playgrounds (where children may be on the carriageway at any time) should continue to be indicated and that this be done by the use near schools of the supplementary plate shown at figure 50a.
The effectiveness of school signs, however, suffers seriously from the com bination of two circumstances: their very widespread use, and the fact that the hazard to which they refer exists only during a very small proportion of the day. A school crossing patrol is a much safer precaution but cannot always be provided. We think that experiments should continue with the object of dis covering some device with great impact which operates only when the children are crossing.
113. This sign has been used on roads not subject to a speed limit to give warning that a school crossing patrol is in operation. We recommend that on such roads the plate at figure 50b should be used below the sign at figure 50.
114. Where, on high speed roads or because of inadequate visibility it is necessary to give drivers advance warning of the presence of a pedestrian crossing, we recommend that the sign at figure 51 be used supplemented by the plate at figure 72.
Traffic signals ahead (Regs. 152)
115. We see no need for two signs and recommend the use of the sign at figure 52 wherever it is necessary to give drivers advance warning that they are approaching traffic signals, irrespective of the form which these signals take. A plate as at figure 72 should be used with this sign.
116. Animals may be encountered upon the road whilst they are being driven from one field to another or they may stray onto it because the road is unfenced. In either circumstance we consider that drivers need some indication of the type of animal which they are liable to meet. We therefore recommend that where the danger of animals justifies a warning the appropriate sign as shown at figure 54, 55, 56 or 57 should be used; when erected on unfenced roads the signs should be supplemented by a plate as at figure 70. We think, however, that use of these signs should continue to be centrally controlled by the Minister to ensure reasonable and uniform use and particularly to prevent proliferation to an extent which might invalidate their usefulness.
117. There is no provision for this in the Protocol. A warning sign is, however, necessary in this country and we recommend the sign at figure 63. If the by-pass to the cattle grid for animals and horse-drawn vehicles is entered at some distance from the grid we recommend that the sign be placed at the entrance and be supplemented by the plate at figure 63a.
25
