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https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055940817/signature-rules

What is this road sign?

  • 14-09-2019 8:51pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 17,848 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    Cant find a pic of it anywhere but Im seeing it a lot lately, Ive flicked through the rules of the road pdf from the RSA website and dont see it there either:

    Its a white background with a T-shape on it, the top of the T is red, the upright part of the T is black, what does it mean?


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 3,817 ✭✭✭Darc19


    Cul de sac


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,881 ✭✭✭✭GBX


    Cul de sac / Dead end.


  • Registered Users Posts: 168 ✭✭mad-for-tar


    F_350.jpg

    Cul de Sac sign, road with a dead end.


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,401 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Cul-de-sac or no through road.


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    bit of trivia...

    cul de sac was originally a french term meaning "vessel or tube with only one opening." It literally means "bottom of a sack," from the Latin culus, "bottom"

    i should be on QI


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  • Registered Users Posts: 17,848 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    Thanks, the order must have gone out from some department to mark every cul-de-sac with one of these signs because they're everywhere all of a sudden.


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,937 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    Thargor wrote: »
    Cant find a pic of it anywhere but Im seeing it a lot lately, Ive flicked through the rules of the road pdf from the RSA website and dont see it there either......
    It's on page 226 under 'Information Signs'.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,565 ✭✭✭K.Flyer


    Thargor wrote: »
    Thanks, the order must have gone out from some department to mark every cul-de-sac with one of these signs because they're everywhere all of a sudden.

    Not everyone, in particular, visitors who are driving here, understand "cul de sac", whereas the sign is commonplace in Europe.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,727 ✭✭✭ebbsy


    I was asked this question in the driving test.


  • Posts: 14,344 ✭✭✭✭ Jaxton Wrong Yo-yo


    fryup wrote: »
    bit of trivia...

    cul de sac was originally a french term meaning "vessel or tube with only one opening." It literally means "bottom of a sack," from the Latin culus, "bottom"

    i should be on QI






    That's mad. I always thought it was Irish.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 214 ✭✭R1_Pete


    That's mad. I always thought it was Irish.

    Really?


  • Registered Users Posts: 253 ✭✭Hector Mildew


    cul is French for arse, so arse of a bag, makes me laugh whenever I see those signs
    fryup wrote: »
    bit of trivia...

    cul de sac was originally a french term meaning "vessel or tube with only one opening." It literally means "bottom of a sack," from the Latin culus, "bottom"

    i should be on QI


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,401 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Thargor wrote: »
    Thanks, the order must have gone out from some department to mark every cul-de-sac with one of these signs because they're everywhere all of a sudden.
    They're nothing new, plenty of them around and always have been.

    You're probably just noticing them more. Google "Baader-Meinhof phenomenon".


  • Posts: 14,344 ✭✭✭✭ Jaxton Wrong Yo-yo


    R1_Pete wrote: »
    Really?


    Yep. When I was younger someone said it was Irish. I presumed that'd make sense, seen as it's in Ireland, and most of our signs also are in Irish.


    Never bothered to question it.


    What's Irish for 'dead end'? Why aren't we using that? :confused:


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,580 ✭✭✭Kat1170


    What's Irish for 'dead end'? Why aren't we using that?


    Nobody would understand it :(


  • Posts: 7,499 ✭✭✭[Deleted User]


    I used to love changing them to Pul de sac


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,641 ✭✭✭zilog_jones


    Thargor wrote: »
    Thanks, the order must have gone out from some department to mark every cul-de-sac with one of these signs because they're everywhere all of a sudden.

    Not really all of a sudden, but gradually over the past 9 years.

    This sign and a few others were changed in 2010 to match what is more commonly used elsewhere in Europe. The "No Entry" sign was the most notable change.

    https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/f288e1-traffic-signs-manual/?referrer=/roads/publications/english/traffic-signs-manual-2010/

    Before this, there was a similarly sized sign which just said "Cul de sac" with black on white text. You'll still see them in some places, as you will still see "Yield Right Of Way" signs (changed to just "Yield" in 1997), and - if you're lucky - speed limit signs in MPH :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,420 ✭✭✭✭sligojoek


    I remember going to a Fleadh in a strange town with my parents in the early 70s. They were looking for a particular pub and my mother was co-piloting using hand written notes. ( none of your fancy Google maps back then) At one stage she said, "There's the 'cul de sac' sign. We're here. ". For years after I always thought "cul de sac" meant "pub with music"


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,462 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    No it isn't. Even French people don't necessarily understand it as it's quite an antique term, along with perambulator and velocipede. Somehow it seems to have clung on in English, but not modern French. I'm guessing it could even be an old Norman term or something like that.

    It'd be a bit like if the French had a sign in shakespearian English :D

    Impasse would be modern French for the same thing.
    https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panneau_d%27indication_d%27une_impasse_en_France

    A lot of people would read it as 'arse of bag' having never encountered the term in modern French and end up going

    Cul in modern French normally means a***, not 'bottom' (of something) which is le fond (de quelque chose).

    he meant the black and red T sign is commonplace in Europe...




