The “Alphabet des signaux de route”, toward unified road signage

From 1902 onwards, the Association générale automobile introduced a series of fifteen signs with symbols warning of the proximity of obstacles, known as L’Alphabet des signaux de route (“Alphabet of Road Signs”). For a long time, governments were uninterested in signage issues, and user associations and touring clubs spearheaded initiatives to rationalize, codify, clarify and disseminate the signs needed for driving on the road. Until now, the lack of legibility of the few existing signs meant that motorists had to stop to decipher them. The French association's initiative was relayed throughout Europe, and set the first milestone in the international regulations introduced and perfected over the century.

Document: Signes archives