rules signs coming when I've sorted out my scanner...)

In addition, other signs introduced as a result of the Guildford pilot were:

• The introduction of junction names on the top of direction signs to aid navigation;
• Variable car park signing, with a standardised colour code introduced across the country to allow drivers to distinguish short-stay from long-stay car parks;
• Including certain regulatory signs within direction signs: this was useful for displaying (e.g.) weight restrictions on side-roads, without the need for another sign.