  • Not really all of a sudden, but gradually over the past 9 years.

    This sign and a few others were changed in 2010 to match what is more commonly used elsewhere in Europe. The "No Entry" sign was the most notable change.

    https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/f288e1-traffic-signs-manual/?referrer=/roads/publications/english/traffic-signs-manual-2010/

    Before this, there was a similarly sized sign which just said "Cul de sac" with black on white text. You'll still see them in some places, as you will still see "Yield Right Of Way" signs (changed to just "Yield" in 1997), and - if you're lucky - speed limit signs in MPH :)
    The cul de sac sign is still not the same as the rest of Europe as the background is white not blue as it is elsewhere.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    Am I alone in seeing this sort of stuff as a lesser version of some of the poor driving I encounter on a daily basis? I'd have thought the sing was fairly self explanatory?

    People seem to have real issues with the concept of things like solid white lines the like, using them the very same as broken lines and just crossing them when they like to go ways they arent supposed to. Its really at the stage where a large number of roads need a kerb and barrier or bollards up the middle of them along the length to stop idiots doing stupid things.

    Theres a few around that only extend to maybe 5 or 10 metres beyond a point where it will stop kost reasonable people crossing it but theres a percentage that just go around them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,641 ✭✭✭zilog_jones


    People seem to have real issues with the concept of things like solid white lines the like, using them the very same as broken lines and just crossing them when they like to go ways they arent supposed to.

    I'm sure they know, but do not care.


  • Registered Users Posts: 357 ✭✭Ian OB



    What's Irish for 'dead end'? Why aren't we using that? :confused:

    Would it be Athlone? ðŸ‘😀


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,718 ✭✭✭Cordell


    The cul de sac sign is still not the same as the rest of Europe as the background is white not blue as it is elsewhere.

    There's plenty of other differences in road signs and rules, some of them pretty significant.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,244 ✭✭✭swarlb


    It's actually always white on a blue background with a red line marking where the road is blocked, except in Ireland, where we reinvent the wheel when it comes to road signage.

    It'd be understood, just about.

    I don't know why we continue to just keep ignoring the Vienna Convention system. Even if we don't formally use it, it wouldn't be a bad idea to at least voluntarily follow it for new signs

    I still see plenty of use of the left arrow in a red circle for example being used by local authorities on relatively modern signs. This has the exact opposite meaning to keep left and reads as don't go left to many European drivers.

    We've also got plenty of use of red circles with other symbols like bikes and pedestrians to indicate positive here, when they should be blue sign with white symbols to avoid confusion, the red circle meaning something's prohibited in Europe.


    'The Vienna Convention System' ???
    Who knew there was such a thing ???
    I love it on Boards how such a simple innocuous question can almost turn into a diplomatic incident.
    Nest time your in Kildare town have a look at the sign over Hartes Pub
    Not too many people know what it means, but back in the 1930's and probably earlier this was manna to a certain travelling group.
    I wonder did the Vienna Convention System tell the rest of Europe to abide by it's meaning.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,921 ✭✭✭Reati


    What's Irish for 'dead end'? Why aren't we using that? :confused:

    Bóthar caoch.
    Kat1170 wrote: »
    Nobody would understand it :(

    I'm pretty sure they would if had been used like cúl de sac was.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,848 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    Am I alone in seeing this sort of stuff as a lesser version of some of the poor driving I encounter on a daily basis? I'd have thought the sing was fairly self explanatory?
    :rolleyes:




  • swarlb wrote: »
    'The Vienna Convention System' ???
    Who knew there was such a thing ???
    I love it on Boards how such a simple innocuous question can almost turn into a diplomatic incident.
    Nest time your in Kildare town have a look at the sign over Hartes Pub
    Not too many people know what it means, but back in the 1930's and probably earlier this was manna to a certain travelling group.
    I wonder did the Vienna Convention System tell the rest of Europe to abide by it's meaning.
    Yep, almost all EU countries have adopted the convention, but there are variants, for example the background may be yellow instead of white, motorway signs are green and main road signs are blue the opposite way round.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Convention_on_Road_Signs_and_Signals
    Ireland didn't sign :P, that's why we have such a mish-mash of signs here, some actually dangerous for visitors.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_European_road_signs#Table_of_traffic_signs_comparison


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,244 ✭✭✭swarlb


    It's the set of standards that brought about a common set of signs for road signs in Europe and many other places.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Convention_on_Road_Traffic

    Anyone designing or specifying road signs should be extremely well aware of it and if they're not, you'd wonder what exactly they are in that job.

    This is a specialist forum on motoring. It's not unreasonable to be technical about motoring issues without expecting to be mocked for doing so!

    The Op asked the meaning of a particular road sign. He got the answer in the first reply.
    The thread then descended (as usual) into a cross border debate, ranging from how 'stupid' the Irish are, to opinions on why people should be employed or not.... and you accuse ME of mocking.
    Hilarious :rolleyes: but at the same time entertaining.. the beauty of 'Boards' I suppose.


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  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 23,157 Mod ✭✭✭✭Alanstrainor


    Time to close this one up.


This discussion has been closed.
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